Difference between types of photo files

I hope they help

http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutorials/web_graphics/article.php/3479931

and

http://www.image-formats.com/

Neither terms are standard terms used throughout the industry. It is whatever your camera and software determine them to be.

From what you say, (re: "get about double the amount of photos with basic") then either the picture resolution (the number of pixels contained in the pictures width and height) is less with "Basic" or if the resolution is the same as "Standard" then the compression factor of your "Basic" is higher.

The saving of JPG files can be adjusted to a varying amount of compression. The higher the compression, the more loss of picture quality. Only you can determine, for yourself, as to how much compression is acceptable to you.

(By the way, interchangeable terms JPG=JPEG, and TIF=TIFF)

Both JPG and TIF are compressed image files. But JPG is a "lossy" process. Lossy means that some data is, which probably won't be noticed is "thrown away."
But remember that I mentioned that you can adjust how much compression you want to use when saving as JPGs, so, evidently, you could adjust the compression so high that it will be plainly obvious that some detail is lost.

TIF, on the other hand, and while compressed also, is a "lossless" compression, and that means that you lose no detail in the compression. That, if you uncompressed the image you will get back exactly what you started with.

You may then understand that the amount of file spaced saved with some levels of JPG compression will be greater that the amount of file space saved with TIF.

JPEG is definitely the most popular file format for storing photo files. Trouble is, how good it is depends on your camera.

JPEG is a file format which allows for the compression of the resulting file to save file space (i.e. removing part of the data). This is OK if done upto the point that real picture data is lost ("lossless compression"), beyond that you are throwing away part of your picture, which means you won't be able to print / view it as large as an uncompressed file, or a file that is only compressed so far.

Trouble is different cameras use JPEG differently. Some will compress all of the time; the better camera lets you choose the amount of compression, use lossless compression, or even use no compression (this is chosen on a picture by picture basis depending on what the picture will be used for).

So the disadvantage to JPEG, the most popular file format, is that you may lose quality of your picture.

Some cameras, like my Nikon's, have a special lossless J-PEG mode (Nikon calls it EXTRA). It automatically uses just the right amount of compression to save space, but not lose any of the picture.

The TIFF file format is the exact same way, you can choose the amount of compresssion you want to use. However many cameras don't support compression with TIFF, so you get a great quality, but large, file.

RAW is a file format that has VERY large file sizes, because it does no processing of the data from the CCD in your camera. All CCD data is written to the file.

The advantage of RAW is that you can get the most out of your picture with it after you have taken it, although you have to spend time processing it. For example, a person in a deep shadow of your picture may be dropped with JPEG or even TIFF, but will show up in the RAW file.

A good camera has more choices so that you can decide how you want the picture processed, based on what you think you will be doing with it (e.g. snapshot vs. poster).

Hope that helps.

CGB

P.S. I was just buying one of the new,cheaper, SMALL cameras, for a shirt=pocket camera, that still have all the features (8MP, vibration reduction, scene modes, etc.); I was disappointed to find that only JPEG is supported.

I would say that Jpeg basic is for low quality pitures used for web or small photos that you don't need to crop much. The Jpeg standard should let get good prints twice as large (2 times as high and wide). The TIFF is losses and make for large file size but is good for the best picture quality and it can edited over several sessions without the loss of quality that will occur with the Jpeg format.
The raw of course give you the widest range of editing options to get the best picutre the camera can take.
As for file size for example my camera's Tiff is 15 mb, Raw it 10 mb, and best quality Jpeg is 3.2 mb per file.
The raw/tiff files also will let you print the largest picture size before it get blocky.

Jpeg: pros you can more picture on a memory card and can be used to get prints from places like Wal-Mart without having to be coverted. Cons you lose detail, the smaller the file the more you lose.

Tiff: pros no loss of detail and can be used to get prints from places like Wal-Mart without having to be coverted. Cons large file size.

Raw: Pros it save all the data from the sensor. Cons it has to be coverted to Tiff or Jpeg to get prints from places like Wal-Mart, file size.

I normaly shoot raw. Occasionally best Jpeg, or Tiff.