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More on Photography
More on Photography
Pictures taken with a digital camera are stored as image fi les. The size of the
fi les, and with it the number of images that can be recorded on the memory
card, depends on the quality and size of the images. Before shooting, choose
image quality and size according to how the picture will be used.
Image Quality
The camera stores images in one of three formats: NEF (RAW), TIFF (HI qual-
ity), or JPEG (EXTRA, FINE, NORMAL, or BASIC quality).
Option Format
Compression
ratio
1
Description
RAW
2, 3
NEF
Not
compressed
Raw data from CCD are saved in Nikon Electronic
Image Format (NEF) without processing or com-
pression, preserving high level of detail at fi le size
slightly smaller than that of TIFF images.
HI
2, 4
TIFF
(RGB)
High image quality (on par with NEF) in format sup-
ported by most imaging applications.
EXTRA
JPEG
1 : 2
Produces best quality JPEG images; fi le size is small-
er than NEF or TIFF.
FINE 1 : 4
Fine image quality, suitable for enlargements or
high-quality prints.
NORM
(NORMAL)
1 : 8 Normal image quality, suited to most applications.
BASIC 1 : 16
Basic image quality, suitable for pictures that will be
distributed by e-mail or used in web pages.
1
To reduce the amount of memory each shot occupies, JPEG images are compressed as
they are saved to the memory card. Compression selectively reduces the quality of the
image; the more a picture is compressed, the more noticeable this loss of quality is likely
to be. This column gives the approximate compression ratio for each setting.
2 Available only in P, S, A, and M modes. Selecting (auto) or scene mode resets
image quality to EXTRA. Digital zoom ( 18) not supported.
3 Available only at an image size of . Selecting resets image quality to HI; select-
ing any other size resets image quality to EXTRA. Direct print (
80) not supported.
4 Available only at image sizes of
and . Selecting another size resets image quality
to EXTRA.
Image Mode