Pics or thumbnails?

So what is your preference in build threads: would you rather see pics posted, thumbnails, or links for pics? It often peeves me to see people post thumbnails or links- but before going of on another rant, I figured it might be a good idea to survey some opinions on this. (Disclaimer- this is aimed at no particular individual, or no particular thread- I just got to thinking.) So, post in the poll or write your opinion- I don't care, I'm just curious to hear opinions on it. Whatcha think?

-Do you like full size pics (reasonably sized) and are willing to wait for them, regardless of ISP speed?

-Do you have a slow ISP, and appreciate thumbnails (and all those people who feel the need to post "56k warnings")?

-Do you like having just links, giving you the option of not viewing the pics for a thread you're reading ("I just read it for the articles")?

-Stuff your damn pics- I surf AF from my cell phone and can't see them anyway, but I appreciate an intellectually stimulating discussion!

I like pictures. I size mine to be 500wide by 333high. I like this for build threads, but for completed, I like the high quality large sized picture so we can really see the detail.

Full size pics, reasonably sized, and posted on below the other (can't stand when people post 4 or 5 in a row - it kills the page margins).

Thumbnails are cool if you want to post something super detailed though in high resolution in a large image - that's where thumbnails rule.

Another vote for pics provided they are reasonably sized both in pixels and kbytes. 800x600 at around 100kb for progress threads, a bit larger for completed is perfect IMHO. Also since I'm on a slow connection there is no need to post repeated images of almost the same angle. Just a few key shots to show off the important stuff. :)

i do have a slow ISP at home, but i don't load the images first anyway, so am still okay with full pics. just make them reasonably-sized, like 800x600 or 640x480. :D

I like to see full pics, I still posting 600 x 400 but maybe I could go bigger these days of High speed Broadband say 800 x 600 ?

I rarely ever look at linked pics or thumbnails, it usually equates to bad build, bad shots, slow, server etc... however, if you post larger pictures from your camera phone or webcam, i will also hit the back button at a blink of an eye. Guys, Digi cams are not that expensive and mine is like 5 years old 2.3 megapixel and i get decent results. If you dont know how to operate a camera then dont, kinda like driving an SUV. LOL

althou I have a slow connection speed, I still voted for pics. I dont usually click on links and thumbnails, anyway. pretty much in agreement with Freakmech.

600 pixels wide or tall (whichever comes first) minimum for me. Preferrably bigger to see the juicy details.

Full pict, reasonnable size would also be to me 800x600, may be 1024x768 for few finished thing. I quote Phil for ripetivive stuff: few major step's pics.

Well I voted after the comment ad I noticed the results now: unuseful my first one, 100% x pics BUT:

We're speaking of size, and reasonnable nr° x any topic but I like keep hot the discussion concerning the quality: despite I own few semi-professional cameras that I use for work I'm still using for my forums stuff a little Casio exilim, a little cheap and great camera, also I seen great pics also trought phones: so why in this wordl whe still having threads with huge blurried pics, where is impossible not only to see details, but also see the shape of the car? And any time "my camera is old" (Chad wrote that: he do his great jobs trought a 5 YO 2Mp camera having great images) or "I shoot trought the phone": I guess all this people haven't seen the Hiroboys HowTo: I guess him could be able to achieve almost the same result with a phone or a use-and-chuck stuff.

A lot of times I noticed some "awesome" and "great" comments on stuff where I was just able to see the color (dark) of the stuff.

So this discussion join the old MPWR's thread regarding how to do with post, honesty or boost? Stick or carrot?

I like full sized pictures, but only at a reasonable size. It’s dreadful to open a thread and see pictures sized twice the screen area of my TFT. It really does get my back up, as you can’t appreciate the picture when you have to scroll back and forth, and so I simply cannot comment correctly on the work being posted.

I always resize my WIP pictures to 640 x 480, as my WIP will start to contain a lot of pictures as the thread is slowly updated. My completed threads I tend to use 800 x 600. Any larger, and you run the risk of alienating the viewer, as they simply might not be able to view correctly.

Contrary to popular belief, model builders are not wealthy kids, that have PC setups swordfish style, most would only have a home computer with a 512K or higher broadband connection with a 17 – perhaps 19” TFT. Some might still be using CRT, and even 56K dialup.

In this day and age of cheaper broadband, those who can get broadband would and I say “would” in a generalisation and a very loose term, have upgraded by now. It’s only financial sense to do so, but sadly there will be the one or two that don’t have broadband, but you need to post to the majority. And the vast majority will have connections that can download reasonably sized, correctly compressed JPG images in a matter of minutes. I feel having 10 – 15 800 x 600 JPG to show of your latest work in a thread has more impact, and more enjoyment factor then a collection of thumbs.

Whilst we’re on about pictures, I do find though, that some pictures posted, even though correctly resized, the poster seems to be adapt at getting the whole background WELL in focus, yet the actual model, or parts are so blurry, we can only read the label of the coke can, or keyboard letters in the background. I try my HARDEST with my crappy camera, and poor lighting to post up decent WIP pictures, or completed pictures. If someone is taking the time to view your work, the VERY least you can do is make this fun, enjoyable and EASY for the viewer to see what you are looking at. I also tend to take the time to explain what the picture is trying to show if it’s a WIP picture, as folks are not mind readers. A few short sentences can actually help the viewer see more, as some viewers might take a quick glance but if a structured sentence accompanies a picture, they might go – Ah, missed that, I’ll take another look.

Again, as MPWR, I’m not singling out, I certainly hope my pictures are a joy to view, but it really does grind when you open a thread, with 20 pictures at 800 x 600 and all I can see, is a bottle of paint in the background. Correctly taken pictures, is just as important as size, as well as presentation in your thread.

