Image Sharpness On Hosted Photos
 

I just entered the May contest here and one thing I (once again) noticed is the extremely POOR quality of how images hosted on this site look. They look like something taken with a cell phone rather than with a camera that cost as much as our HHR did. I guess it is to save space on the server, but it really does a disservice to anyone's car. That's the reason I always use other hosts like either my Pbase site or PhotoBucket...and they even have some compression issues, although not nearly as bad.
I just wish this site would use higher resolution photos, especially for the contests since for the contests we are REQUIRED to host the photos here.

As an example, here is a photobucket hosted image compared to the same image hosted here...Both images were identical when I uploaded them.

Attachment 22561

https://www.chevyhhr.net/gallery/fil...llp3122125.jpg

Firstly, thanks for entering the May contest, and good luck!:thumb:

Yes, our Gallery could be improved with larger image sizes, sharper resolution, etc. You'll get no argument from me on that, but hosting photos on a Third Party site like PhotoBucket, does create issues.

To begin with, we've had problems over the years with HUGE images, and as more Members use the site via Mobile Devices every year...massive images just bog the Site and their devices down.

We also need to have the images viewable by non-Members, so that they'll see the cool rides like yours and join up. Image files on Third Party hosting services are not viewable if placed in a post as Attachments, so they'll see file names but that's it.

And yes we do it to save space on our Servers, and to keep their speed up. A 3240 x 2250 sized file just slams the proverbial brakes on when the servers have to cough it up. And I know my example of a file size is ridiculous, but I've seen it all.

So the requirement of hosting your images here for contests and the like shouldn't be seen as a punishment or penalty, if anything it's a field leveling situation. If everyone's images are the same size and resolution, then it comes down to the subject and photographic skills of the entrant.

It's not necessarily the actual size of the photo I'm talking about, but the sharpness...take a look at the license plate in the two examples I posted and you'll see what I mean. Photobucket isn't the best and I don't use them any more than necessary...Pbase is better but still leaves a lot to be desired. You should see that photo as it sits on my computer.

Not even mentioning that when your photobucket account lapses, so do your posted pix. Don't you love those threads where you are expecting revelations from pictures only to be greeted with "Photo Not Available".

Many of us can't really tell the difference between you 2 pix. On my desktop I can tell if I concentrate, on my SmartPhone they look the same except maybe the smaller one is arguably better.

Interesting, on the one license plate I can see the Jan and 17 not so much on the other.

I've had the same Photobucket account or maybe 8 or 10 years, don't pay any fees and it's never expired. Maybe it has to do with being active on there. The only photos that showed as "Not Available" were ones I took down or ones that showed to much female skin...

I guess my point is both photos look EXTREMELY soft, even the photobucket one...looking on my computer or on my DeviantART site even, they are as sharp as a surgical scalpel...

Check out how they look directly on Pbase here.... http://pbase.com/powerandbeauty

I did not mean your or even just Photobucket (just generic use) Pix showing up "Not Available". That sort of thing is littered all over the place.

I hate thinking I found the answer to a question and getting "not Available" or worse yet the locked up browser with a spinning wheel.

I am not a professional, so image quality makes no difference to me. I tell people I have an aluminum foil ear for music, I guess I have vaseline coated glasses, too.

Unfortunately, most hosting companies charge based on estimated monthly bandwidth, & can have huge overage charges if you go over your estimated bandwidth, thus the lower quality for images hosted by most forums.

Top 3 reasons for that are:
Photo removed from host site (usually by member because of space limitations)
Member no longer a part of that host site
Host site changed how/where they store images.


I used to use Smugmug (back when I still had my EOS 20D), but they got to expensive, now I use imgur. All my images here are hosted from imgur, but taken with my Galaxy S5, so not a good representation of quality potential. Still if at some point they change up & start charging for basic services, I may have to leave & find somewhere else to host images..... & end up with a bunch of "Not Available"'s floating around.