Picture editing to reduce file size?

I see pics here that are small in file size but still clear and sharp. I'm having difficulty getting clear pics at low resolutions. What size camera and what editing software are folks using to get these results?

I'm currently using 640x480 with low and normal compression settings. The Lexmark editor is the best I have for reducing file size. Here's what I currently have to work with:

Cannon A40 2.0 mega pixel camera.

Software:
Canon Zoom Browser
Photo Impression
Lexmark Photo Editor

Any suggestions on camera, settings or better editing software?

Thanks,
Bill

If you take your pictures in 640 x 480 size, you can use high resolution, full color mode. It is the compression ratio that you need to work with, and you can compress the pictures afterwards before you post them. I use LView Pro, a free ware program available at a number of download locations (or e-mail me). You can compress pictures to any degree of compression. Although 75% is ddfault, I have compressed down to 20% and even lower with no noticeable loss of quality on the computer screen. In addition, you can resize pictures if needed, flip them, flop them, turn them upside down, change contrast, brightness, color, really mess them up if you want. It is one of those things that you just experiment with the buttons to see what you can do, and then try to leave them well enough alone except for what you really need.

>If you take your pictures in 640 x 480 size, you can use
>high resolution, full color mode. It is the compression
>ratio that you need to work with, and you can compress the
>pictures afterwards before you post them. I use LView Pro,
>a free ware program available at a number of download
>locations (or e-mail me).

Len,

I'm using a Kodak DC 4800 camera, which I like. The problem is my program for Photo work is Adobe PhotoDelux. Very convoluted, since you produce JPEG output as a "Save As" procedure, since it wants to put everything into its own special proprietary format by default. It just doesn't work by letting you specify a physical size and number of pixels per dimension. And it doesn't accept "compression factors" as an input either.

One thing I note: I have doubled the "physical size" of a picture, and then have reduced the number of pixels per inch so the total size remains under 50 KB. This has no effect on the physical size of the posted photograph. According to me, the software at your end is assigning a fixed "bounding box" to the picture, and fitting my pictures into that box, ignoring any "physical size" I have assigned them. Just like the Avatar in fact. I can make them sharper or fuzzier by adjusting the number of pixels per inch, but the final displayed size remains the same. And I have no way that I know of to tell your software to display the picture in a larger box. If I could do that, I think I could win at this. But as long as your software decides what physical size to print the picture in the posting, I'm stuck. If you can point me to a "size button" in the Forum software to give me that freedom, please let me know.

Given that my photo package is so convoluted compared to what you use, an alternative approach is for me to get the same software you use. You say it is free ware, so you can just point me to it. That way we could compare how we push the same buttons until I get a recipe that works.

At any rate, thanks for your time and trouble. Technology is wonderful when it does what you want, and frustrating when it doesn't!

LAST EDITED ON Sep-28-03 AT 10:20 AM (CDT)
 
Len,
Thanks for the help...that is exactly what I needed to know. I just downloaded a free 21 day trial evaluation of LView Pro and going to see how it compares now. If it looks good I'll sprink the $38 for a full edition.

Here's the web link for Andy http://www.lview.com/index800.htm

Regards,
Bill Pritchett