i have a dc200 what format should i take photos in

-- mark keen (mark.keen@bt.com), May 09, 1999

Answers

I am using a Kodak DC265 and have experimented with both formats. Visually, I couldn't tell the difference - either in printed form at 200% zoom, or on the computer screen (using 32-bit color at 1280x1024) also at 2000-400% zoom. (Note: the DC265 produces 24-bit color images) According to some responses I have read in other forums, the resulting image that is reproduced is identical for either format. The reason the ".fpx" files are larger is because they store additional information which allows the reproduced image to be specified with much more flexibility. I'm not sure if that's all true since, other than reading about it on other forums, I have also been unable to find a good answer. Kodak never answered my Email about it (although they are usually pretty good about answering questions I submit through Email). Additionally, the DC265 offers a new "Super" quality mode which produces file sizes approximately twice as large as the "Best" quality mode (in both ".fpx" and ".jpg" formats). But the "Super" mode can only be set via digita script files. It's not an uncompressed mode (which I really wanted), but is supposed to offer greater resolution. However, as with the ".fpx" vs. ".jpg" issue. I was unable to VISUALLY see any difference between the two formats even when zoomed to 400%. They both became pixelated at the same zoom factor, and the pixelation appeared to be the same size "blocks" in both photos. I have resorted to using the "Best" quality mode in the ".jpg" format because I can't see any advantage for either ".fpx" format or the "Super" quality mode. Also, ".jpg" is a heck of a lot easier to use than ".fpx", since MS Word97 doesn't yet have a ".fpx" format converter.

-- Derek Weller (wrestler@worldnet.att.net), May 10, 1999.

I'm no expert, but here's some cut & paste I found for you regarding FLASHPIX:

FlashPix Files: FlashPix is a hierarchical digital image file format that consists of multiple versions of an image at various resolution levels. You can view the image at one resolution on your computer screen and zoom in to higher resolutions to see greater levels of detail. The FlashPix file format lets you work with high-quality images without using a significant amount of memory and storage space.

The following graphic illustrates the FlashPix image hierarchy, also referred to as an image pyramid. [Sorry, no graphic. It is simply of a 3-level pyramid, the floor of each level colored in red.]

The base of the pyramid represents the source image, such as a GIF or JPEG. What makes the FlashPix file unique are the other levels in the pyramid. As you move up through the pyramid, each image is half the size (in both width and height) of the image below. In addition, each image in the pyramid is split into tiles that are 64 x 64 pixels. For more information about FlashPix, visit the Kodak Web site at http://www.kodak.com

-- Xeulas (xeulas@geocities.com), May 15, 1999.