I was not sure if I should post this in Development, Suggestions, or Marketing, so the General section is as good as any.

At one time, I was quite happy if I could make my image large enough to reach the minimum size of 4MP.
Now, with large sensor cameras, we can get sharp files at 24 or 36MP, or alternatively, crop a large file in 6 different ways to make multiple subimages. Is it better to post just one image in the original large size (consequently making the individual objects and features in it perhaps too small for the thumbnails), or would you split the large image into several smaller images (so they would look bigger in the thumbnails)?
What's best for the buyer?

Obviously, buyers on the subscription sites will choose most often the largest available size and then they crop it any way they want, but in the Symbio marketplace they may select the smallest size that will do, so proper cropping may be more important.
 
Another issue with the image size is that I'd like to see more than 4 sizes available for the download, incl. panoramic format. I realize that we can specify the individual 4 images sizes, but right now, the difference between the last two or three image sizes seems too much. Having at least one more size would allow more flexibility in pricing. 

One more constraint with having only 4 image sizes is the fact that even if we submit the largest image available, that size may vary across the portfolio. For instance, some images were taken with a 6MP and some with a 12, 16 or 24MP camera. With the present setup, all these sizes in their maximum availability are priced on the same level.   

 

If you submit images in sRGB, the colors should look OK.
I find that if I forget and leave the workspace in ProPhoto, then the image looks dull and the colors are shifted (same thing happens not only on SYS but also on SS).

I also use GD Library, since my host (ipower) doesn't support ImageMagick PHP extension.
They told me that they support ImageMagick in binary form, but I don't know if Leo's template could use it (and how I could activate it).

What do we lose by using GD library instead of Imagemagick? Is it only the faster image processing or also a better IQ in the final image conversion for display and user download? I could live with slower processing times, but if Imagemagick produces better output files, it might be worthwhile to switch eventually to another host.
   
 

to me the EOS-M looks like a much better deal that the Sigma.

i will give Sigma another chance with their next-gen camera eventually.

as for the Foveon : i'm telling the same things since a long time, great IQ and great sharpness is only achievable with a big sensor outputting a resized image ... Sigma gives a you great 16MP but it needs to mess with a 46MP raw input to achieve that.

you could do the same with a D800E and resize to 12MP .. try it !

It's a good analogy, however, D800 catches all light with the same type of pixels, whereas Foveon sensors use three layers of pixels, each reacting to different color.  The bottom layer records red, the middle layer records green, and the top layer records blue.
To confuse it even further, in practical terms, the 46MP raw image translates into a very sharp 15MP JPG or TIF image which would be equivalent to about 28MP taken with a conventional CMOS sensor.

I agree with you that today there are plenty of new APS-sized pocket cameras that will produce pretty good image quality without the quirks of Sigma. After all, DP2M Model is now almost two years old.
 

Speaking about categories. The structure is in place and it works great, it's easy to customize it.

I'm thinking about additional categories, for lack of better word, I'd call it artist categories, type, groups, or something similar. Maybe even two more fields - type and group.
The users wouldn't necessarily see or use it, but the contributors could use various codes to assign more meanings to their images, and then filter on it and possibly even perform other processes on the filtered sets.

Something like this is of course not possible with traditional agencies, but if it's not too difficult to add few extra fields to our database, it could be very useful for the Symbio contributors to select certain image subset and perform various analysis or processes on it.

I'll try to expand on it and post this request in the Suggestion section.
. 

A large buyer signs for Shutterstock 1 year subscription plan, a $199/month 25-image downloads/day adding 750 photographs and illustrations each month to their own in-house image library.
That's 9,000 images per year or 99,000 images in 11 years. Total cost for amassing this royalty-free collection was a mere $27,500.
Now they can cancel their subscription, the inhouse library will supply most of their needs.
For special projects they will buy occasionally new images - at less than $10 per image ($229 for 25 images), bringing eventually their total image count to 100,000.

