Using Less Than Highest JPEG Compression

Can anyone comment on shooting at medium JPEG compresion? I've got a 30D, and it's going bungee jumping with me this weekend. Using a 2 GB Sandisk Exreme III card, I can get about 30-35 frames at 5fps before it starts to slow down. But when I lower the compression to medium, it can go on and on. Would I see any significan difference for small to medium prints?

Lower the compression, as in you're using "high" now and going to medium? Or Raise the compression, as in you're using "Low" now and going to medium?

I don't mean to be a pedant, but I guess I'm curious about whether the fps bottleneck seems to be the JPEG conversion throughput or the write speed, since going from Hi to Med implies a larger file size and less compression, while going Low to Med implies more compression activity but a larger file to write.

Since you asked about quality, I guess I'm assuming you're at "Low" now and considering going to Medium...or I'm totally misinterpreting the settings and L/M/H refers to the 'quality', not the compression percentage a.k.a. file massaging and shrinkage.... Either way, can you just, well, run around your yard with your finger on the trigger and get a few frames, and compare between the two, blown up to about the size of interest on a screen?

And is the bungie jumping experience really that long that 6-7 seconds isn't enough time to shoot???? That's one high jump, or you want all the bounces.

If I am guessing right you are asking about large size (8MP) and lower compression. Then quality reduction is not likely on small prints, maybe on medium. On the other hand, you can reduce the size to medium (4MP) and keep the compression at fine. I had good results sending cropped photos (taken with my 20D on large/fine) with only ~4 MP to print on 16x20.

I do mean higher compression, smaller file size. If I use the medium quality, I can keep going at 5 fps. We're going to have a mini Wetpixel gathering.

We're going to have a mini Wetpixel gathering.

Just as long as there is an ocean under the bungee cord.

are you going to hold a housing while getting dunked on a bungee dive? if so it may very well hit you in the face.

Just as long as there is an ocean under the bungee cord.

If there is an ocean under the bungee cord, why bother with the bungee when diving is right there?