@ejn...You said**...."****So how would one shoot a 17 MB file on a 6 megapixel camera."
**

This is from one of my posts here before...perhaps it will help you in understanding how a 6MP D100 can produce 17MB files....

"JPEG images only support 24 bits per pixel...8 bits for each of the red, green and blue channels....ie an 8bit image. Most consumer digicams have an onboard 8 bit D/A converter...resulting in the what we call 8 bit JPEG.
DSLR's on the other hand are able to capture a greater dynamic range because of the larger sensor size...so, they come with 10 or 12 bit A/D converters...allowing you to save in the RAW format.
Further;
8 bits = 256 levels of brightness per color channel
10 bits = 1024 levels of brightness per color channel
12 bits = 4096 levels of brightness per color channel

So, now if we take a 3008X2000 pixel image out of a Nikon D70, we get;

3008 X 2000 = 6016000 pixels

For a JPEG image there are 8 bits for each of the 3 channels per pixel...so 24 bits per pixel.

That give us...6016000 X 24 = 144384000 bits in total for that JPEG image.

Now remember that one BYTE = 8 bits....so 144384000/8 = 18048000 BYTES

Now remember that one MEGABYTE = 1048576 BYTES...so...

18048000/1048576 = 17.2 MEGABYTES!

If you open ANY 3008 X 2000 JPEG image in PS, it's actual size can be read at the bottom of the screen....it is exactly 17.2MB!!!!!

Now, to a TIFF image....a 16 bit TIFF image stores 16bits for each channel per pixel = 48 bits per pixel.

Which is exactly double the 24 from the JPEG example above...so, it would be approx 34 MB.

Do the math for your pixel count out of your cam....it should roughly match the image size numbers seen at the bottom of your PS screen

In youth, we learn....with age, we understand.