Any digital photograph is essentially a software file that stores information about the image obtained by digitizing each of its points and how and when it was made. The data structure of this information is called photo file format or in a different file format.
There are many such formats, and they all refer to the graphic type. They differ in the algorithm of information compression, specification and purpose. Each photo file format was designed for its own purposes and is suitable for them better than others. For example, for storing images, processing or placing them on the Internet.
In traffic, you can find one of the most unusual circumstances: more and more drivers are turning to the car camera to record various routes or events. Such a device allows you to record precious images in the event of a bad incident on the road, providing the authorities with the necessary evidence. Moreover, the best video cameras will also be useful for traveling enthusiasts, as they can remember all the way through the vehicle.
On the market you will find many models, the variety of which may require more careful analysis before the potential user learns what to choose. This allows the camera to record quality images in any condition. The resulting images are clear, even in areas with low contrast or darkness. Some of the aspects that you need to test three are very important, depending on how the camera reports the light source: the front, low light or night camera.
You can get the original digital photo in one way. It is necessary to project a frame of the future photograph onto a matrix consisting of a set of light sensitive photocells, measure the signal level of each of them and record all these values in a photo file. This division of the photo into separate points - pixels called raster, and the format of its file - raster (Fig. 1).
The front light source is the place where the camera shoots with the sun in front. Most models on the market are not good enough when a beam of light hits directly into the lens. If the product you are going to buy mentions an image stabilizer for such situations, then it even deserves more consistent investment. Low light mode gives an advantage when shooting in low light, twilight conditions. It is recommended to search for information about the selected camera model and understand how it will work under the conditions in question, as you want to receive high-quality images no matter what time of day you go.
Fig.1 Any digital photograph consists of individual pixels, information about which is stored in a raster format file.
You can create a raster format photo file with two main devices - a digital camera or. But the number of formats in which you can save photo files is limited. To receive photo files of a different format, they must be converted into a special program (Fig. 2).
Most devices are not sufficiently adapted for this, and the option is limited due to impact. Typology: two types of models: video cameras with an internal car and video effects cameras, since this type is an aspect of placement and design of the selected device. Internal models can be very effective and have a design that allows them to adapt to the rear-view mirror to save space.
These chambers are less resistant to difficult environmental conditions or mechanical shocks. From this point of view, the best camcorders for cars are actions. Although they are more expensive, these rooms are waterproof, windy and dusty and can be used in almost all conditions.
Fig.2 Methods of obtaining digital raster format photo files.
You may need to change the format of the photo file for various reasons. For example, to reduce the size of photo files, to preserve the maximum image quality or to be able to work with layers. There are other reasons, but in any case, every format of the photo file should be used for its purpose.
Adding pixels that are actually bright dots, the result is the entire image. Resolution is a very important performance indicator for a device mounted on a car and shows how clear the details of the images are.
Angle of filming: the opinions of the best car cameras claim that the device for operation should shoot with a wide viewing angle: wide. This refers to which part of the image can fit into the frame. For an automotive video camera, 130 degrees for the angle of view should be sufficient. The easier the angle of shooting, the more elements you can capture in captured images.
Basic photo file formats
The names of digital photo files of any photo format as well as other types of program files consist of a variable part, a point and an extension. The extension of the photo files is always unchanged and can consist of three or four characters, by which the file type or the name of the format is determined. For example, jpeg, cr2, tiff, psd, gif (Fig. 3).
In addition, the angle can be changed even from settings for some models. It is recommended to choose the most angular camera, especially because you will be more likely to use this option in the area, and driving outside of populated areas may be surprised at a narrower angle. Do not forget that the angle is a factor that indicates all the quality of visibility.
Stabilizer: it can be mechanical, built into the camera stand or it can be a function included in the camera's additional options, as it reduces the bumps that occur during the movement of the car. Some models can also be equipped with software stabilization, which allows you to record images as efficiently as possible, despite the vibrations that the device intercepts. This element is necessary for both the on-board camera and the action camera.
Fig.3 The extension of the photo file indicates its format.
A universal format for digital photo files is JPEG. This is the most popular raster format, which is used to save photos in different types of photographic equipment. It is convenient to work with it in various photo editors and use it to view photos in all technical devices. Its main drawback is the loss of image quality while saving the file (Fig. 4).
