Nearly 30 years old, JPEG was created around the same time the first web page was born. But while the web pages look nothing like the first plain text web page, the images still hang around that .jpg extension like a handbag at Disney World.
Although JPEG is still loved and well used, there is a new image file format that will become the next JPEG: HEIF. A format that became popular when Apple introduced support in 2017, HEIF files are smaller than JPEGs, but they don’t sacrifice image quality and, in some cases, can even offer a little better quality. Many Apple devices now take photos in HEIF by default instead of the more popular JPEG, and even standalone cameras are introducing support, like the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III.
Although HEIF represents the next JPEG, there are still notable differences between the two, and one of the main reasons many are still reluctant to switch to the newer format.
The Canon EOS-1D M Mark III supports HEIF in-camera.
HEIF (or HEIC)
HEIF is a modern photo file type inspired by JPEG files, but designed to do more with less space. HEIF, which stands for High Efficiency Image Format, is similar in quality to JPEG, but takes up less space. This file type is sometimes called HEIC or High Efficiency Image Codec. Apple uses HEIC to store a HEIF photo, as well as additional data such as sounds or movement when taking a live photo.
The key difference in this new photo format is the “high efficiency” in the name. A HEIF file takes up about half the space of a JPEG without reducing the quality of the actual image. Although the image uses more intelligent and modern compression algorithms, it takes up little space and keeps the same amount of megapixels and details intact. If you choose to shoot in HEIF, your photos will take up less space on your camera roll, hard drive, and cloud storage.
In some cases, a HEIF file may have better image quality than a JPEG. This is because these new files support 16-bit color. 16 bit refers to how many different image colors it can store. While the human eye can’t even distinguish between the trillions of colors available in 16-bit format, more colors create more flexibility when editing a photo. An 8-bit photo can be over-edited to the point where colors appear to have banding within them, a phenomenon photographers call, you guessed it, banding, whereas a 16-bit photo has more leeway. (Not all cameras can record 16-bit, and HEIF will only record the maximum bit depth the camera allows.)
The format has another advantage when editing: the ability to undo adjustments that cannot be saved with the JPEG format. The codec stores editing information within the file, which allows you to undo some types of edits later, even after saving. HEIF can reverse crop or rotate, as well as adjust layers.
Another feature of HEIF is that it supports transparency, just like PNG. Transparencies are popular with logos and graphics, especially in web design where the background of the web page will still be visible.
Hillary K. Grigonis/Digital Trends
jpeg
JPEG is a file type that should not be rendered. If you took a photo with a digital camera or shared a photo on Facebook, you used JPEG.
As famous as JPEG is, you may not be aware of its history and limitations. JPEG files have been around since the early 1990s. Things have changed since then, including how we handle image data, so HEIF files can be much smaller.
However, being old is not all bad. It’s hard to find a program that doesn’t support JPEG. If you have a JPEG file, you can open it in almost any application from almost any machine. From web browsers to word processors, JPEG can go anywhere.
JPEG images are lossy (not to be confused with bad), which means that once they’re compressed, you can’t modify them. You cannot go back and uncrop a JPEG photo. Every time you open the photo and make changes, the JPEG will also lose some of its original quality. For this reason, among professional photographers, JPEG is often the final file type rather than the original. (Professionals often take RAW photos for this.)
JPEG files are typically in 8-bit color, which is a lot of color to see, but may not be enough color to make significant changes without degrading image quality.
JPEG vs. HEIF: Which is better?
If all your devices and apps support HEIC, choosing that format will save you hard drive space and even offer more flexible editing. As cameras continue to increase in megapixel count, image storage becomes difficult; HEIC can help ease that burden.
Of course, an image that you can’t open is no good, and JPEG is still the most universal file format. Since Apple started using the HEIC format, many devices and apps now support the smaller file size. Others are not fully supported or require plug-ins to be downloaded. If you want a file that you can email to a dozen people without a problem with any of the recipients opening that file, JPEG is still the clear winner, for now.
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Source: newstars.edu.vn