do you loose quality while converting to JPEG?

[Mitchell]

My images look awsome when in raw and when convert them to jpeg for printing and posting online there less sharp and seem like there blury a little.
Is this becuase of the program i use to convert?

[gldiana]

It definitely can have to do with the program you use, but in any case JPEG is the lowest quality format out there. So yes, you do lose quality.

[bob_r]

The settings you use to convert to JPG will also affect the image.
Which program are you using?
Are you saving with a high resolution setting?
How much are you compressing the image when converting?
Do you only notice the difference when printing or also when viewing the jpg file?
What settings are you using to print?

You should be able to print at least an 8 x 10 without noticing any differences in the image.

[Mitchell]

I use the softwear that came with my camera to convert to jpeg,
And i save them as the highest quality as i can, and i get them printed online from diferent places

[bob_r]

Mitchell,

Do the jpg images look soft on your monitor after you convert them? I use the software that came with my camera (30D) to convert to jpg most of the time too and have printed sharp images as large as 20 X 30. What size files are you sending to the printers?

Bob R

[Mitchell]

Yes they llok very soft after I convert them, and i send highest quality to printers.

one other thing i have been woundering about is there any printer that can print Raw? for under $1000

[gldiana]

Mitchell,
it's not the printer that prints RAW, but the software. Adobe Lightroom can.

A way not to lose quality is to export to TIFF instead of JPEG.

[Mitchell]

well i tried tiff and it dident look mutch better. Adobe lightroom so you use that program to print? i thoguth it was jsut a raw veiwing program Nice!

[bob_r]

Can you post one of the jpg pics or a link to one?

[Mitchell]

i made it big so you can see it better....

[Edd]

Mitchell

As I understand it, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, everytime you hit the save button with a JPG image then quality is reduced.

With a TIFF file beacause of the way the data is stored this doesn't happen, also if you have layers in the image then a TIFF will retain the layers where a JPG will merge them into the image.

Of course the down side is that TIFF files tend to be larger than JPG because of the amount of information stored in them.

Ed

[gldiana]

well i tried tiff and it dident look mutch better. Adobe lightroom so you use that program to print? i thoguth it was jsut a raw veiwing program Nice!

You won't see much difference on a screen unless you have a photographic (high resolution gamut) monitor: $3000 and above.
On large prints the difference can be noticeable.

[gldiana]

As I understand it, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong

You are completely right, Ed.
JPEG is a redundant compression format. Saving a jpeg after opening it is the equivalent to photocopying a photocopy. The more you do it and the more quality you lose, eventually it will be useless. If you think you'll beed to do a series of retouches at separate times it's better to convert from RAW to TIFF (widespread format) and then from TIFF to JPEG and every time work is need it, do it on the TIFF rather than the JPEG.

[Edd]

Thanks for the confirmation Luca !!!!

Ed

[Mitchell]

Thanks Guys...