Camera Question

[craig333]

Since I think I'm the only non photographer here I need help with a simple question. First, the new phone has an 8mp camera, flash, zoom and the works. It makes more sense to ditch my old pos and just use the phone. Handier too. Okay, I know most of the time I don't need to use anywhere near the max resolution. Question is when DO I need to use it?


P.S. Keep up the great outdoor shots. Keeps me from needing to pick up another expensive hobby.

 

[MarkBC]

Craig- I was just discussing this "how many pixels" question with a friend yesterday...

Really, 2 megapixels should be plenty for most uses for most people. An "HD" resolution computer monitor is 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels = 2.07 megapixels. Why use more pixels in a photo than can fill up a computer screen since most viewing will be on a computer screen?
Two reason why you might want "extra pixels" once in a while:
1) You plan to print the photo at a large scale. A high-quality photo printer can print at 300 pixels/inch (or more), so you're actually using those "extra" pixels for more detail.
2) You crop the photo after you take it, effectively "zooming in" on one part of the photo. So, to make sure that the zoomed-in part still can show at a reasonable size without loss of detail, the original has to be bigger than the minimum.

Then why do they keep offering higher-and-higher resolution cameras -- including the cameras on phones? It's 99% just marketing (i.e., EVIL

), as far as most consumers are concerned (except for the two examples I listed above).

At least, that's the way I see it.

 

[Overland Hadley]

You will learn when you want more resolution.

Anytime you wish you had a better quality image, is when you should have used a higher setting. You will learn when something is worth the higher resolution. If you never want for more resolution then do not worry about it.

 

[Overland Hadley]

Well, MarkBC beat me to it with a better answer.

 

[Lighthawk]

When I'm carrying my Canon G10 on job site visits I shoot jpegs @ 5MP.
I can zoom in later and see details sufficient for my needs. IF the exposure is well balanced, I could easily use them to share on the web.
However, if I'm serious about a shot, like a landscape for example, I change settings to RAW file, using all 14MP. I'll come back with more data to 'develop' and possibly crop. I've published magazine photos with this set up.

I like camera phones ability to GPS, tag and upload photos to the web. Seamlessly!
With facial recognition, soon all your friends will be in the great database in the sky.
What P&S and phone cams don't do well is lock focus fast enough for action, or allow for high end lenses (i.e. fast, long, wide).
Both DSLR's and phone cams are going video. That's the future and the future is now.

 

[DirtyDog]

You will learn when you want more resolution.

Anytime you wish you had a better quality image, is when you should have used a higher setting. You will learn when something is worth the higher resolution. If you never want for more resolution then do not worry about it.


I don't think this is technically true. A higher resolution images does not mean better quality, it just means you can display it larger without loss of quality.

 

[Cort]

more Mega Pixels does not necessarily mean better quality. As others have pointed at a certain point the increase in MP doesn't really mean anything. in my opinion what you really need to think about when it comes to digital DSLR's is the size of the sensor and the glass you are using. Barrel distortion and radial distortion are often forgotten about.

Cort

Oh and i forgot sensor noise

 

[ski3pin]

Good job guys with good answers.

We've been out with many friends and their phone cameras. Many do a great job and it meets their needs. One thing it means is that more folks are out easily taking photos and sharing them with friends and that's fun.

 

[Lighthawk]

Pixels are only one measure. It's true 8MP is adequate if you're never going to print larger than 16x24. Phone cams and point & shoots both approach this level. As Cort says, the size of the sensor and the glass are deciding factors. They matter more than the numbers game on pixels.

I think it's all about output. If you want decent shots you can share on the web with a minimum of hassel, use a P&S or phone cam. If you want to hang prints on the wall, enter photo contests, etc.; get a DSLR. The DSLR path is much heavier, and more expensive. It's an upward spiral of better lenses, camera bodies, lighting, software/hardware, photo hosting; along with the time & energy to process and catalog your images.

All of that is only support. The doing is planning and making time to be in the right place at the right time with the right gear. It's a big part of why I own a FWC.

 

[MarkBC]

But Craig's question was just, "what resolution setting should I use on my phone camera?"

So, back to that question, I'll add to what I said in Post#2:
Why not go ahead and keep the phone camera set at maximum resolution? After all, most phones have lots-o-memory these days and probably a memory card as well, so there's plenty of room and maximum resolution will give you more options.
The main reason "why not" is because before you share the photo you'll have to -- or at least you really should -- smallify the image (reduce the resolution) since whomever you're sharing it with doesn't need/want an image that's 3500 pixels wide. If you're emailing it then it's a huge attachment and if you're uploading it it's a slow upload.

What do I do? I shoot at full resolution (to give me more options) but I have software that can batch-wise reduce a bunch of photos all-at-once to a civilized resolution suitable for Internet sharing. I recommend Irfanview -- maybe the most popular free image editing software -- for this simple task (and many others).
Send me a PM, Craig, if you have any questions about using Irfanview. I have Lightroom and Photoshop but I still use Irfanview for simple cropping/resizing for non-critical Internet-sharing purposes.

IMHO.

By the way: If the phone camera has a "quality" setting, aka, jpeg compression setting (I don't know if it does, my stock phone-camera app doesn't) you should set it for maximum quality -- the least amount of jpeg compression. This really does matter at any resolution you choose. This gives you the option of manipulating a high-quality image (if you so choose) rather than starting with one at compromised quality that only gets worse if/when you re-save it.

 

[Kodachrome]

In terms of mega pixels, anything above 4 is fine for most folks. My wife's new iPhone is killer at 8, could easily hold a full page in a magazine. Besides, it ain't the car, it is and always will be the driver...

P.S. most of that show were 9" x 9" prints but two went as big as 30" x 30" and looked great....from an iPhone, sold enough to pay for ten phones, LOL.

 

[CD Noble]

When I'm carrying my Canon G10 on job site visits I shoot jpegs @ 5MP.
I can zoom in later and see details sufficient for my needs. IF the exposure is well balanced, I could easily use them to share on the web.
However, if I'm serious about a shot, like a landscape for example, I change settings to RAW file, using all 14MP. I'll come back with more data to 'develop' and possibly crop. I've published magazine photos with this set up.

I like camera phones ability to GPS, tag and upload photos to the web. Seamlessly!
With facial recognition, soon all your friends will be in the great database in the sky.
What P&S and phone cams don't do well is lock focus fast enough for action, or allow for high end lenses (i.e. fast, long, wide).
Both DSLR's and phone cams are going video. That's the future and the future is now.

 

[CD Noble]

I do not like phone GPS as criminals using GEO Tracking can use it to break into your homes or grab your kids It is becoming a big problem in larger towns and cities. As A professional photographer of 45 years I always shoot at the highest resolution and save the original files. Then in photoshop you can save copies at lower resolutions. Once you damage your original file you will find out that you will need it in full resolution. i have blown up 8 megapixel photos to bill board size and have had many wildlife photos published and all require a full sized resolution. I have just purchased my first Hawk to aid me in my photography and am looking fwd to getting it out

 

[craig333]

On my phone its very easy to just turn the gps feature off. I never use it. Don't want the black helicopters finding my favorite camp sites