Such an impressive image library will become a valuable company resource and will attract a lot of attention. And as in most retail stores, office cabinets, and libraries, there will be also some degree of image pilferage committed by inside staff that invariably will reduce the sales revenue of remaining stock agencies.

   

To get back on topic. We are growing with a rate of 15,000 images per month. Give or take a few. If we are at 100 now, I'd say we'd be around 150,000 come the new year.

Actually, in July we added 20,000 images. In August, it should be well over 20,000.
This compares with 65,000 images in the previous 5 months, so the snowball effect is already happening. 250,000 images by year end is a very good possibility.

 

Quote from: LesPalenik on August 20, 2013, 04:30

Foveon-based, big-pocket Sigma DP2M (or DP3M). Best IQ after D800.

i've read several reviews about that camera and there are many drawbacks :

- slow software
- slow writing RAW files
- battery lasting just 100 or 200 photos ?
- slow autofocus
- noisy above ISO 400
- need tripod even in good conditions ??
- no cable release !
- max shutter = 30 seconds, no bulb mode


i mean for 1000$ it doesnt look like a bargain ... the Sony RX100 is just 650$ and comes with a zoom (24-100mm equivalent)

i've seen a few samples images, they all look good but if they've all been shot on a tripod well i'm not that impressed, even an old D40 would do it and probably better when paired with a 100$ prime or with the 18-55 kit lens.

then again they all rave about great colors and sharpness, what the he-ll ... you can get even better colors using PS or LR properly, as for sharpness well they're using a good prime lens, i would be surprised if it wasn't sharp.

by the way, it's sharp but not tack-sharp as a 2000$ lens.

so what's the point of this camera, i don't know.

i'm excited to see many companies pushing this market niche but so far i see too many drawbacks, maybe in a few years it will become mainstream, we'll see.

Compared to other cameras, DPxM series are not the best when it comes to handling, battery life, and even postprocessing,  but the IQ is incredible.
I wouldn't buy it as my main camera, rather as a specialized tool. No problems with handheld shooting, I never used it on a tripod, usually shooting outside at ISO200 at high enough shutter speed, the 30mm lens (on DP2M) is very sharp - not only in the center, but from edge to edge.
D40 was a good camera 10 years ago, in many ways better than DP2m, but not when it comes to IQ. The fixed lens has its advantages - there are quite a few shooters, owing all 3 Merill models. So they must like them.
On Lula and dpreview forums, they have several multi-page threads showing hi-res images from all 3 Sigma Merill cameras, look at them.
   

and your evidence is?

widely available on the microstock-related blogs and forums.
Regrettably, spelling it out in detail would constitute considerably more effort than providing just the aforementioned high-level executive summary.

+1

The growth of supply MAY be outstriping the growth of demand

not MAY, but IS

Thank you, Leo for your work, help and vision.

For some reason, the bloggee size pricing in My Symbiostock, Settings, Author Options is disabled (striked through). I can access and modify it for an individual image.
Is this a bug, or can it be changed somehow?

Just got from my server support the following message:

Imagick function does not work on our server. We have ImageMagick binaries. But it is not complied to PHP so IMAGICK won�t work. So, you will not be able to use IMAGICK as PHP built-in class.

You have to use the alternative �convert� utility. Below is a sample code:
$location=�/usr/local/bin/convert�;
$command=�-thumbnail 150′;
$name=�Sunset.�;
$extfrm=�jpg�;
$extto=�png�;
$output=�{$name}{$extto}�;
$convert=$location . � � .$command . � � . $name . $extfrm . � � . $name . $extto;
exec ($convert);
print �<img src=� . $output . �>�;

ImageMagick Binary Path

The path will vary depending on which ImageMagick binary you needs to use on the Unix platform. These are the two most common:

/usr/bin/resize
/usr/local/bin/convert

What does it all mean? Can I use Imagick by adding the code above to my php.ini (or to another file)?