RECORDING MODE

Image quality

This camera has four image-quality settings: super fine, fine, standard, and economy. Always select the desired setting before taking the picture. Image quality is set in the basic section of the recording-mode menu (p. 28).

Image quality controls the rate of compression, but has no effect on the number of pixels in the image. The higher the image quality, the lower the rate of compression and the larger the file sizes. If the economical use of the memory card is important, use the economy mode. Standard image quality is sufficient for normal usage. The superfine mode will produce the highest quality image and the largest image files.

File formats vary with the image quality setting. Super fine images are saved as a TIFF file. Fine, standard, and economy images are formatted as JPEG files.

If the image quality is changed, the LCD monitor will display the approximate number of images that can be recorded at that setting on the installed memory card. One memory card can contain images with differing qualities.

LCD monitor

 

File type

display

 

 

 

S. FIN

Super fine - the highest-quality image.

TIFF

FINE

Fine - high-quality image.

JPEG

STD

Standard - the default setting.

JPEG

ECON

Economy - the smallest file sizes.

JPEG

The frame counter and memory card capacity

The number of images that can be stored on a memory card is determined by the size and type of card and the file size of the images. The actual file size is determined by the scene; some subjects can be compressed further than others.

Approximate file sizes.

 

Image

 

 

 

 

Image

size 2048 X 1536 1600 X 1200

1280 X 960

640 X 480

quality

 

 

 

 

 

Super fine

9.2MB

5.5MB

3.5MB

0.91MB

Fine

 

1.6MB

0.95MB

0.61MB

0.17MB

Standard

0.80MB

0.48MB

0.32MB

0.09MB

Economy

0.40MB

0.25MB

0.17MB

0.05MB

 

Approximate card capacity for an 16MB memory card.

Super fine

1 image

2 images

3 images

15 images

Fine

 

9 images

15 images

23 images

82 images

Standard

18 images

29 images

45 images

150 images

Economy

36 images

56 images

82 images

226 images

The frame counter indicates the approximate number of images that can be stored on the memory card at the camera’s image quality and size settings. If the settings are changed, the frame counter adjusts accordingly. Because the calculation is based on approximate file sizes, the actual image taken may not change the counter or may decrease it by more than one.

When the frame counter displays three red zeros and card-full message appears, it indicates no more images at the image size and quality settings can be captured. Changing the image size or quality settings may allow more images to be captured.

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