Pixels

[foxy mars]

I've just got a new Nikon P50 CoolPix compact camera and have used it for a couple of months now. Being fairly new to digital photography, one thing is that the camera default image size is 3264 x 2448, but if I wanted it to match it to 35mm, then it's 3264 x 2176. Is 3264 x 2176 best for prints or does it not matter.

I'm doing a coast to coast walk in May and just wondering what would be best, the former or the latter image size. Or would it be best to get out on the field and do some trials runs between the two.

[NJP87]

It all depends on how large you want to print, if your printing the standard 6x4in then the lower size will be fine

[Hookit]

Try shooting on RAW, I use 2gb flash cards and have five so I have no problem however you are getting a full size raw image and if your photoshop has RAW you can change the white balance even after shooting plus other advantages. Read my post Tascos photo albums it may be a good way to present your photos. Good luck with your walk.

Regards
Hookit

[foxy mars]

Originally Posted by NJP87

It all depends on how large you want to print, if your printing the standard 6x4in then the lower size will be fine

Yes, probably will be on 6x4in. That being the best shots, so I can show them to my fellow ramblers on the Sunday walks. However I did have a Olympus C-370, before gave it to Mum for her birthday and that was set on 2048x1536. I took that one on the last coast to coast walk in 2007 and got some decent shots on that setting, so I may set that size onto the P50.

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

I've just got a new Nikon P50 CoolPix compact camera and have used it for a couple of months now. Being fairly new to digital photography, one thing is that the camera default image size is 3264 x 2448, but if I wanted it to match it to 35mm, then it's 3264 x 2176. Is 3264 x 2176 best for prints or does it not matter.

I'm doing a coast to coast walk in May and just wondering what would be best, the former or the latter image size. Or would it be best to get out on the field and do some trials runs between the two.

there will be practically no difference in image quality (one gives 8m pixels the other a little over 7.1) but the difference is in terms of the ratio of height to width. So if you want to print at 6x4 then you should select 3264x2176 as this gives a width to height ratio of 1.5:1, the same as 6x4. The other image size gives a width to height ratio of 1.33:1 and so would provide prints of 6x4.5 or 5.33x4 which may not fit in frames or albums so easily. Alternatively, you could use the larger setting and then crop them to your chosen proportions once on your computer.

Matt

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by foxy mars

if I wanted it to match it to 35mm, then it's 3264 x 2176. Is 3264 x 2176 best for prints or does it not matter.

35mm format is too long and narrow for many tastes and doesn't fit International Paper Sizes (A0, A1, A2, A4, A5 etc.) very well without cropping. 3264 x 2448 will be a better fit.

Jim

[Geoff F]

How are you going to print? Take the card to a shop and see what comes back; edit with your own software, including crop, then take a CD to the shop; or print yourself? If the latter case and you are able to trim the paper you can crop to whatever you require. Otherwise see what the printing shop requires.

If you aren't having the images printed it doesn't really matter.

As a general rule, I crop landscapes to 6 x 4 ratio while insects often work better at 5 x 4 ratio.

Like Hookit, I normally shoot RAW then convert to 16 bit TIFF before editing; but file sizes are much bigger and many shops won't accept anything other than JPEG.

[foxy mars]

Good point there, Geoff. I don't think I will be having many images printed off. If I do, I take the SD card to Tesco's and use the "Printed-in-a-Jiffy" machine, good enough for me.

I'm popping down Middlesborough this morning and will take the camera and took test shots of the Newport Bridge, good greens on it and try a range of image sizes and show them on here. Does that make sense or not.