Sudden increase in my camera's photo sizes

[davetheguard]

I have a Sony DSC-HX200V camera that's quite a few years old now.

Typically, the pictures taken using it have been about 800 KB - 1.1 MB. Recently, inadvertantly, I ended up in the settings menu, and getting back out of that I seem to have changed something. Pictures taken now are enormous: 4.5 to 8MB.

Is there a way to change something in settings to restore picture size back to where it was? I'm off on holiday in a couple of weeks, and wonder if I will run out of memory space in the camera with these large picture sizes before I get home. Plus of course photo storage space on my computer is being used up too.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[AM9]

I have a Sony DSC-HX200V camera that's quite a few years old now.

Typically, the pictures taken using it have been about 800 KB - 1.1 MB. Recently, inadvertantly, I ended up in the settings menu, and getting back out of that I seem to have changed something. Pictures taken now are enormous: 4.5 to 8 GB.

Is there a way to change something in settings to restore picture size back to where it was? I'm off on holiday in a couple of weeks, and wonder if I will run out of memory space in the camera with these large picture sizes before I get home. Plus of course photo storage space on my computer is being used up too.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Do you really mean 4.5 to 8GB or are they 4.5 to 8MB?

 

[davetheguard]

Do you really mean 4.5 to 8GB or are they 4.5 to 8MB?

Oops! Thanks, you're right of course. Changed original post to MB. Still a big increase in size that I don't want.....

 

[etr221]

With my camera (not a Sony), there are settings for 'image quality': selects RAW and/or JPG, and size (in pixels)/quality, which do change the image file size. I imagine yours will have the same, or similar, even if it has a different name.

The other things I would say are (i) RTFM (M is for manual, which I hope you have - if you haven't, you can probable find one to download on Sony's web site); (ii) have some spare cards (and external drives for home); and (iii) other things being equal, more size=better picture - always take the best you can - you don't want to go back to do it again (even if you could), and it's better to have more that you can reduce, than less that you can't increase.

 

[AM9]

Oops! Thanks, you're right of course. Changed original post to MB. Still a big increase in size that I don't want.....

Check the resolution of these larger shots and compare it with earlier shots to see if you have inadvertently changed it. Looking at the manual, there doesn't seem to be an 'compact setting' which would compress a given size more to use less storage space.

 

[AM9]

With my camera (not a Sony), there are settings for 'image quality': selects RAW and/or JPG, and size (in pixels)/quality, which do change the image file size. I imagine yours will have the same, or similar, even if it has a different name.

The other things I would say are (i) RTFM (M is for manual, which I hope you have - if you haven't, you can probable find one to download on Sony's web site); (ii) have some spare cards (and external drives for home); and (iii) other things being equal, more size=better picture - always take the best you can - you don't want to go back to do it again (even if you could), and it's better to have more that you can reduce, than less that you can't increase.

If it helps, here is a link to the User's Guide:
https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/W001/W0014312M.pdf

 

[Peter Mugridge]

If it's anything like a Nikon, the bit in the menu will be called "picture size" and will say S, M or L. I'd suspect you've accidentally selected L.

That is of course Small, Medium and Large.

 

[davetheguard]

Thanks for all your advice.

I've now solved it with the help of the User's Guide menu. I'm glad I won't now be in danger of running out of camera memory on holiday!

 

[Class172]

Typically, the pictures taken using it have been about 800 KB - 1.1 MB. Recently, inadvertantly, I ended up in the settings menu, and getting back out of that I seem to have changed something. Pictures taken now are enormous: 4.5 to 8MB.

I have the same camera as you and until now I didn't realise there was a setting to decrease the image size that much, all my images are at the upper end that you mention above but that's a size I'm happy with. If you've got enough time I would recommend perhaps a new SD card. I have a 128GB card in mine and despite the larger photo sizes that I choose to take I've never had to worry about the amount of storage space available; you can pick up such a card for about £20 these days (I think mine is something like this).