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I took a 256MB SD card to Costco (UK) and had them produce a CD for me.

All my original images were 4MP (2304 x 172 JPEGs on the SD card but the
CD images are all 1.5MP (1536 x 1024) JPEGs and the files have been renamed
(and are, not surprisingly, about 3/8 of the original size).

I can't make Costco understand that this is a problem (i.e. they've reduced
the quality) though I am going to go back sometime to speak to the
superviser. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Thanks,
John

I had a similar problem at Wal-mart I brought in 35mm film and had it put on
a CD the files are all from 1 to 1.9 MB in size wolf Camera on the other
had files in the 4 MB range which were much better! While I might go to
Wal Mart for film developing I will not go back to get CDs made

Wayne

"John Briggs" <> wrote in message
news:ca711p$6l2$1$...
> I took a 256MB SD card to Costco (UK) and had them produce a CD for me.
>
> All my original images were 4MP (2304 x 172 JPEGs on the SD card but the
> CD images are all 1.5MP (1536 x 1024) JPEGs and the files have been
renamed
> (and are, not surprisingly, about 3/8 of the original size).
>
> I can't make Costco understand that this is a problem (i.e. they've
reduced
> the quality) though I am going to go back sometime to speak to the
> superviser. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
>
> Thanks,
> John
>
>

Hi Wayne,

Thanks for the info.

The difference in file size may be due to the amount of JPEG compression
they used. It may also be due to the resolution of their scanners. Do you
know what your image sizes are in pixels?

In my case the images were already digital but appear to have been downsized
and recompressed by Costco (even though the originals should easily have
fitted on the CD). File sizes vary enormously from 36KB to 1218KB but are
typically 350KB to 1000KB. Seems like varying levels of compression have
been applied as well as the downsizing. Also the aspect ratio has changed
from 4:3 to 3:2. Anyone else seen this? Can anyone recommend anywhere else
for burning CDs from digital media (in Scotland).

Cheers,
John

"wayne" <> wrote in message
news:rpExc.19758$HG.10494@attbi_s53...
> I had a similar problem at Wal-mart I brought in 35mm film and had it put
on
> a CD the files are all from 1 to 1.9 MB in size wolf Camera on the other
> had files in the 4 MB range which were much better! While I might go to
> Wal Mart for film developing I will not go back to get CDs made
>
> Wayne
>
> "John Briggs" <> wrote in message
> news:ca711p$6l2$1$...
> > I took a 256MB SD card to Costco (UK) and had them produce a CD for me.
> >
> > All my original images were 4MP (2304 x 172 JPEGs on the SD card but
the
> > CD images are all 1.5MP (1536 x 1024) JPEGs and the files have been
> renamed
> > (and are, not surprisingly, about 3/8 of the original size).
> >
> > I can't make Costco understand that this is a problem (i.e. they've
> reduced
> > the quality) though I am going to go back sometime to speak to the
> > superviser. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > John
> >
> >
>
>

John Briggs wrote:

> Hi Wayne,
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> The difference in file size may be due to the amount of JPEG compression
> they used. It may also be due to the resolution of their scanners. Do you
> know what your image sizes are in pixels?
>
> In my case the images were already digital but appear to have been downsized
> and recompressed by Costco (even though the originals should easily have
> fitted on the CD). File sizes vary enormously from 36KB to 1218KB but are
> typically 350KB to 1000KB. Seems like varying levels of compression have
> been applied as well as the downsizing. Also the aspect ratio has changed
> from 4:3 to 3:2. Anyone else seen this? Can anyone recommend anywhere else
> for burning CDs from digital media (in Scotland).
>

Well, I'll do it.. just send 'em to Kelso with the appropriate cash.

So will my local photo dealer Hector Innes, just stick the card in his
Agfa d-Lab2 and he can write a CD.

So will Photo-Optix on the Royal Mile and probably most other branches.

So will any dealer with a current Konica minilab installation.

David

"David Kilpatrick" <> wrote in message
news:ca7ftu$c8t$...
>
>
> John Briggs wrote:
>
> > Hi Wayne,
> >
> > Thanks for the info.
> >
> > The difference in file size may be due to the amount of JPEG compression
> > they used. It may also be due to the resolution of their scanners. Do
you
> > know what your image sizes are in pixels?
> >
> > In my case the images were already digital but appear to have been
downsized
> > and recompressed by Costco (even though the originals should easily have
> > fitted on the CD). File sizes vary enormously from 36KB to 1218KB but
are
> > typically 350KB to 1000KB. Seems like varying levels of compression have
> > been applied as well as the downsizing. Also the aspect ratio has
changed
> > from 4:3 to 3:2. Anyone else seen this? Can anyone recommend anywhere
else
> > for burning CDs from digital media (in Scotland).
> >
>
> Well, I'll do it.. just send 'em to Kelso with the appropriate cash.
>
> So will my local photo dealer Hector Innes, just stick the card in his
> Agfa d-Lab2 and he can write a CD.
>
> So will Photo-Optix on the Royal Mile and probably most other branches.
>
> So will any dealer with a current Konica minilab installation.
>
> David
>

David,

Thanks for your suggestions and your generous offer - I'll try one of them
if I can't get any joy from Costco. It's a shame because their prints seem
good and are very reasonably priced (6 x 4 for about 12p, 8 x 6 for 24p).

