BIG pictures or SMALL pictures ?

Over the past 10 years, I've owned 3 digital cameras--one with 0.3
megapixels (VGA), another with 2 megapixels and as of last week one
with 8.1 megapixels.

I normally prefer to view my pictures on my 1280x1024 monitor. I
rarely print them out. With my old cameras, there was never a
question of what resolution I would use. I would use the maximum.
With my 8.1 megapixel camera, should I take pictures at the maximum
setting and then use software to resize them, or should I just set the
camera to a lower resolution (for example, 2MP) and let the camera do
the resizing?

With all three cameras, I've noticed that the maximum resolution
pictures are blurry, but are considerably sharper when resized (even
using MS Paint).

I'm going on a cruise in a few weeks. Any opinions?

On Feb 11, 7:31 pm, "Albert" wrote:
Over the past 10 years, I've owned 3 digital cameras--one with 0.3
megapixels (VGA), another with 2 megapixels and as of last week one
with 8.1 megapixels.

I normally prefer to view my pictures on my 1280x1024 monitor. I
rarely print them out. With my old cameras, there was never a
question of what resolution I would use. I would use the maximum.
With my 8.1 megapixel camera, should I take pictures at the maximum
setting and then use software to resize them, or should I just set the
camera to a lower resolution (for example, 2MP) and let the camera do
the resizing?

With all three cameras, I've noticed that the maximum resolution
pictures are blurry, but are considerably sharper when resized (even
using MS Paint).

I'm going on a cruise in a few weeks. Any opinions?

I go for resizing afterwards, but also saving the full res version.
With the full size version you have the option of doing a bit of
cropping at the same time you resize, and you never know when you
might want the full resolution for a print somewhere down the road.
Also keep in mind that displays will be increasing in resolution in
the years to come so you will likely want to redo the resizing from
time to time.

Scott

Scott W wrote:
[]
I go for resizing afterwards, but also saving the full res version.
With the full size version you have the option of doing a bit of
cropping at the same time you resize, and you never know when you
might want the full resolution for a print somewhere down the road.
Also keep in mind that displays will be increasing in resolution in
the years to come so you will likely want to redo the resizing from
time to time.

Scott

I would agree with Scott's advice - take at full resolution. You may want
to compare the different JPEG quality settings (called "extra fine",
"superfine", "fine", "normal" etc.) and see which you need. Most likely,
you won't be able to see the differences once you get above "fine" - all
you will get are increased file sizes and fewer pictures per card.

The program you use to view the images on your display matters. For best
quality it should resample the images properly from their native size to
the display resolution. Many programs do not resample very well, which
may introduce artefacts (such as steps on near-horizontal lines such as
power lines). The Windows Picture and Fax viewer does resample correctly.

David

Albert wrote:
Over the past 10 years, I've owned 3 digital cameras--one with 0.3
megapixels (VGA), another with 2 megapixels and as of last week one
with 8.1 megapixels.

I normally prefer to view my pictures on my 1280x1024 monitor. I
rarely print them out. With my old cameras, there was never a
question of what resolution I would use. I would use the maximum.
With my 8.1 megapixel camera, should I take pictures at the maximum
setting and then use software to resize them, or should I just set the
camera to a lower resolution (for example, 2MP) and let the camera do
the resizing?

With all three cameras, I've noticed that the maximum resolution
pictures are blurry, but are considerably sharper when resized (even
using MS Paint).

I'm going on a cruise in a few weeks. Any opinions?

If your camera has a setting for 2mp, you may find that an advantage for
saving space on your flash card, but the options to edit, and crop, the
images will be much poorer than if you had taken them at the full
resolution. Unless you are wealthy enough to return to a scene to take
another picture, capturing all the information you can when you are
there just make sense. You can do editing, cropping, and resizing as
needed when you return. With flash media getting cheaper daily, there
is little reason to skimp on resolution.

On Feb 11, 9:31 pm, "Albert" wrote:
With my 8.1 megapixel camera, should I take pictures at the maximum
setting and then use software to resize them, or should I just set the
camera to a lower resolution (for example, 2MP) and let the camera do
the resizing?

If your flash card capacity is not an issue with 8.1mp, then go with
8.1mp. But if the capacity may be an issue, I'd just go with the next
lower resolution. For photos that you think you might need more detail
or cropping, then switch to full mp temporarily. But theoretically,
the camera should be taking an 8.1mp and resampling down to 2mp, which
will still look very good on a screen.

