ATTN: Nikon Software Users

Andy · January 17, 2007

Hey team

We have a customer who shoots Nikon, but can't seem to get his jpg files under 8 megabytes (standard user).

What are the "save as" options in Nikon software? And no, I'm not sure what version he's using or anything, so please give multiple options if they exist.

Thanks in advance.

DoctorIt · January 18, 2007

people use the Nikon software? if they do, they certainly are not on a Mac...

Sorry Andy, can't help with this one, but I'm calling in an expert... stdby. BTW, would help to know what camera they're using. No matter what you interface you use, I know for sure that D200 files are just obscenely huge.

kuzzy · January 18, 2007

Andy wrote:

Hey team

We have a customer who shoots Nikon, but can't seem to get his jpg files under 8 megabytes (standard user).

What are the "save as" options in Nikon software? And no, I'm not sure what version he's using or anything, so please give multiple options if they exist.

Thanks in advance.

I know that Nikon View has a simple "resize jpeg" command that can be found by right clicking the mouse over the thumbnail of either an image or a group of selected images (Nikonview is a free download at Nikon's website). This allows you to save a new file at either a smaller size or quality setting or both in order to resize the jpg file.

I am not sure how to do it in "Picture Project" because i just do not use the program and do not have access to it at the moment. I will check it later. Nikon Capture NX has "Save as" options which can control size as well via quality settings Adjusting quality levels down will reduce the file size without necessarily degrading the image much.

Hope this helps.

kygarden · January 18, 2007

Here's what I see...

My guess is he/she is using the highest quality setting which will definitely make the file quite large.

***Screenshots removed since they were not the right software****

jfriend · January 18, 2007

dpreview - Nikon forum

Andy wrote:

Hey team

We have a customer who shoots Nikon, but can't seem to get his jpg files under 8 megabytes (standard user).

What are the "save as" options in Nikon software? And no, I'm not sure what version he's using or anything, so please give multiple options if they exist.

Thanks in advance.

If you don't get any further answers here...

If you can find out which software package it is from Nikon, you can get very specific answers on dpreview in any Nikon forum or the Retouching forum. There are loads of Nikon Capture and Nikon Capture NX users there. But without the exact name of the software package, there would be different directions for Capture, Capture NX, Nikon View, Nikon Project, etc... Presumably, the customer is either uprezzing or using too high a JPEG quality level, but I don't know the specific instructions for any of these packages (I'm an ACR user).

My Nikon D2Xs (12 MegaPixels) files shot in RAW and saved as JPEG quality level 10 from ACR/CS2 are in the 2.5-4MB range with most around 3MB.

Andy · January 18, 2007

Hi guys, thanks.

The customer just wrote back. He's using Nikon's PictureProject 1.5 software.

kygarden · January 18, 2007

In that case, I'm gonna delete my screenshots (since they're not relevant) so I don't have to host them in my smugmug anymore

Phyxius · January 18, 2007

Andy wrote:

Hi guys, thanks.

The customer just wrote back. He's using Nikon's PictureProject 1.5 software.

That's a very non-user friendly program. I have it at home and I'll play with when I get there to see if I can find anything out.

I generally avoid it like the plague.

:

Also, checking out some information before I get off work I found that Nikon has updates out for Picture Project. Maybe updating will help too? Picture Project Updates Page There are updates for Mac and Windows.

Harryb · January 18, 2007

I don't use Picture Project but if you have a question about it you can go to the Nikonusa web site http://www.nikonusa.com/home.php and choose the "contact us" button and that will take you to the Nikon Knowledge Database where he/she can ask their question and have it answered by a Nikon tech.

Phyxius · January 18, 2007

Sorry, but I can't find anything. PictureProject seems to be more of an organization tool than an editing tool.

Also searched "resize" with no results. Searching "size" just brings up stuff that talks about thumbnail viewing size and sorting by file size, not actually resizing the image.

There are some free editing programs like Picasa though, if that helps any?

