Photo unable to add states file is too big

How big is the file you're trying to attach?

When I posted photos a few days ago, I noticed the attachment maximum had dropped from 40MB per image (which is unnecessarily MUCH too large) down to 1MB per image -- still large enough to attach some nice size photos.  But clearly not the high-resolution JPEG size files coming out of today's cameras which are typically 5MB-6MB+.  Nonetheless, I had no problems posting images whose dimensions were 1024x768 with a file-size around 400K-500K, and even images whose dimensions were 1600x1200 with a file-size less than 1MB (i.e., the new limit).

Hope that helps.

David

1MB is somewhat OK, but it means folks will likely need photo editing software to resize their camera files down to a screen resolution of 72dpi and pixel dimensions no larger than 1600x1200 (which with my iPhone 6Plus files resized is giving me new file sizes just under 1MB).

Having said this... with 1MB attachment sizes, it's unlikely the magnifier will come into play much (if at all) with files 1600x1200 or smaller.  A few weeks ago, when I posted a couple of 5MB attachments from my pro-SLR camera, I was then able to click on OGF's magnifier tool to zoom in on parts of the attached image.  Folks aren't gonna get the benefit of that magnifier tool with attachments limited to 1MB or less.

I'm not paying the bill for OGF's storage utilization, but perhaps they could try a 5MB or 6BM attachment size limitation, and go from there -- although I doubt anybody had been posting 30MB or 40MB still-images in the first place, even thought the initial limit was 40MB per attachment.  Admittedly, going from 40MB per attachment down to 1MB per attachment does seem a bit extreme.  Perhaps somebody from OGF admin can comment on the why's and wherefore's behind the seemingly dramatic reduction in attachment sizes.

David

If I use a photo uploader like imgure:

Using Imgur is how I post.

Guys,

Let's step back for a second.  I'm not the ultimate authority here on OGF's image viewer.  But it appears we have two options when posting photographs here on OGF.

• Uploading images to OGF with the "add attachment" button (to the far upper-right-hand portion of the post box), or

• Uploading images to a third-party photo hosting site, and then inserting a link to the photo in your post here on OGF (using the "insert image" button in the toolbar below the Subject line at the top of the post box).

If you've been posting photos using the second technique (i.e., a third-party photo hosting site), then nothing has essentially changed from Day 1.  So just keep on doing what you've been doing.

HOWEVER, if you've been posting photos by uploading directly to OGF with "Add Attachment", then the maximum size of EACH posted photo has changed recently.  On Day 1, the maximum was 40MB PER ATTACHMENT, which by the way was unnecessarily too large for our purposes.  Most cameras nowadays produce a JPEG camera file that is roughly 2MB to 6MB in size -- depending on the sensor specs in your camera.  For those of you unaware of that little nuance, you've been affected by a recent change on OGF, where the maximum attachment size was changed DOWN TO 1MB PER ATTACHMENT.  So now, it's unlikely you're gonna be able to directly upload your camera's or smartphone's JPEG files using the "Add Attachment" button UNLESS you first downsize your JPEG files using a photo editor.  You can still post nice size photographs that are less than 1MB in size, but it requires you be aware of the size of your JPEG files BEFORE you upload them to OGF.  Some phones might have this capability, while others might require you email the photos to your desktop computer where more sophisticated photo editing software exists.  But bottom line.... you don't need sophisticated photo editing software -- you just need software that will downsize your photo JPEG files from full print-resolution to perhaps something like 1024x1024... and you're good to upload the smaller sized JPEG files.

Of course, the other option would be if OGF increases the PER ATTACHMENT size from 1MB up to maybe 6MB or even 8MB to be safer for those members who don't even know the size of their camera JPEG files.

Also keep in mind... there's no free lunch in life.  If we upload larger 6MB or 8MB photo files, those are actual print-resolution (high-resolution, 300dpi) camera files that are unnecessarily large for viewing on computer displays or mobile devices in general.  And they take up more forum storage space quicker than the low-res files.  Those large files are really only needed when PRINTING.  When just SHARING files on the internet, we only need screen-resolution (low-resolution, 72dpi) files.  And we don't eat up as much disk space on the forum storage devices either.  But it often does require that extra step of downsizing your original camera JPEG files.  I'm accustomed to doing this all the time, because my cameras produce ridiculously large files for other purposes.  So I tend to downsize the files whenever I'm posting to online forums.  Also... note that the newer consumer cameras are also producing larger and larger JPEG files with each successive generation of technology, unless you set a parameter to produce smaller file sizes directly in the camera.

Hope this helps explain the photo posting landscape a bit clearer for including images in our OGF posts -- at least as far as I'm seeing as a user who noticed this change a few days ago.

David