Canon's EOS 300D SLR Digital Camera Breaks $1000 Barrier

19. JPEG, TIFF, RAW Image Formats

Digital cameras generally make do with JPEG images, but people who want to go further are entitled to demand a wider choice. Very fortunately, the top of the range is designed for this very purpose, and TIFF and RAW formats can now supplement the simple JPEG. Even if you are in the habit of manipulating files, a little reminder about certain points may prove necessary..

The JPEG operates by "area of interest." In a square bounded by a specific number of pixels, pixels that resemble each other are, in a way, grouped together. Upon arrival, less information, fewer kiloBytes and thus less weight are available. If there is less information, it deteriorates, and the image may consequently suffer deterioration. A heavily compressed photograph loses an enormous amount of detail and it is sometimes impossible to enlarge. Hence the following logical rule: the heavier the compression, the poorer the image, and vice versa. In APN, there are three levels of compression (in addition to the choice of resolution) leaving the room for maneuver so important to the photographer who wants to "target" his or her images.

The TIFF is the most popular choice of people who don't want their images to deteriorate, as it promises careful image-handling and the absence of damage. In practice, an image recorded in TIFF format preserves all of its data and thus deserves to be called "maximum quality." Unfortunately, the TIFF format is large and bulky. A maximum of data is the equivalent of "full of megaBytes." Furthermore, when taking pictures, recording a TIFF image is a slow process! It can last as long as 50 seconds depending on the make of camera. Of course, the camera is unavailable during these 50 seconds, so this is a bit of downer if you've just missed taking the photo of the century!

Another option developed by some manufacturers specifically to solve this problem is the RAW format. As its name indicates, RAW is a sort of "raw sensor" format. The image is not processed, either in TIFF nor in JPEG. The main interest of this feature is that the absence of processing makes it possible to quickly record the photo to the memory card (it's faster than a TIFF, comparable in speed to a JPEG). The other interest is that the image retains all of its data, and is thus of maximum quality. The RAW is even called the "negative" by some manufacturers, because it retains the information that will later be "developed" by the software. Now let's examine the disadvantages of the RAW. It cannot yet be read directly by the standard retouching software (Photoshop is just beginning to try and deal with it). This means that the RAW format involves launching a proprietary application, which alone is capable of reading the file and translating it into an image. The conversion of a RAW to a TIFF, JPEG, or any other format desired can be done on the computer screen but it takes time. Lots of time. This is an option that enables you to photograph quickly and well, without filling up the memory card to saturation point, but the subsequent processing involves spending a lot of time. Reactivity when shooting or immediate availability after recording. You'll have to make the choice, it's either one or the other.

Canon was the first to incorporate the RAW format into its digital camera range. RAW (called .CRW by Canon) can be found on its top-of-the range compacts such as the PowerShot G5, as well as on SLR cameras, from the D30 onward. Of course, Canon has made the RAW format available on the EOS 300D, as well as the JPEG. So what about the TIFF? Surprise, Canon has decided to do away with it, purely and simply. They consider this format to be too memory-heavy to manage in shot format. It's a controversial way to go, because ideally, all three formats ought to have been available. On the other hand, this Japanese manufacturer was shrewd enough to offer a JPEG+RAW format in a single shot. To put it briefly, the JPEG is contained within the RAW and the conversion utility then extracts it in an incredibly simple way to produce two identical, yet separate images. So why on earth was this principle not integrated directly into the viewfinder? A single click could have produced two images of the shot, the RAW and JPEG versions. It would have been brilliant to allow you to decide the eventual destination of the image - web or print. Well, in fact, Canon does offer this option, but not on the EOS 300D. You would have to go for the higher range if you want to be able to benefit from this supreme refinement. To repeat, the EOS 300D should not (in Canon's view) compete too strongly with the 10D. That's unanswerable commercial logic.