TomaS · January 18, 2007

I have D200 and have never seen a JPG over 4MB. What the customer is telling you does not make sense, unless his software is defective.

DoctorIt wrote:

BTW, would help to know what camera they're using. No matter what you interface you use, I know for sure that D200 files are just obscenely huge.

I shoot CompressedRaw+JPG on a D200. The RAWs are 8MB and the JPG anywhere from 1.5 to 3MB on highest quality. That does not seem 'obscenely huge' to me. What sizes does a 20D or 30D produce?

DoctorIt · January 18, 2007

TomaS wrote:

I shoot CompressedRaw+JPG on a D200. The RAWs are 8MB and the JPG anywhere from 1.5 to 3MB on highest quality. That does not seem 'obscenely huge' to me. What sizes does a 20D or 30D produce?

I was just going by what a D200 user (good friend) told me. You made me curious, so I just went and checked: my D70 NEF's are about 5-6MB and my 30D CR2's are about 7MB.

And why would the customer be uploading RAW files anyway. Clearly the jpg's should be way smaller. Something doesn't add up, good point TomaS.

jfriend · January 18, 2007

Need appropriate JPEG compression setting

TomaS wrote:

I have D200 and have never seen a JPG over 4MB. What the customer is telling you does not make sense, unless his software is defective.

I shoot CompressedRaw+JPG on a D200. The RAWs are 8MB and the JPG anywhere from 1.5 to 3MB on highest quality. That does not seem 'obscenely huge' to me. What sizes does a 20D or 30D produce?

I think I remember that some Nikon software has a JPEG compression setting that applies almost no compression and the images it generates are absolutely huge. You could give it a 2MB jpeg, make a small change or even no change, save it under minimum compression and get an 8MB jpeg. That's obviously silly and impractical because there certainly isn't that much actual information in the file, but if you turn compression down ridiculously low that can be generated. More than likely, the user just needs to use a more reasonable jpeg compression setting, but without the software in front of me, I can't make a specific recommendatoin.

xtnomad · January 18, 2007

I have used nikon PP for a while and if I remember it saves a copy of the original and a copy of the edited file together. After I edit in Nikon PP I open in PS e4 (and just moved to e5), and save as a copy file in PS and upload copy files to smugmug because of the uploading times of the Nikon PP files just seemed to large and time consuming. The Copy files in PS elements have made some good prints below 16 x 24 but in larger prints I have wanted some more detail, i not sure if I have to rethink my (novice work flow) or try some thing else?

kuzzy · January 19, 2007

picture project

xtnomad wrote:

I have used nikon PP for a while and if I remember it saves a copy of the original and a copy of the edited file together. After I edit in Nikon PP I open in PS e4 (and just moved to e5), and save as a copy file in PS and upload copy files to smugmug because of the uploading times of the Nikon PP files just seemed to large and time consuming. The Copy files in PS elements have made some good prints below 16 x 24 but in larger prints I have wanted some more detail, i not sure if I have to rethink my (novice work flow) or try some thing else?

I went home last night and checked Picture Project and I believe that if you want to resize your images you use the export command and adjust your settings regarding size and quality accordingly. I have not actually used this so I am not sure of the results as far as file size/setting are concerned. I do know that if you use Picassa and choose Maximum quality when exporting it will sometimes substantially increse the files size. I do not know if Picture Project will do the same.

Andy · January 19, 2007

Thanks everyone! I've made sure that our customer has seen this thread - hopefully he'll register and post

Phyxius · January 19, 2007

kuzzy wrote:

if you want to resize your images you use the export command and adjust.

Yup, I'd just been messing around and found the same thing...here are some screen captures.

Click Export

Choose size from limited preset options.

I resized a .NEF file to a few specifications. First I exported at full size w/no quality change as a JPEG and got:
3008 x 2000 = 4.39M

then I resized the same file:
800 x 532 = 461.6K (with full quality)
640 x 426 = 302.5k (with full quality)

ATTN: Nikon Software Users

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