Wouldn’t a camera with a constant resolution capture images of the same quality and therefore file size? How is it possible that some images on my camera can be 1.5 MB, and others 2.5 MB?
In: Technology
It depends on the photo’s file format – an agreed upon way to encode your picture. Certain file formats work better for certain pictures. Some pictures also have more data to store than other pictures.
Another aspect is lousy vs lossless. A lossless format seeks to keep the picture exactly as it was captured. This can result in a bigger file. The lousy file format discards parts and averages other parts to reduce the amount of data needed to describe the photo. Usually, the adjustments done when the photo is saved aren’t significantly noticable; however that’s not always the case. This can result in a smaller file.
To paint a metaphor for lousy vs lossless, consider a cooking recipe that calls for 3/4 cup water. Lossless would be measuring that water on a scale until this scale shows 3/4 cup water exactly. Lousy would be measuring up to line in my measuring cup and figuring that’s close enough. I may be off a little, but it likely won’t hurt the final result of my cooking.
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