Functions: Represents a combination of options for recording and playback of images. First, the car camera will have a loop function that allows you to rewrite the recorded files when it fills the memory card on which it is installed. The second important function is the automatic power supply, which is connected to the car battery for operation.
Other functions include: preservation of the integrity of individual images, activation of a sensor based on a camera or vacuum suction system with a sucker. When the sensor detects a shock, the camera records the images in a separate file. Warranty: Especially when it comes to great refinement, which is usually not sold at a low price, the warranty certificate is even an essential aspect. That's why it's good to use products of well-known companies in this field that not only offer extensive product guarantees, but also invest in improving patented prototypes, equipping them with the most useful options.
Fig.4 Loss of image quality of a photo while saving its file in JPEG format.
Besides format JPEG expensive photographic equipment often uses the RAW format. The file in this format retains the most complete information about the image and all the camera settings with which it was made. This gives huge advantages when processing photos and allows you to eliminate many photography errors (Fig. 5).
A higher warranty indicates a higher strength of the device and costs and maintenance conditions that correspond to minimal effort. Budget: It is not recommended to contact the cheapest products first, especially if you do not have enough information about the device.
If you insist on choosing between these cheap and good car video cameras, check the manufacturer's prestige in the market, which will be an additional guarantee. Think about whether an integrated or active camera is useful, and choose a model that meets your personal requirements, both budgetary and quality.
Fig.5 Using the special program in RAW photo files, you can change the camera settings.
RAW format is a common name for several formats used in photographic equipment from different manufacturers. Each such format has its own characteristics and is not unified. In order to bring all existing RAW formats to a single standard, the DNG format was developed. In fact, this is the same RAW format, but its file size is smaller and there are no additional text files (Fig. 6).
Now all the specifications needed for a profitable solution are available, as well as the most current opinions on the best car camcorders. The online offer is much more varied than what you will find in the shops, the prices are lower, and the quality and the guarantee of the products remain unchanged.
As with any online merchant, any purchase can be returned or changed if the customer is dissatisfied with the delivery condition of the package. The motion detector sensor helps the driver when maneuvering in bottlenecks, and also automatically starts the recording process, providing the evidence taken in the event of incidents in the parking lot. Because of the warning of the low-light sensor, you never leave the parking lot before sunbathing the headlights.
Fig.6 Files of the same photo in rAW format and DNG have different sizes and ways of storing textual information.
In those cases where you want to save the results of color processing, layers, channels, masks or any other attributes of photo editing, the PSD format is used. This is the internal file format of Photoshop, in which you should save all information about changing photos after taking a picture (Fig. 7). The main drawback of this format is limited use.
The memory capacity is up to 64 GB, the recording angle is good, 160 degrees. High capacity of 64 GB. Equipped with a presence sensor and a sensor for poor lighting. Some users report a low sound quality. Visibility is better than most cameras of this type, allowing the lens to record at an angle of 170 degrees. Thanks to the cyclic recording function, new recordings will be superimposed on the oldest when the memory card is full. The recording function starts automatically when the motion sensor detects something suspicious nearby.
Pic.7 In PSD files it is convenient to store information about photo editing (sample file).
The TIFF format is another file format used to store digital photos. It allows you to save the maximum image quality, but the size of such a file will be the largest in comparison with other listed formats (Fig. 8). In digital photography, it is used for high-quality work with color.
A generous display with good resolution for viewing recorded images. Equipped with the function of cyclic recording and motion detection. Memory card must be purchased separately. The shooting angle is wide, 170 degrees, so you can capture many details. Thanks to the function "Parking Monitor" you will receive reliable assistance when parking a car.
The device can be started immediately and has a 20-minute autonomy based on its own battery, provided that it is fully charged. Adapted parking and accelerometer. The autonomy of shooting is up to 20 minutes due to the included battery, provided that it is charged.
Fig.8 Comparison of file sizes of one photo saved in different photo formats.
The above five file photo formats - JPG, RAW, DNG, PSD and TIFF are considered the main ones for storing, processing and viewing digital photos. But for an effective demonstration of photos to the viewer, such formats are not suitable. To do this, you need to choose other formats designed for this purpose.
