About File Formats (Still Images)
JPEG is the format used by most digital cameras. JPEG files are very portable and can be read by nearly every computer and web browser. JPEG files use compression to keep the file size small for easy transport. You can determine the amount of compression by selecting options from the menu function on your digital camera—usually “high,” “medium,” and “low,” but not always using those exact terms. For example, the terms “superfine,” “fine,” and “normal” are sometimes used instead.
Over the last few years, a specialized version of JPEG has emerged for digital camera use. Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) has the same compression properties as the standard JPEG file format, but allows the camera to record to the picture file additional data—such as shutter speed, aperture, and date—that can be “read” by most modern image editors. This additional information is sometimes referred to as metadata, and it’s a real blessing for photographers who like to be able to access the technical specifications for every shot they record, but hate taking notes. The current EXIF version is 2.2.
