DSLR Camera Basics
“Image quality” refers to the file type and compression ratio used when images are saved, while “image size” (measured in pixels) determines the physical dimensions of the image.
Image Quality and File Type (NEF/RAW, JPEG, and TIFF)
Depending on the option selected for image quality, images will be recorded in NEF (RAW), JPEG, or TIFF formats (the options available vary with the model of camera).
Image quality |
File name |
Viewable in |
Direct print/DPE |
Compression (approximate compression ratio) |
File size |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEF (RAW) |
DSC_xxxx.NEF (NEF = Nikon Electronic For-mat) |
Software that supports NEF (RAW) format images |
Not support-ed |
Compressed. High-end cameras also support uncom-pressed NEF/RAW. |
Large |
|
JPEG |
Fine |
DSC_xxxx.JPG |
A variety of general-purpose software |
Supported |
Compressed (1 : 4) |
Large (for JPEG images) |
Normal |
Compressed (1 : 8) |
Medium (for JPEG images) |
||||
Basic |
Compressed (1 : 16) |
Small (for JPEG images) |
||||
TIFF |
DSC_xxxx.TIF |
General-purpose imaging software |
Not support-ed |
Not compressed |
Very large |
|
Image Editing
Image quality |
Edit using |
Suited to later editing? |
|---|---|---|
NEF (RAW) |
ViewNX 2 or Capture NX 2 |
Yes |
JPEG |
A variety of general-purpose software |
No |
TIFF |
General-purpose imaging software |
Yes |
NEF (RAW) is recommended for photographs that will be processed after leaving the camera, JPEG for photographs that will be displayed or printed without further processing.
NEF (RAW)
NEF (RAW) files record raw data from the camera image sensor. Camera settings are saved separately from the raw data, allowing settings such as exposure and white balance to be changed after shooting. The same image can be edited in a variety of different ways without affecting image quality.
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JPEG
JPEG images are compressed using an image-processing algorithm that reduces file size partly by reducing the amount of information the images contain. The amount of compression can be selected from “Fine”, “Normal”, and “Basic” for compression ratios of approximately 1 : 4, 1 : 8, and 1 : 16, respectively. The lower the compression ratio, the better the quality and the larger the file size. The higher the ratio, the smaller the file size but the greater the loss of information.
The following photos show an enlarged portion of the above image at fine, normal, and basic qualities to illustrate the effects of compression.
- Fine
- Normal
- Basic
The image artifacts created at higher compression ratios are visible in the enlargements.
TIFF (Available with Select Models of Camera)
TIFF is an uncompressed format and causes no drop in image quality. It is also supported by a wide variety of image software. TIFF files are however comparatively large.