Suddenly, without warning, Albert exclaimed (12-Feb-07 3:01 PM):
Over the past 10 years, I've owned 3 digital cameras--one with 0.3
megapixels (VGA), another with 2 megapixels and as of last week one
with 8.1 megapixels.

I normally prefer to view my pictures on my 1280x1024 monitor. I
rarely print them out. With my old cameras, there was never a
question of what resolution I would use. I would use the maximum.
With my 8.1 megapixel camera, should I take pictures at the maximum
setting and then use software to resize them, or should I just set the
camera to a lower resolution (for example, 2MP) and let the camera do
the resizing?

With all three cameras, I've noticed that the maximum resolution
pictures are blurry, but are considerably sharper when resized (even
using MS Paint).

I'm going on a cruise in a few weeks. Any opinions?


Big, definitely big. You can shrink them later, and you can use all
those MP to crop down when needed, especially if you don't have a long
zoom. You can't recover pixels you don't have, if you get that perfect
shot and want to print it at 8x10 or larger... or need to crop down for
that dolphin that was a bit too far out for your zoom. Get a bigger, or
second, card if you need to. Definitely big.

On a good camera, max resolution shouldn't be blurry.

jmc

Bucky wrote:
[]
If your flash card capacity is not an issue with 8.1mp, then go with
8.1mp. But if the capacity may be an issue, I'd just go with the next
lower resolution. For photos that you think you might need more detail
or cropping, then switch to full mp temporarily. But theoretically,
the camera should be taking an 8.1mp and resampling down to 2mp, which
will still look very good on a screen.


Both number of pixels (resolution) and JPEG compression ("quality"
setting) will affect how many pictures you can fit on a card. Therefore,
it might be worth testing before the OP goes whether 8.1MP at "standard"
quality produces a better image than, say, 5MP at "fine" quality (assuming
the file size is similar for each), when viewed at the conditions to be
used for the final display.

David

"Albert" wrote in message
oups.com...
Over the past 10 years, I've owned 3 digital cameras--one with 0.3
megapixels (VGA), another with 2 megapixels and as of last week one
with 8.1 megapixels.

I normally prefer to view my pictures on my 1280x1024 monitor. I
rarely print them out. With my old cameras, there was never a
question of what resolution I would use. I would use the maximum.
With my 8.1 megapixel camera, should I take pictures at the maximum
setting and then use software to resize them, or should I just set the
camera to a lower resolution (for example, 2MP) and let the camera do
the resizing?

With all three cameras, I've noticed that the maximum resolution
pictures are blurry, but are considerably sharper when resized (even
using MS Paint).

I'm going on a cruise in a few weeks. Any opinions?

I agree with the others on shooting at the largest size. The image file is
your digital negative so to speak. It is easy to go from larger to smaller.
It is not possible to go from 2mp to 8mp and get 8mp worth of resolution. If
space is a concern, leave resolution high and set the camera's compression
higher if it offers such a setting.
-S

Albert wrote:
Over the past 10 years, I've owned 3 digital cameras--one with 0.3
megapixels (VGA), another with 2 megapixels and as of last week one
with 8.1 megapixels.

I normally prefer to view my pictures on my 1280x1024 monitor. I
rarely print them out. With my old cameras, there was never a
question of what resolution I would use. I would use the maximum.
With my 8.1 megapixel camera, should I take pictures at the maximum
setting and then use software to resize them, or should I just set the
camera to a lower resolution (for example, 2MP) and let the camera do
the resizing?

With all three cameras, I've noticed that the maximum resolution
pictures are blurry, but are considerably sharper when resized (even
using MS Paint).

I'm going on a cruise in a few weeks. Any opinions?

I would go for the large picture. Remembering how monitors have changed
in the last years, "next year" we may a 4880X 4000 monitor that will use
the full 8/1 megapixels. You will then want the large picture.

--
Keith Nuttle
3110 Marquette Court
Indianapolis, IN 46268
317-802-0699

Everybody who's recommended big is probably right. The only possible
reason you might want small is if it reduces your lag between shots. It
should be easy for you to experiment with your camera and see if it
does. That's the only meaningful advantage small might have.

--

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