A memory card, without which the camera is useless, must be purchased separately. This small built-in camera impresses with the latest technology and classic and stylish design. The lens allows you to get a wide viewing angle of 160 degrees, which can capture many adjacent elements in frames.
A very obvious advantage is the built-in microphone, which allows you to shoot scenes with sound. Allows you to record audio with the built-in microphone. It takes a wide scope, including most of the field, because it has a wide viewing angle.
File formats for displaying photos
The main purpose of all photos is to show them to the viewer. Unlike paper photos, demonstration of many digital photos can be made more accessible and interesting, using the appropriate file formats. For example, photos can be animated and placed on the Internet, superimposed on them music, text and various special effects.
The sucker system can be used faster. The lens has a very wide viewing angle of 140 degrees. Films in dark areas or in low light, because infrared lamps can shoot images even under adverse conditions. It captures many frames, because the viewing angle is very wide.
Sounds a video with a built-in microphone. The playback screen is quite small. This allows you to effectively capture the details of images and is complemented by a wide-angle lens: 140 degrees. Recording is performed cyclically, in the loop the device has a built-in microphone for matching sounds with images.
Most convenient way Show photos to a large number of viewers is to place them on the Internet - on photo sites, in in social networks or (Fig. 9). In this case, the format of the photo files should be such that their sizes are as small as possible, and the image would be of good quality. There are three suitable formats for this.
How to use the car camera
It is very ergonomic and equipped with windshield support, which allows you to rotate the camera on several axes. Makes pictures with sound, because it has a built-in microphone. We often do not get into an accident when we are on the road, but if, unfortunately, we are a part of such an event, it would be desirable to have a video camera that records all at random.
You must carefully install this device as images that will help you. If the accident has not occurred within its scope, in the absence of an eyewitness, you will not have any evidence to rely on, so we suggest that you follow the steps that you are going to perform.
Fig.9 An example of placing digital photos in the cloud.
The main format for placing photos on the Internet is all the same JPEG, but with a high degree of compression of information. For this purpose, it fits perfectly. A file of a photo in this format in the size 600 on 900 pixels can be compressed up to 50 - 70 kb and thus the image outwardly will look normally.
It is indicated that the purchased product does not fit in the driver's field of vision, since it can distract him. For this reason, many users prefer to place the camera behind a rear-view mirror, from which it will no longer be an inconvenience to any of the passengers.
Before installing the camera using adhesive tapes, check that the shooting angle is adjusted. Although most products on the market come with a suction cup system, this can cause you problems due to vibration. This is not necessary, but many drivers prefer to secure the camera with adhesive tape for added security.
The second popular format, which was created for fast transfer Bitmap images over networks is GIF. This format allows you to significantly compress digital photo files without losing image quality. In addition, in this format, you can save the animation and transparency of the image layer (Fig. 10). The main drawback of the GIF format is the limitations in color rendering.
Pic.10 A photo file of the GIF format with animation.
(hover over the image)
For better color transmission on the Internet, the PNG format was developed. This format has a higher compression ratio without losing the quality of the graphic information in contrast to the JPEG format and can store an unlimited number of colors, unlike the GIF format. In addition, PNG files can be used as an alternative to the format for editing photos.
Using all the above formats, photo files can be stored and viewed separately. But there is another way. If the photos are combined and saved in a video format, they will become one file. At the same time, one can make a beautiful slide show with music, text and special effects. For this purpose, several formats are suitable: MPEG4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV (Fig. 11). But this is not all formats.
Fig.11 An example of a slide show from photos in MPEG4 file format.
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To store and view digital photos in one file, you can also use the most popular book pDF format. In this format, photos can be stored as in one photo album. This makes it possible to create an interactive quick search menu for them or view photos as a slide show (Fig. 12).
Fig.12 An example of storing digital photos in a PDF file.
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Here, perhaps, and everything that concerns the general review of formats for files in which it is necessary to store digital photos. When selecting formats for specific purposes, you need to know more about them - features, advantages, disadvantages. Read more about each such format in the following articles.
Let's discuss various image formats. jpg, bmp, gif, png, tiff, ico, do you know these? With so many varieties, it's easy to get confused and store your images in a non-optimal way. Than it is dangerous? For example, by using "lossy compression" you can lose the quality of images; In addition, unprocessed, "raw" images can take up a lot of disk space.
