[digiKam-users] Benefits or drawbacks from JPG to HEIF conversion

[Erick Moreno]

Hi guys,

I'm not generating HEIF files natively with my devices, but, since Digikam can handle them pretty well, as Google Photos and my cellphones does, I see that my main workflow is ready for a possible migration to heif.

Considering that, there is any benefit converting my already compressed .jpg files to .heif files?

What the benefits or drawbacks from this type of conversion?

Thank you

--

[AndriusWild]

I am not very educated on that subject but I have heard HEIF is smaller file size and is capable of having embedded animation, etc.

There are few good examples posted here:

https://nokiatech.github.io/heif/

Having said that, I am not considering converting any existing JPGs to HEIF. I am just not a big fan of converting.

I will however use HEIF if the device can produce it natively. I will probably be exporting to HEIF from darktable, GIMP, etc. once they support the format.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

-------- Original message --------

From: Erick Moreno <[hidden email]>

Date: 2020-01-09 8:07 a.m. (GMT-07:00)

To: digiKam - Home Manage your photographs as a professional with the power of open source <[hidden email]>

Subject: [digiKam-users] Benefits or drawbacks from JPG to HEIF conversion

Hi guys,

I'm not generating HEIF files natively with my devices, but, since Digikam can handle them pretty well, as Google Photos and my cellphones does, I see that my main workflow is ready for a possible migration to heif.

Considering that, there is any benefit converting my already compressed .jpg files to .heif files?

What the benefits or drawbacks from this type of conversion?

Thank you

--

[Gilles Caulier-4]

Hi,

Compression algorithm is not the same. HEIF use a wavelets like compression which is better in file size ratio for the same quality.

Just experiment with BQM to translate a serie of JPEG to HEIF to see the gain.

Best

Gilles Caulier

Le jeu. 9 janv. 2020 à 16:06, Erick Moreno <[hidden email]> a écrit :

Hi guys,

I'm not generating HEIF files natively with my devices, but, since Digikam can handle them pretty well, as Google Photos and my cellphones does, I see that my main workflow is ready for a possible migration to heif.

Considering that, there is any benefit converting my already compressed .jpg files to .heif files?

What the benefits or drawbacks from this type of conversion?

Thank you

--

Erick Moreno

Science is like magic, but real

[patdavid]

Do note that converting a JPG to HEIF can be a lossy process, introducing more loss as a second-generation compression. :(

Better to go to HEIF direct from a loss-less source if possible.

On Thu, Jan 9, 2020 at 9:16 AM Gilles Caulier <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi,

Compression algorithm is not the same. HEIF use a wavelets like compression which is better in file size ratio for the same quality.

Just experiment with BQM to translate a serie of JPEG to HEIF to see the gain.

Best

Gilles Caulier

Le jeu. 9 janv. 2020 à 16:06, Erick Moreno <[hidden email]> a écrit :

Hi guys,

I'm not generating HEIF files natively with my devices, but, since Digikam can handle them pretty well, as Google Photos and my cellphones does, I see that my main workflow is ready for a possible migration to heif.

Considering that, there is any benefit converting my already compressed .jpg files to .heif files?

What the benefits or drawbacks from this type of conversion?

Thank you

--

Erick Moreno

Science is like magic, but real

--

[Gilles Caulier-4]

HEIF has a lossless compression option and is already available in digiKam. Of course is this case, you will loss the size gain of wavelets stuff...

Gilles Caulier

Le jeu. 9 janv. 2020 à 16:37, Pat David <[hidden email]> a écrit :

Do note that converting a JPG to HEIF can be a lossy process, introducing more loss as a second-generation compression. :(

Better to go to HEIF direct from a loss-less source if possible.

On Thu, Jan 9, 2020 at 9:16 AM Gilles Caulier <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi,

Compression algorithm is not the same. HEIF use a wavelets like compression which is better in file size ratio for the same quality.

Just experiment with BQM to translate a serie of JPEG to HEIF to see the gain.

Best

Gilles Caulier

Le jeu. 9 janv. 2020 à 16:06, Erick Moreno <[hidden email]> a écrit :

Hi guys,

I'm not generating HEIF files natively with my devices, but, since Digikam can handle them pretty well, as Google Photos and my cellphones does, I see that my main workflow is ready for a possible migration to heif.

