Ugly Hedgehog Newsletter wrote:
Hi,
This probably will sound like a true layman question. When I take photos with my 7.5 megapixel Sony Camera and then put them in Picasa to crop them, am I losing more than necessary from my photo then if I didn't crop so tight? I do not print most of my shots, although I do want to have that choice at some point without having "spoiled" them by my cropping away. Would never go more than 8X10 size
The camera in my future will be 12-14. megapixels, so need to learn what is best now before moving on.
Hi, br br This probably will sound like a true la... (
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This is just a basic understanding type post so I hope you guys don't pick it apart for dpi versus ppi, optimum resolution for perfect prints, printer dot requirements, etc.
I'm just saying that you lose resolution of the original shot as you crop. Let's say you crop 50% of the picture file away then use the remainder to create a print. If you started with 5 MP of data in the file, now you're theoretically down to 2.5MP. That's about enough to expect a nice 4X6, so when you spread that quantity of pixels out to create an 8X10 it's definitely going to look grainy, slightly blurry, and have jagged edges on any straight edged items in the shot.
You can't create real pixel data of photo information in software. It will copy neighboring pixels to fill the holes between pixels but that's not a good thing when you want quality prints. Real pixels are only in the original file. If you cut the quantity, the size of the nice print you can realistically make is reduced by about the same percentage.
If you started with a huge professional 24MP file you could feasible crop 50% and still be able to create 8X10 and even 11X14 prints that are exceptional. Maybe even squeeze out a 16X20 that is excellent to most eyes. If you start with a 14MP file and cropping 50% you have a file that shouldn't be larger than 8X10 without quality issues revealing themselves. So with your 7MP or 7.5MP files theoretically cropped 50% to 3.5 - 3.75MP you can see your print output limitations.
As others have said, never crop your original. Crop a copy. Keep your original safe for later. When you have a batch of originals on your hard drive, archive them to a CD or DVD too. You can never recapture those moments in time - they are gone forever.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot... always shoot with the finest quality, highest resolution the camera can do - no matter what you think your use for the shots will be. Don't try to pack as many poor resolution shots as you can onto a memory card by using standard mode. You never know when your later desire will be to create enlargements that are beyond what your desires are today. Now that you're doing some photo manipulation, printing, and searching for quality you have opened up a new subject of interest for yourself. If you ever shoot and print a 11X14 for some reason you will open up another new interest for yourself. So never say never!
My wife shot for a three years with a 5MP Panasonic Lumix "point and shoot" I bought her when she lived overseas. Then a 7MP for a couple years. Recently I got her a Canon with 14MP. She only uploads her pix to Facebook and MySpace so she crops indiscriminately with no concern about resulting size or print quality. Any file size or shape will look good on Facebook if it's clear. Luckily I always dump her original files into my own PC for archiving. Her younger sister died of leukemia in 2008 but I have many smiling 5MP and 7MP shots of her from 2005 to 2007 when she felt good. I have been able to cut her out of everyday junky backgrounds with PhotoShop and layer her onto hi-res backgrounds that are sunny and peaceful for 8X10's to frame - because I had the original files. 8X10s were not my wife's intention back when the shots were created but it's mine now.
Also, if you're serious about nice prints do yourself a favor and buy 16 or 18MP next time if you're going to buy this year. 20 to 22MP are probably on the horizon for consumer cameras next January. 12 and 14 are old school and mostly discontinued so don't limit yourself with one if you don't have to.
Hope any of this helps!