posted on October 1, 2004 10:19:02 AM
I had to buy a new camera several months ago (FinePix A205). Now this camera and I seemed to get along fine, but didn't use it much before we moved. Now I want to start back on Ebay and I can't seem to get my picture sizes right. They come out just huge. I never, ever had to do anything more than crop the pictures before. I am using the editing software that came with the camera.
Next problem or puzzle - I also just bought a HP scanner/printer/copier. It has a facility for resizing the pictures. I usually resize to as near 350KB as possible, but smaller. Something, someone, somehow, when they are uploaded to Vendio, they come out as a smaller KB. I don't mind that - just wonder how it happens and why some of them will be 15KB and some 35 when I have resized them pretty much the same.
What is a good size, KB-wise, for pictures to upload to EBay? And is there a facility on the A-205 software to resize pictures - other than just cropping them.
posted on October 1, 2004 10:49:59 AM
I don't know what software you are using, but there should be a link to resize. I just bought a new Olympus & the software that came with it allows me to resize & crop as well as adjust the light & contrast. My pictures are 2560 by ?? I resize to 550 X 412 & they come out great. I also crop them to get rid of extra unneeded material.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
[ edited by sanmar on Oct 1, 2004 10:50 AM ]
posted on October 1, 2004 11:07:00 AM
Thanks, Sanmar.
For the camera, I use the software that came with the camera - Finepix 'whatever'.
I just checked, and there is no facility for resizing the pics, other than changing the pixels. The smallest is 640/480.
For some reason, I have never had to worry about picture size before. I did have a Kodak 215 (I used Ulead for that)- then this Fuji and until now I just cropped and uploaded, and they were a nice size. Now, they are coming out giant, economy size.
posted on October 1, 2004 11:25:35 AM
Hi... you might try Irfan...it is free download...many ebayers use it...crops, rotates ...etc.
Load your photos as usuall...open iran...and off you go...
http://www.irfanview.com/
"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003
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posted on October 1, 2004 11:59:54 AM
Try looking for "Save As" in you pictures program. That is where I found the compression tool for my HP. It had a slider that I moved 2 positions to the negative direction and all of my pictures come into Vendio as 30-50KB without loosing the clarity of the picture.
Kevin
posted on October 1, 2004 12:02:47 PM
Thanks - I read the Ifranview page and may try to download it. Someone suggested it before and I got lost trying to download since I didn't undestand 'mirrors' or 'tucows', etc.
In the Ifranview article, it suggests that 54KB is a good size for an auction - would you agree?
I just never paid any attention to the KB before. My software seemed to do the job just fine with only cropping and saving to JPEG. That is why I am so lost. I don't know what has changed.
posted on October 1, 2004 12:50:59 PM
Thanks everyone!!!
You all convinced me there should be a way to do this---so I just kept looking and clicking around in the software. Sure 'nuff - right there below the options to crop, etc, was a little 'housetop'. When I clicked on it, it opened up several more options for me - including resizing. Now if I can learn how to do it in less steps, I will be good to go.
posted on October 1, 2004 02:03:52 PM
Hey, thats the beauty of this board, you can always find someone to help. I know, I've been there.
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
Yes, I did discover a lower setting on my camera which shoots at 640/480 - but just did one of my cat and it is 118K. That is before cropping, but you would have to crop quite a bit to get it down to 50K.
It is possible the camera got changed to a higher setting and now that I have it back on the lowerst setting, where I had evidently been using it before, I can manage the size. It is also possible I was just uploading big pictures - 100K and over. It was just nothing I checked other than to keep it under 350 because Vendio wouldn't upload a pic any larger.
posted on October 1, 2004 05:17:52 PM
This is kind of interesting. I shoot at 640x480 for eBay, generally don't have to crop them as I fill the frame with the subject. I just checked all my images in VD, and they range from 17KB to 123KB. When I make up a listing for eBay, if I have 2 pictures of the item, I use a template with space for 2 pictures across the top. I don't have a problem with the listing being too wide for the screen, where I'd have to scroll to the side to get the whole listing. If I use 3 pictures, although there are templates that provide for 3 across the top, I have to use a template where there are 2 across the top and 1 on the side. The size of the uploaded picture doesn't seem to make any difference in the listing page. I wonder why?
I just figured it out... Go to my account, global preferences, item listing options. Is the box in front of "Automatically scale down large images for faster download and cleaner presentation" checked? Mine is.
[ edited by max40 on Oct 1, 2004 05:32 PM ]
posted on October 1, 2004 07:42:32 PM
FWIW, I shoot at 2560 x 1920. I usually use Photoshop Elements 2(costs around $100 or so, and is truly essential in my opinion; version 3 is ariving soon) which has a "Save for web" option where you can select the size and quality you desire.
I usually keep pictures under 50k in size; sometimes by reducing size, sometimes quality (depending on what it is a photo of, whether I think the likely bidder has broadband, etc.).
There are other programs (I use Jasc for some things, Microsoft PictureIt for other things, full-blown Photoshop for still other things), but I think Photoshop Elements is the best all around and sufficient by itself. I can crank out quite a few photos quickly because most of the commands have keyboard shortcuts.
posted on October 1, 2004 08:15:40 PM
Cash is right, irfan is okay, but a weak sister compared to elements.
It's worth it.
If you can control the file size in the camera, and then learn shoeleather zooming, you can minimize your cropping.