Even more significant is the problem for webmasters. How to make the images on the site look beautiful, but they did not take up much space and were quickly downloaded? I myself have only recently become interested in this issue, so in my old articles you probably will find unoptimized images (I'm going to tackle them, but I have not had it yet). Nevertheless, choosing an image type is a task that must be solved before you upload it to the Internet.
In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different types of images, and also learn how to convert them using Windows-built tools.
And further. In the process of searching for information about various formats, I came across strange words that sounded like photos and photobanks. Go to the link, read. It turns out that there are some kind of storage facilities on the Internet where very interesting photos can be obtained very cheaply, and sometimes free of charge.
BMP format
The simplest image format. It allows you to store multi-color images (now you need to make a digression about how the color of a dot in the image is stored.) As is well known, any color can be decomposed into three components - red, blue and green, so to describe the color you need only describe the intensity of these three components. only in what is this intensity, it is clear that this is some number, but how much it can be large? There is no unambiguous answer to this question, depending on the type and parameters of the image, it can vary.Either way, about ychno talking about the color depth of the image -. the number of bits which are responsible for the color of one pixel, for example, if this number - 8, we can store 2 ^ 8 = 256 different colors). So bmp allows you to use up to 48 bits per pixel (the web standard is 24).
Bmp has a compression mechanism without loss of quality, but it is very weak. Generally speaking, I do not see any advantages with this format. Why? We look further
GIF Format
Very interesting format. The depth of color is not pleasing (8 bits), but for some tables this is enough. But this format has the concept of transparency. One of 256 colors can be specified as transparent, and when displaying a picture, for example, on a web page, instead of this color, the background will be visible. Further, gif again has a lossless compression, and the level of this compression is significantly better than that of bmp.
But that's not all - gif images have animation support. You can create a series of images that will alternate with each other cyclically, and they will all be stored in the same gif file. Therefore, the gif format is ideal for avatars and small animated images - you do not need to do it in order to play the animation.
PNG Format
The png format does not support animation, but it exceeds bmp on the other hand, and not even with one. With the support of all the same number of colors per point (48 bit maximum), this format has very good compression without loss of quality. Therefore, pictures of the png format do not lose anything compared to bmp, but they can be much smaller.
Another advantage of png is the so-called alpha channel. In addition to indicating the intensity of blue, red and green, each point can specify the level of transparency. Thus, we get not only unconditional transparency (there is - no) as in gif, but the ability to vary the transparency of different parts of the image. This property allows you to make smooth transitions - a clear image in the middle, gradually turning into a background. Unfortunately, not all correctly work out alpha transparency.
JPG Format
Let's go to the most famous format with loss of quality, jpg. Loss of quality means that irreversible compression is applied - it is impossible to restore the original image from jpg. That is, generally speaking, the resulting pattern is not identical to the original one. But if you install weak level compression, these differences will be unimportant, and the volume may already be greatly reduced. The higher the compression level, the smaller the volume and the more distorted the pattern.
The jpg format is good for storing photos. The photos contain so many different colors that they are very hard to compress png. At the same time, they can often be significantly reduced by covering in jpg, but with virtually no loss of quality. The maximum number of bits per pixel is 24.
TIFF format
The format of all formats, the container, allows you to use other formats, lossy and lossless compression, 192 bits per pixel. Disadvantages - the complexity of working with the format and almost no support for browsers. If you are not a professional designer, do not use tiff.
ICO Format
Almost and not the format. The structure most closely resembles bmp, but it supports transparency (like gif). This format allows only small sizes of drawings, like 16 by 16 pixels. It is used only in places where small pictures of fixed size are needed, for example, shortcuts on the desktop or so-called favicon - pictures in the browser next to the site name.
Convert formats
Let's sum up the comparison of image formats. First a small table:
Thus, for small special-purpose pictures, you can use ico, if you need animation, then your choice is gif, for photos it is good to use jpg, and for diagrams and images with a small number of colors - png. I do not recommend bmp format at all, and tiff is left for professionals.
Convert the same image formats is very simple. Right click on the picture, select "open with - Paint". A picture opens, and in the "file" menu there is an option "save as" where you can select the image format.
If you want to work with drawings at a more advanced level, then you will need good program to work with images. Personally, I recommend gimp - a free analog of Photoshop. But about this - another time. Stay tuned!
