Printing Digital Photos

[Radical Dreamer]

As many of you saw in the tech lounge, I purchased a Sony DSC-P52 camera for my GF and what I am wondering is what quality level should I keep it on for standard prints?

Options are (I think)

3.2mp
2.7mp
2.0mp
1.2mp
VGA

And

Quality levels
Standard
Fine

[geoscomp]

As many of you saw in the tech lounge, I purchased a Sony DSC-P52 camera for my GF and what I am wondering is what quality level should I keep it on for standard prints?

Options are (I think)

3.2mp
2.7mp
2.0mp
1.2mp
VGA

And

Quality levels
Standard
Fine

depends on how large you want to print the final images...usually standard works fine if you are printing 4x6, etc..for larger more important prints, switch to fine

[Larommi]

I use the best quality @ the biggest size available. Its so much easier to get a good reduced print than a good enlarged one

[hudsonsmith]

Standard and fine usually refer to the level of compression used to generate the jpg files. Fine is generally uncompressed. I keep my camera set to fine.

The other setting relates to the pixel dimensions of the image. 2 mp is 1600 x 1200, 4 mp is 2300 x 1700, etc. While you can certainly take all your pictures at the highest resolution, it will limit the number of pictures your memory card will hold. Also, if you plan to email them to anyone or post them, you will have to reduce them later. I find that 1600 x 1200 is adequate if I don't plan to enlarge the prints beyond 4x6 or 5x7.

[CeeBee]

I would make the pictures @ best quality, unless I am 101% sure I will only use them for email. Too many times I wanted to print a picture that I have made @ lower quality And CD's are soooooo cheap....

[kpataska]

As many of you saw in the tech lounge, I purchased a Sony DSC-P52 camera for my GF and what I am wondering is what quality level should I keep it on for standard prints?

Options are (I think)

3.2mp
2.7mp
2.0mp
1.2mp
VGA

And

Quality levels
Standard
Fine

Keep the pictures at full resolution and Fine quality. As has been stated above, reduction is a non-issue.

Here is what I can contribute :

1 megapixel - good for 4x6, 5x7 starts to get pixelated, 8x10 gets bad, 10x13 looks like a kid used Legos to make a picture

2 megapixel - good for 4x7, 5x7 and 8x10. 10x13 starts to get pixelated

3 megapixel - good for all of the above

Get a nice, big memory card/stick/drive for it. 256mb is the minimum I recommend to people when they ask about digital cameras. Why screw around with more than one memory card? Switching batteries is bad enough. Buy PLENTY of spare Li-On batteries and an external charger - you'll find it's well worth it!

Hope this helps!

Kenny P.
Visualize Whirled P.'s

[Radical Dreamer]

Well, the largest I saw when i was at circuit city was the 128mb so thats what i got her, and she has the 16mb that came with the camera. Also, it did come with an external charger and I did buy some extra NiMH batteries.

I very seriously doubt that we will ever print 8x10's mostly just the postcard size standard prints.

[silencio]

I use the best quality @ the biggest size available. Its so much easier to get a good reduced print than a good enlarged one

Ditto this. I use the highest res available and use imageready to resize them. The built in picture thingamajig in XP will resize also. It'll be nice to have those huge pictures in a thousand years. You don't the alien geologists having to squint to ya?

[Shairel]

rurr, max quality max size, memory is CHEAP, too cheap to sacrifice your memories