Considering that, there is any benefit converting my already compressed .jpg files to .heif files?

What the benefits or drawbacks from this type of conversion?

Thank you

--

Erick Moreno

Science is like magic, but real

--

https://patdavid.net
GPG: 66D1 7CA6 8088 4874 946D  18BD 67C7 6219 89E9 57AC

Le 09/01/2020 à 16:15, Gilles Caulier a écrit :
> Hi,
>
> Compression algorithm is not the same. HEIF use a wavelets like
> compression which is better in file size ratio for the same quality.
>
> Just experiment with BQM to translate a serie of JPEG to HEIF to see the
> gain.
>

is that relevant? Just read on an other thread :-))

"I have 3 servers with 768 GB and one with 1.5 TB RAM."

jdd
--
http://dodin.org

[woenx]

I just wouldn't convert from one format to another. There's always the risk
of corrupting some data (even if it happens the 0.01% of the time), and the
conversion is likely not lossless, so you'll lose some quality. Also, the
original creation and modification dates for the files might be lost in the
process.

I would start using the HEIF format for new files, but I'd leave old ones
alone, just in case.



--
Sent from: http://digikam.1695700.n4.nabble.com/digikam-users-f1735189.html

[Erick Moreno]

I already tested some scenarios to JPG to HEIF conversion.

When I try lossless.  HEIC, the converted files are BIGGER than jpg files. Normally by 30% bigger. The same occurs quen I try lossy conversion with max quality.

The size advantage starts with quality around 6 (I don't know what that magic number means) but I suspect that at this point I'm losing some quality.

So, if anywone who knows better how the conversion works and the kind of drawbacks or benefits are involved, would be welcome to contribute.

Thanks guys

Em qui., 9 de jan. de 2020 às 13:44, woenx <[hidden email]> escreveu:

I just wouldn't convert from one format to another. There's always the risk
of corrupting some data (even if it happens the 0.01% of the time), and the
conversion is likely not lossless, so you'll lose some quality. Also, the
original creation and modification dates for the files might be lost in the
process.

I would start using the HEIF format for new files, but I'd leave old ones
alone, just in case.



--
Sent from: http://digikam.1695700.n4.nabble.com/digikam-users-f1735189.html

--

Le 09/01/2020 à 20:08, Erick Moreno a écrit :
> I already tested some scenarios to JPG to HEIF conversion.
>
> When I try lossless.  HEIC, the converted files are BIGGER than jpg

jpg is a very well established compression format that will, for sure,
be still usable 10 years in the future.

HEIC is pretty unknown relatively to it's future

why convert at all?

update your *hardware* to a recent one, yes. For the file format, no.

jdd

--
http://dodin.org

[patdavid]

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't convert (unless you really, really had to for some reason).

In saving space, you will be losing quality (the same way you would if you re-compressed it as a new JPG again).

As you've seen, lossless conversion will make the file sizes larger (to be expected).

On Thu, Jan 9, 2020 at 1:15 PM [hidden email] <[hidden email]> wrote:

Le 09/01/2020 à 20:08, Erick Moreno a écrit :
> I already tested some scenarios to JPG to HEIF conversion.
>
> When I try lossless.  HEIC, the converted files are BIGGER than jpg

jpg is a very well established compression format that will, for sure,
be still usable 10 years in the future.

HEIC is pretty unknown relatively to it's future

why convert at all?

update your *hardware* to a recent one, yes. For the file format, no.

jdd

--
http://dodin.org

--

[Paul Marfell]

Hi

Unless you are going to do something with the files - like further edits, I would leave well alone until it looks like JPEG it is reaching end of life.

On Thu, 9 Jan 2020 at 15:06, Erick Moreno <[hidden email]> wrote:

Hi guys,

I'm not generating HEIF files natively with my devices, but, since Digikam can handle them pretty well, as Google Photos and my cellphones does, I see that my main workflow is ready for a possible migration to heif.

Considering that, there is any benefit converting my already compressed .jpg files to .heif files?

What the benefits or drawbacks from this type of conversion?

Thank you

--

Erick Moreno

Science is like magic, but real

--