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Hi! This is my first post, and I am super excited to grow in my photography skills using all of the resources on Lenspiration.
One question that I have had for a while is what is considered a high resolution image? I tried to look it up, but got some confusing answers.
Also, is it possible for every camera to take high resolution images? I use either a Canon EOS 60D or a Nikon Coolpix p950, and I am wondering if they are capable of taking high res images.
One more thing: does the dpi of an image matter? My Canon 60D only takes images with a dpi of 72, and from what I have read online, it seems like most high res images should be 300dpi? Is there a way to change the dpi of an image? I don’t have any image editing software (Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.) save for the simple photo editor app that comes with a Windows computer.
Thank you so much!Welcome @nguyenfamily!
I don’t know too much about the tecnical resolution side of things; but in the window’s default “Photos” you can see you images “diminutions”. It’s under the “i” info button. On the screenshot it says that my large raw file is only 72dpi, but maybe that is just how the computer is rendering it.
It also is showing that, that image is 6016×4016 pixels. If you do the math at 300 ppi, you get a print that is 20×13 inches.
If you open one of your images in photos you can see what size your pictures are.-Hannah
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Thank you so much @blessingscaptured!
I opened my image in photos, and I see what you are saying. Mine are all reading as 72dpi. They are also a bit smaller than yours, 3456 x 5184 pixels, likely because the camera is a 18 megapixel camera.
Thank you for explaining the ppi to me! I didn’t realize that you could just divide the number of pixels by the wanted ppi to find the image size.That’s right, so if you don’t crop you can print a picture at 11.5×17.25 inches. That size is just fine for most people. I’ve only printed a 11×16 once.
My camera is 24 megapixels. More pixels only comes in handy when you’re cropping a lot. Otherwise these new 50mp cameras just make your images take up more space on the computer.For some reason the website deleted my earlier post. Here it is again.
does the dpi of an image matter?
Does the actually in-camera dpi setting matter? Very little.
Does the number of pixels per inch matter? A whole lot.
I’ll try to explain why.A digitally stored image has no inherent physical dimensions, measured in inches or centimetres. Some (not all) digital file formats record a DPI value value, which is to be used when printing the image. This number lets the printer know the intended size of the image, or (in the case of scanned images) the size of the original scanned object. For example, an image may measure 1,000 × 1,000 pixels, a resolution of 1 megapixel. If it is labelled as 250 PPI, that is an instruction to the printer to print it at a size of 4 × 4 inches. Changing the PPI to 100 in an image editing program would tell the printer to print it at a size of 10 × 10 inches. However, changing the PPI value would not change the size of the image in pixels, which would still be 1,000 × 1,000.
You shouldn’t print everything at the highest resolution possible. Even a 42MP photo, something that can reliably be blown way up, only spits out a 26-inch x 17-inch print at 300dpi. This is why standard print resolutions rarely get that high. Billboards are usually printed at just 15dpi, and bus wraps around 72 or 100dpi. However, if you’re printing a family picture for putting on your desk, a handbill, tract, or business card, people will look at it more closely, so don’t dip below 300dpi. (I.e., don’t print a 4 x 6 inch picture with less than 1,200 x 1,800 pixels.)
On the other hand, if you’re exporting a picture for use on the web, you can usually get away with a lot less resolution, from 72 to 96 dpi, as most computer/phone screens physically don’t have more pixels per inch than that.
Is there a way to change the dpi of an image?
With what I have just said, it should be obvious that you will rarely (if ever) need to. If you need a picture printed used at a specific size, at a specific resolution, just use some multiplication to find out how many pixels you’ll need.
I hope this helps,
William@cheesestick Oh wow, thank you so much! I think that I have a much better understanding now!
-AnastasiaGreat explanation, @cheesestick. I just have one very small bone to pick. 🙂
most computer/phone screens physically don’t have more pixels per inch than that
This certainly used to be true, but high resolution screens are becoming much cheaper and more popular nowadays. Most phones nowadays have anywhere from 400-600 ppi displays. Even laptops and external monitors are often packing 4k screens that have a much higher ppi than 96. Newer Macbooks have displays exceeding 250 ppi.
So it’s not just printing any more that should make you think about the resolution of your photos… Since phones now have very similar pixel densities to printed matter, you’ll want to take that fact into account, depending on your target audience and the experience you want them to have.
@buddingphotographer Oh ok! Good to know!
Wow! Thank you, @cheesestick and @buddingphotographer for your expert help!
To help better understand all the factors that play into the quality of a photo, @nguyenfamily, you can study the 5 terms and 2 common rules explained in the Foundations lesson, What To Know Before Sharing Photos.
@jamesstaddon Thanks! I will look at the lesson!
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