I take it you haven't seen anything like the "downsizing" problem I had with
Costco?

John

John Briggs wrote:


> I take it you haven't seen anything like the "downsizing" problem I had with
> Costco?
>

The Costco thing is simple - the Frontier or similar machine they use
took your digital files, auto cropped them for 6 x 4, resampled them for
printing - and THAT is what they wrote to Cd for you. They did not copy
your files directly at all.

David

My pictures were all from film same 35MM camera it seems like in my case it
was the film scanner settings

Wayne

"John Briggs" <> wrote in message
news:ca79tl$m4f$1$...
> Hi Wayne,
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> The difference in file size may be due to the amount of JPEG compression
> they used. It may also be due to the resolution of their scanners. Do you
> know what your image sizes are in pixels?
>
> In my case the images were already digital but appear to have been
downsized
> and recompressed by Costco (even though the originals should easily have
> fitted on the CD). File sizes vary enormously from 36KB to 1218KB but are
> typically 350KB to 1000KB. Seems like varying levels of compression have
> been applied as well as the downsizing. Also the aspect ratio has changed
> from 4:3 to 3:2. Anyone else seen this? Can anyone recommend anywhere else
> for burning CDs from digital media (in Scotland).
>
> Cheers,
> John
>
> "wayne" <> wrote in message
> news:rpExc.19758$HG.10494@attbi_s53...
> > I had a similar problem at Wal-mart I brought in 35mm film and had it
put
> on
> > a CD the files are all from 1 to 1.9 MB in size wolf Camera on the
other
> > had files in the 4 MB range which were much better! While I might go
to
> > Wal Mart for film developing I will not go back to get CDs made
> >
> > Wayne
> >
> > "John Briggs" <> wrote in message
> > news:ca711p$6l2$1$...
> > > I took a 256MB SD card to Costco (UK) and had them produce a CD for
me.
> > >
> > > All my original images were 4MP (2304 x 172 JPEGs on the SD card but
> the
> > > CD images are all 1.5MP (1536 x 1024) JPEGs and the files have been
> > renamed
> > > (and are, not surprisingly, about 3/8 of the original size).
> > >
> > > I can't make Costco understand that this is a problem (i.e. they've
> > reduced
> > > the quality) though I am going to go back sometime to speak to the
> > > superviser. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > > John
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 18:28:35 +0100, "John Briggs" <>
wrote:


>
>Thanks for your suggestions and your generous offer - I'll try one of them
>if I can't get any joy from Costco. It's a shame because their prints seem
>good and are very reasonably priced (6 x 4 for about 12p, 8 x 6 for 24p).
>
>I take it you haven't seen anything like the "downsizing" problem I had with
>Costco?
>
>John
>


Try Tesco if you have one nearby with the in-house facility. They'll
take them straight off the card - you use the machine yourself. 50
6x4 prints for £5. Collect one hour later (and your prints will jump
the standard film processing and printing queue). Good quality. Boots
are also doing the same price.

MJ

"John Briggs" <> wrote in message
news:ca711p$6l2$1$...
> I took a 256MB SD card to Costco (UK) and had them produce a CD for me.
>
> All my original images were 4MP (2304 x 172 JPEGs on the SD card but the
> CD images are all 1.5MP (1536 x 1024) JPEGs and the files have been
renamed
> (and are, not surprisingly, about 3/8 of the original size).
>
> I can't make Costco understand that this is a problem (i.e. they've
reduced
> the quality) though I am going to go back sometime to speak to the
> superviser. Has anyone else experienced this problem?
>
> Thanks,
> John
>
>

I spoke to the supervisor last night. She was a very pleasant and friendly
person but she admitted not knowing much about the technical side. She
showed me that the settings on her software were indeed 1536 x 1024 but she
didn't think this could be changed. I got a full refund. I still think
Costco are good value for printing but I'll be having my CDs burned
elsewhere.

While I'm on the subject of writeable CDs does anybody know if any of them
have a guaranteed lifetime or claims to "long life"? If so, do any of the
places that burn CDs for you use them (in the UK e.g. Tesco, Boots,
Jessops)?

John

>>I take it you haven't seen anything like the "downsizing" problem I had with
>>Costco?
>>
>>John
>>

What "downsizing" problem?