An image processing apparatus (100;200) for compression-encoding image data to a storage amount less than a predetermined amount, the apparatus comprising: encoding means (102;202,205) for compression encoding image data with a compression ratio in accordance with at least one compression ratio parameter; monitoring means (107,110;208,210,212) for monitoring the storage amount of encoded data and for determining whether the storage amount has reached the predetermined amount; characterised by: first and second memories (104,106;204,207) for storing encoded data generated by the encoding means; re-encoding means (109;211) for decoding encoded data from a said memory and for re-encoding the decoded data with a compression ratio in accordance with a compression ratio parameter; and control means (103,105,108;111;203,206,209;213) responsive to a determination by the monitoring means that the data storage amount has reached the predetermined amount to: (a) set the compression ratio parameters of the encoding means and the re-encoding means to increase the compression ratio for the image data; and (b) cause the re-encoding means to decode data read from a said memory, re-encode the decoded data and store the re-encoded data in at least one of the memories, while in parallel therewith not-yet-encoded image data is encoded by the encoding means and stored in at least one of the first and second memories. encoding means (102;202,205) for compression encoding image data with a compression ratio in accordance with at least one compression ratio parameter; monitoring means (107,110;208,210,212) for monitoring the storage amount of encoded data and for determining whether the storage amount has reached the predetermined amount; characterised by: first and second memories (104,106;204,207) for storing encoded data generated by the encoding means; re-encoding means (109;211) for decoding encoded data from a said memory and for re-encoding the decoded data with a compression ratio in accordance with a compression ratio parameter; and control means (103,105,108;111;203,206,209;213) responsive to a determination by the monitoring means that the data storage amount has reached the predetermined amount to: (a) set the compression ratio parameters of the encoding means and the re-encoding means to increase the compression ratio for the image data; and (b) cause the re-encoding means to decode data read from a said memory, re-encode the decoded data and store the re-encoded data in at least one of the memories, while in parallel therewith not-yet-encoded image data is encoded by the encoding means and stored in at least one of the first and second memories. first and second memories (104,106;204,207) for storing encoded data generated by the encoding means; re-encoding means (109;211) for decoding encoded data from a said memory and for re-encoding the decoded data with a compression ratio in accordance with a compression ratio parameter; and control means (103,105,108;111;203,206,209;213) responsive to a determination by the monitoring means that the data storage amount has reached the predetermined amount to: (a) set the compression ratio parameters of the encoding means and the re-encoding means to increase the compression ratio for the image data; and (b) cause the re-encoding means to decode data read from a said memory, re-encode the decoded data and store the re-encoded data in at least one of the memories, while in parallel therewith not-yet-encoded image data is encoded by the encoding means and stored in at least one of the first and second memories. (a) set the compression ratio parameters of the encoding means and the re-encoding means to increase the compression ratio for the image data; and (b) cause the re-encoding means to decode data read from a said memory, re-encode the decoded data and store the re-encoded data in at least one of the memories, while in parallel therewith not-yet-encoded image data is encoded by the encoding means and stored in at least one of the first and second memories.