Tip: Zoom Images for Closeups of Pipes Before Buying

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brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
I read some post recently in which members expressed dissatisfaction with the image available at many online shops, e.g, Smokingpipes.com. Some of the posts lead me to believe that at least some of us are not familiar with the Windows zoom function.
While viewing an image, or any page for that matter, you can zoom in for a close up by rolling your mouse wheel while holding down the control key. Works great on the SmokingPipes website and most others. You can view details you would miss otherwise.
Alternatively, hold down the ctrl key while pressing the "+" key, to zoom in. Use ctrl key and the minus key (-) to zoom out, and ctrl and the zero (0) key to return to standard.
You can also zoom with browser controls, usually View | zoom. I'm sure Apple offers similar functions.
Hope some of you find this tip useful.

 

fishnbanjo

Lifer
Feb 27, 2013
3,030
63
This is a good tip but pixel peepers must be aware if the photo was less than 640x480 originally there will be some serious crap in the photo that won't essentially be correct. If folks have the right software, and know how to use it, a photo that is smaller than what I stated cab be uprezed, that means it can be enlarged with the original .jpg data kept intact so no loss to what the photo looked like to begin with.
When I photograph an item for sale I usually take an extremely large photo since mt cameras, Nikon D3 and D3x, which are 12 and 24 Mp respectively that when I post an image at 800 x 600 Mp i use a link to my photo repository where you are given the option to see it at a larger size up to the original. I don't know why vendors tend to use thumbnails since it doesn't give the item very good representation in my book, just MHO.

banjo

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
Yeah, you will get some serious pixelation with low res pics. But SmokingPipes and P&C both have high quality images that zoom nicely.
Results may vary with artisan run websites. It can take time to get good pics, takes bandwidth and storage, and some artisan pipe makers would rather use the time to create pipes rather than pictures.
But it only takes a second to see if zooming gives you the details you're looking for. Can be especially helpful when examining nomenclature.

 

jkrug

Lifer
Jan 23, 2015
2,867
8
That's a great tip and one tat I will put to good use in the future. Thank you. :puffy:

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
smokingpipes gets big points for individually photographing each pipe, so if they have six of a particular shape, you'll see six separate pictures of each one. I believe they are the only site to offer this, and combined with the zoom app you have cited, this is notably useful. When you see the separate photos, you see what a difference there is in terms of grain, and also the specificity of the dimensions shows differences in versions of the "same" pipe. I think this is a powerful advantage with online shoppers. It's not the same as being able to handle and view a pipe firsthand, but it is much better than having to shop among generic examples.

 

brass

Lifer
Jun 4, 2014
1,840
7
United States
Yep:
This:

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/savinelli/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=170848
versus
this
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/pipes/83390/stanwell-brushed-brown-pipes/

 

phil67

Lifer
Dec 14, 2013
2,052
7
I’m not a computer geek by a long shot, but I’m amazed that people don’t know about the Windows zoom function as it’s been around since the Flint Stones! Aside from that, when that function is used you’ll more likely than not loose resolution and end up with a lot of pixelation depending on how much you zoom on it. Of course it all depends on how many pixels were used when the picture was a taken.
When I sell something on eBay with pictures I have the pictures at 1400+ pixels width & height so that one is able to zoom in very close. If your dead set on examining a particular image more closely, and if you have Picasa (which is free) then simply download the image to Picasa and save it wherever you wish, or keep the image on Picasa itself. Picasa is amazing at keeping the resolution extremely good and intact when zooming in very close to examine a picture more closely. I’ve included two images of the same pipe that brasss gave a link to after being zoomed in with the Windows zoom and zooming in with Picasa. It may n not be all that apparent with the images that I posted, but if you look closely along the edges of the image you can easily the see the degradation/pixilation on the Windows zoom as opposed to the Picasa zoom. The difference can be much more easily seen on your computer with a much larger zoomed in image as opposed to the images I posted here when you zoom on them with Picasa as opposed to simply zooming on an image with Windows. It can come in quite handy when you really feel the need to examine a picture(s) more closely. :wink:
sORDGrQ.jpg


Windows Zoom
k2ezmUC.jpg


Picasa Zoom

 
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