Facebook takes on Flickr: revamps photo feature

Facebook has announced a major update to its photo product that will give Flickr a run for its money.

As one of the largest photo-sharing sites in the world, Facebook has acknowledged the need to beef up its photo capabilities. The update will include hi-res photos, bulk tagging capabilites and a lightbox interface for viewing images from anywhere on the site.

Facebook began rolling out these new features yesterday, brining the ability to upload and download hi-res photos up to 2048 pixels wide or high.  All the photos can be downloaded as a JPEG and at 2048 pixels are considered print-quality.

In addition, Facebook will be making the way users view photos more visually appealing with their new Lightbox. Finally, Facebook will offer group tagging and promises a better upload experience in general — having rebuilt their photo uploader.

With over 500 million users, Facebook’s beefed up photo editor is going to give sites like Flickr and SmugMug tough competition. What used to be a site for capturing memories and events, Facebook is trying to reposition itself as a player in the online photo sharing community.