A question about File Name Extensions

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TonyC
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A question about File Name Extensions

Post by TonyC »

Hi there,
Not being a photographer of any skill, there are many things connected to digital photography that confuse me (white balance but that's for another day :grinning: ), not least the File Name Extensions!

Can anyone explain what are the benefits to saving images with the following extensions?

.jpeg
.jpg
.png
.gif
.tiff
.raw

Many thanks

TonyC
...and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in Space cos there's bugger all down here on Earth!

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LN Strike Eagle
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Re: A question about File Name Extensions

Post by LN Strike Eagle »

TonyC wrote:
Tue 29 Mar 2022, 3:34 pm
Can anyone explain what are the benefits to saving images with the following extensions?

.jpeg
.jpg
Same thing. JPG is just a carryover from the older windows format of three-letter files extensions. Saving files in JPG/JPEG format essentially causes damage to an image by compressing elements of it to make them smaller to store/faster to load. The smaller the file size, the more damage you are doing to the contents of the image. If you save at higher quality, the 'damage' is negligible.

It's the most common format for saving and sharing images, and has the advantage that it can retain EXIF data (essentially a record of the camera, lens and settings used to capture the original image).
TonyC wrote:
Tue 29 Mar 2022, 3:34 pm
.png
.gif
PNG is meant to replace GIF. The purpose of these file types are that they can both be saved with transparent pixels and as animated files. The old emojis on the forum ( :cuppa:) were animated GIFs.

PNGs are much better at handling transparency as you can save them with variable opacity - GIFs are essentially made up of either solid or transparent pixels, there is no middle ground. Pixels in a PNG image can have an opacity value anywhere between 0-100%.

These are mainly used for graphics rather than photos; logos and background images on websites for example.
TonyC wrote:
Tue 29 Mar 2022, 3:34 pm
.tiff
A lossless image format. Saving as a TIFF won't harm your image (unlike JPG), but comes at the cost of file size.
TonyC wrote:
Tue 29 Mar 2022, 3:34 pm
.raw
There are lots of formats for RAW files from various camera manufacturers over the years, but essentially they capture an uncompressed and unprocessed image which you have greater control over when you edit your images; you can adjust things like white balance (!), colour temperature and exposure much more simply than you can to other file formats.

You can create JPEGs and all of the above formats from a RAW image - you can't turn any other files into a RAW image.
"You really are an oafish philistine at times!"

Berf
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Re: A question about File Name Extensions

Post by Berf »

Very basically

1. jpeg or jpg - the normal 'everyday' format that has a file size that has enough data within it to make many adjustments in Lightroom and Photoshop etc
2. png gif - much lower size files that are designed for phones, websites etc
3. tiff raw the format with the largest size files that allow you to make as much changes as possible although tiff is not used much these days. A large raw file will allow you to recover for example a lot of data if you have over or under exposed. Most pros will use raw although the final output may well be saved as a jpeg file as raw is just too large for 'everyday use' Photo agencies used to insist on tiff but now most files are jpegs.
4 as for white balance don't get hung up about it - just set the camera to auto white balance - it will suffice most of the time and if it is off at any stage it is very easy to correct later.

Berf
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Re: A question about File Name Extensions

Post by Berf »

Ok - LN's explanations are a bit more 'technical' (the messages crossed).
While LN is correct in saying JPEGs compress files and can cause 'damage' - chances are it is not so much damage that you will ever see it for most of the things most people need their pictures for. If the damage was that bad photo agencies would not want files supplied as JPEGS.

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TonyC
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Re: A question about File Name Extensions

Post by TonyC »

Thanks for that (I think :grin: ), I've had a Nikon D70 for a number of years, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ19 Point & Shoot camera and a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 but rarely use the Nikon, due to the lenses that came with the camera (wide angle and I think, a 200-400mm telephoto lens)! I also have a Pentax OM-10 35mm SLR with a variety of lens which I used to use regularly, until digital became the technology to use, so do have some knowledge of photography but will admit that I am easily confused by digital terminology (& techology :grinning: ).

Anyway, if I understand correctly, none of the other file extension format can be converted into a .raw image, so that it can then benefit from the properties of an original .raw image but, would there be any benefit in saving a .jpeg image, as a .png image (or any of the other file extensions) or equally, a .png, into a .jpeg file?

Further, do all digital cameras (both Point & Shoot or DSLR) have a .raw setting or just the higher end models?

Again thanks for the advice.

TonyC
...and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in Space cos there's bugger all down here on Earth!

cg_341
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Re: A question about File Name Extensions

Post by cg_341 »

TonyC wrote:
Wed 30 Mar 2022, 3:01 pm
would there be any benefit in saving a .jpeg image, as a .png image (or any of the other file extensions) or equally, a .png, into a .jpeg file?
Not really, other than to try and get around file size limits (JPG files are usually smaller in physical size [not dimensions!] than PNG).
TonyC wrote:
Wed 30 Mar 2022, 3:01 pm
Further, do all digital cameras (both Point & Shoot or DSLR) have a .raw setting or just the higher end models?
Most cameras probably have it now - even my phone does!

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TonyC
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Re: A question about File Name Extensions

Post by TonyC »

Thanks, that appreciated :thumbsup:
...and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in Space cos there's bugger all down here on Earth!

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