What is image resolution, and why is it important? The devil is in the detail when you’re shooting rich images, and our latest layman’s guide explains everything you need to know.
What is image resolution?
If you load your image in an image editor like Photoshop then zoom right in, you’ll see thousands of tiny squares, or pixels, that make up the photo, like a mosaic. The image resolution is simply the number of pixels in the image.
Do all cameras have the same image resolution?
No. One of the ways that manufacturers try to get you to buy new cameras is to develop models with a greater resolution than the last. Most digital cameras also allow you to choose the resolution you want to shoot at, up to the camera’s maximum.
Why would I want to shoot at less than the maximum resolution?
There may be times when choosing a smaller file size is a sensible option – for example, if you want to get more images onto your memory card.
Or perhaps you know that the images you are taking will only ever be seen on a computer screen, you may feel that using the camera’s highest resolution isn’t necessary.
How do I ensure I get the best resolution with my camera?
By selecting the maximum JPEG setting or shooting in raw. You can do this through your camera’s menu. Manufacturers use different terms to describe the file sizes you can choose between, so make sure you understand them.
Many cameras can take different-resolution raw files too, so make sure you are using the largest megapixel size if you want maximum quality.
How do I know what my camera’s resolution is?
In most cases, your camera manual will tell you. For example, a Nikon D810’s highest resolution is 7,360 x 4,912 pixels. If you multiply these figures together and divide the answer by one million, you’ll have the camera’s maximum resolution in megapixels – like 36MP for that D810.
So ultimately it’s all about quality?
Yes. The higher the resolution you shoot at, the more chance you have of capturing the scene in clear detail. Then you can make a photo print at a reasonable size without worrying about the quality.
For example, a 20MP image should easily print at A2 (594 x 420mm) without any quality problems, but an image shot at 2MP will only print clearly up to around 6 x 4in. If you try to print it bigger, detail may be lost.
So for maximum quality, should I get a camera with the biggest resolution?
In principle, yes, although other factors will also determine the final quality of your images. Among these are the resolving abilities of your lenses, your aperture choice, your technique and any editing work you carry out.
But if you want the best image output from your camera, shoot at its highest resolution.
READ MORE
What is 4K resolution? Every question answered
6 surefire ways to improve sharpness in your images
A layman’s guide to depth of field: how to check and affect sharpness like a pro
The post A layman’s guide to image resolution appeared first on Digital Camera World.