Perhaps a sticky and a “readme” on picture quality and size is required, and better moderated, and bad pictures removed…??? Not trying to tell mods how to run things, but I’ve seen in the last few months some pretty awful pictures..

Full size pics only please, and no limit on # of pictures. Scale Auto's site has been dumbed down to the point of being nearly pointless because they're bending over backwards to satisfy the luddites who are on dialup. Not only do they thumbnail the images, they limit the number to three. So many rules, so little time.

And I also vote for reasonably sized full-size pics; it's annoying as hell to have an entire page screwed up by pictures that are side by side or so huge that they cause you to scroll back and forth to see the picture and read the thread :shakehead :banghead: Or some kiddies that think it's funny to type so many periods or symbols in one line that results in the same thing.

-Do you like full size pics (reasonably sized) and are willing to wait for them, regardless of ISP speed?

Full size pics up to about 800x600. I'm on high speed internet. Sometimes I'll have to wait for pictures to load because the site where the pics are hosted is slow. I open up all the threads in seperate windows anyway so while one is loading I can read another one.


-Do you have a slow ISP, and appreciate thumbnails (and all those people who feel the need to post "56k warnings")?

I dont like thumbnails. Usually it links to an offsite host with 3million pop ups, causing my pop up blocker to go nuts. Plus the pictures usually end up being 2000pixels wide. I also agree with what Chad said about build quality.


-Do you like having just links, giving you the option of not viewing the pics for a thread you're reading ("I just read it for the articles")?

I absolutely 100% hate links. Unless its a builder I like or recognize, I wont bother to click the links. I'm not going to go out of my way to search and find the pictures. I like the more efficient way of posting pics using the IMG tags.

Camera Phones and Webcams
99.9% of pictures taken by a camera phone or webcam are horendously fuzzy, and dark. Pictures like that are useless. In my honest opinion, dont bother posting anything unless you can see the model. Pictures like that look like the model wants its identity kept secret like on the news where the blur out the face. (That goes for scanners too.)

Decent digital cameras are not that expensive these days. Look into one.

Photography Area
Sometimes I see pictures where the model is just thrown on a cluttered table with all their tools and stuff. I open a model thread to see a model, not your workspace, family, friends, and pets. Clean off the table before taking pictures, the clutter distracts from the model.

I'm done now.

I agree with all of you,

- for WIP I prefer 800x600, and for finished pics I'd like to see 1024x768.
- No clutter, no repeated shots of the same angles...
- Definitely NO limitation in the number of pics posted (as stated above, referring to ScaleAutoMag)

Cheers Seb

Sometimes I see pictures where the model is just thrown on a cluttered table with all their tools and stuff. I open a model thread to see a model, not your workspace, family, friends, and pets. Clean off the table before taking pictures, the clutter distracts from the model.

I am actually guilty of that, but I only do it with my WIP pics. When I shoot my final shots, I use a more semi-pro style setup with curved backing and multiple lights. In my mind, it makes the final shots feel more special and gives me a better feeling of finality.

Photography Area
Sometimes I see pictures where the model is just thrown on a cluttered table with all their tools and stuff. I open a model thread to see a model, not your workspace, family, friends, and pets. Clean off the table before taking pictures, the clutter distracts from the model.

I'm done now.

Erm, I'm guilty of that as well.. I tend to try and put a bit of white paper behind when I take WIP pictures to hide the mess behind it..

To be honest it doesnt really matter to me which is posted... Links thumbs or large images are all better than nothing to look at... and right now while i only have 7-8 builds under my belt Im keen to see peoples work for ideas and the finish..

So whatever is good for me.

Keep posting those builds peeps.

M1CRO.

I'm for full pics at a reasonable 800x600. Anything bigger should be thumbnailed or linked.

i keep mine at something like 700x525 if i remember right.

I'm a heavy GSM user and voted accordingly :D

On those wonderful moments when I have a proper screen in front of me, obviously I prefer full pix in WIPs ALTHOUGH I think that intelligent and thoughtful use of thumbnails does have a place for posting large, hi-res images where the subject is worth it.

On the point of senseless (calling a spade a spade) posting of 6 A2-sized images side by side - why don't the moderators intervene? e.g. remove the images or post a warning or smthg similar? I am sure that in most cases the "offender" will not repeat the same mistake. On the other hand, if no one says anything, they will probably continue, not knowing any better.

On the point of senseless (calling a spade a spade) posting of 6 A2-sized images side by side - why don't the moderators intervene? e.g. remove the images or post a warning or smthg similar? I am sure that in most cases the "offender" will not repeat the same mistake. On the other hand, if no one says anything, they will probably continue, not knowing any better.

We do.

I agree - WIPs should be 640x480 or 800x600 at around 100kb. When they're bigger than that, it seems pretty pointless - I'd rather have bigger detailed pictures for a completed build (200Kb+). Would it be possible to thumbnail pics that are over 150Kb or something?

I cant handle thumbnails or links,i never look at them.. I love threads with lots of photos. I usually size mine at 640x480 so that everyone would be able to view them at a reasonable load time even if you are on dial up. That said i really love looking at hi res pics especially if the model is exceptional.

[COLOR=blue]Sometimes I see pictures where the model is just thrown on a cluttered table with all their tools and stuff. I open a model thread to see a model, not your workspace, family, friends, and pets. Clean off the table before taking pictures, the clutter distracts from the model.

I'm done now.

Are you talking about completed models or progress reports? I would rather keep building than set up a proper shoot to show progress! For that reason I just take photo's of my builds on my workbench.
However, I do make the effort to photograph completed models with a suitable background?:smooch: