for one Austin....Danger Powers - digital camera stuff

Posted by Donovan from gate.timeinc.com on August 28, 2000 at 09:03:20:

Hi Austin,

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, the folks were in town over the weekend so I was being wined and dined and kept away from my computer.

OK here's the deal - in order to make a decent quality 8x10 print from a digital camera you need at least 1.3 megapixels. When you say 'photo quality' I'm assuming you mean as good as prints so yeah, the 1.3 would be fine but here's the thing 1.3 only means that's the best it can do.

I ended up buying the Leica Digilux Zoom which is 1.5 but have yet to output to photo paper. Regardless the pics from it can vary in quality because although it is 1.5 megapixels, it has three resolution settings. So, if I take a pic on the lowest resolution setting it won't look nearly as good as one on the highest.

You picked up a camera didn't you? You might want to check to see if you can increase the resolution - it'll probably be represented by 2 numbers like:

480x640 - meaning 480 pixels by 640

On my camera say 480x640 is the lowest of the three settings - say I switch it to 960x1280 - the Camera itself is still a 1.5 mp camera but the image I just took with it will be of a much higher quality - the image file will be a much larger file as a result and the memory card will hold fewer pics.

I don't want to get super-didactic so - basically with digital pictures, digital image files of any sort, how good or bad they look will depend on how big they're displayed but bearing in mind how big the files are. A 480x640 file won't look as good as a 960x1280 if you display them at the same size - but the 480x640 will look good if it's not blown up too much and similarly if you blow the 960x1280 up too much it won't look so hot anymore either.

Which camera did you get?

Did this help any? Dave

Just for the hell of it I browsed around a few more websites and I saw an Olympus Digital Camera for $299. Now you said "mega pixels" are what determine good
quality pictures. This particular Olympus has 1.3 mega pixels. So my question is...would 1.3mp produce photo-quality images?

Thanks,
Austin....Danger Powers

B + H Photo

Follow Ups:

Re: for one Austin....Danger Powers - digital camera stuff Anejo Joe 17:13:53 8/28/2000 (0)
Hey thanks, Donovan. Now I know a lot more about digital cameras than when I started. (nm) Austin Powers 15:15:48 8/28/2000 (1)
- Austin - one last long-winded thing Donovan 21:06:32 8/28/2000 (0)

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: Hi Austin,

: Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, the folks were in town over the weekend so I was being wined and dined and kept away from my computer.

: OK here's the deal - in order to make a decent quality 8x10 print from a digital camera you need at least 1.3 megapixels. When you say 'photo quality' I'm assuming you mean as good as prints so yeah, the 1.3 would be fine but here's the thing 1.3 only means that's the best it can do.

: I ended up buying the Leica Digilux Zoom which is 1.5 but have yet to output to photo paper. Regardless the pics from it can vary in quality because although it is 1.5 megapixels, it has three resolution settings. So, if I take a pic on the lowest resolution setting it won't look nearly as good as one on the highest.

: You picked up a camera didn't you? You might want to check to see if you can increase the resolution - it'll probably be represented by 2 numbers like:

: 480x640 - meaning  480 pixels by 640

: On my camera say 480x640 is the lowest of the three settings - say I switch it to 960x1280 - the Camera itself is still a 1.5 mp camera but the image I just took with it will be of a much higher quality - the image file will be a much larger file as a result and the memory card will hold fewer pics.

: I don't want to get super-didactic so -  basically with digital pictures, digital image files of any sort, how good or bad they look will depend on how big they're displayed but bearing in mind how big the files are. A 480x640 file won't look as good as a 960x1280 if you display them at the same size  - but the 480x640 will look good if it's not blown up too much and similarly if you blow the 960x1280 up too much it won't look so hot anymore either.

: Which camera did you get?

: Did this help any?				Dave

: 
: Just for the hell of it I browsed around a few more websites and I saw an Olympus Digital Camera for $299. Now you said "mega pixels" are what determine good
: quality pictures. This particular Olympus has 1.3 mega pixels. So my question is...would 1.3mp produce photo-quality images?

: Thanks,
: Austin....Danger Powers

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