To understand the fundamentals of digital photography, you have to have some knowledge of pixels and image resolution. Whereas traditional photography records images on film, digital photography records images in the camera's computerized memory -- as pixels.
Pixels are the tiny elements that make up a digital image. They are the individual visual components in varying shades and colors (figure A) that, in conjunction with thousands of other pixels, form an image (figure B).
Image resolution refers to the level of detail and clarity of a picture based on the number of pixels used to create the image. More pixels translate to higher resolution.
Because it takes so many pixels to make up a single image, pixels are typically referenced in terms of megapixels, or "millions of pixels" (much like computer memory is referenced in terms of bytes and megabytes). Digital cameras, therefore, are classified in terms their megapixel capacity, which translates into the degree of resolution the camera is capable of. Typically, digital cameras have ratings between one and five megapixels -- with five megapixels being a much higher-resolution, professional-grade camera.
The difference in pictures taken with a low-resolution camera and a high-resolution one can be seen when the image is magnified to a high degree. In our demonstration, Rick Sammon shot a close-up of a flower using a 3.1 megapixel camera.
With the photo shot at the camera's highest resolution setting of 3.1 megapixels, the image retains its sharpness even when magnified using the image software's zoom feature (figure C).
At a lower resolution setting -- 1.3 megapixels -- the image loses its clarity and sharpness (figure D), appearing pixelated when magnified.
The advantage to higher resolution is that the image (figure E) can be enlarged and printed without losing image quality. Lower-resolution images will not have the same quality when enlarged or printed. For example, our flower image shot at 1.3 megapixels will yield a good 5x7 print but if blown up to 11x14 will yield results that are unacceptable for a print of any quality.
What Resolution Is Right For You?
As you might expect, cameras with higher resolution capabilities are more expensive. When camera shopping, to determine what degree of resolution is right for you, consider what you'll be using your picture for. The following are some guidlines: - If you simply want to take snapshots for e-mailing -- or for making 5x7 prints, or smaller -- a 1 megapixel (MP) camera should work fine for you.
- If you want to make 8x10 prints, consider a 2 MP camera.
- For 11x14 prints, you'll need a 3 MP camera.
Regardless of what level of camera you use, you're likely to have a range of resolution settings available to you. These settings are accessed through your camera's quality mode interface. For example, a 3.1 MP camera might allow you to shoot at the following resolutions: - 3.1 MP
- 2.2 MP
- 1.6 MP
- 0.8 MP
By selecting lower resolution when the quality of your pictures is less critical, you can save memory space on your memory card and take more pictures. When image quality is critical, select a higher resolution, but be aware that you'll be able to take fewer pictures before your memory card is full. The difference in memory requirements can be quite dramatic. In our example of a 3.1 MP camera, using a 48-megabyte memory card, Sammon could take only 5 pictures at the highest resolution before the card was full. At the lowest setting, he could take 144 pictures using the same card.
There's no reason to shoot all of your pictures at the same resolution setting. You can switch back and forth between quality modes between pictures, according to your shooting situation.
For shooting snapshots just for e-mailing to family and friends, you might select the lowest resolution of 0.8 to allow you to take far more pictures before having to swap out memory cards. Low-resolution pictures are ideal for e-mailing since they are small files, which transfer and open quickly.
In summary: - High-resolution pictures have a high pixel count and are good for making large prints.
- Low-resolution pictures have a low pixel count and are good for making small prints and ideal for e-mailing.
RESOURCES :
Kodak Information
Tips, techniques, tutorials and information on cameras and film.
To e-mail Kodak, click here.
To access Kodak's contact information, click here.
www.kodak.com
Kodak
Website: www.kodak.com
Rick Sammon, professional photographer
Web site: www.ricksammon.com
Learn more about photography with Rick Sammon's new e-book on CD. More than 100 tips and photographs from Rick's travels around the world.
And check out Rick's column on Kodak's site:
Web site: www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/magazine/tips/2001_10
Rick Sammon
Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
Email: RickSammon@aol.com
Website: www.ricksammon.com
Special Thanks for DIY's Digital Photography workshop, episodes 101-105
Adobe Photoshop
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PC Photo magazine
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Kodak
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Epson America, Inc.
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Kinkos
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Ulead Cool 360
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The Digital Wallet
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The L.A. County Arboretum
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PC Photo magazine
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Online version of the magazine devoted to digital photography and related technologies.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Digital Photography
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Digital Photography For Dummies
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Hungry Minds, Inc.
Complete Digital Photography
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Charles River Media
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50 Fast Digital Photo Techniques
Model: 0764535781
Author: Gregory Georges, Cris Rys
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Hungry Minds, Inc.
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