S5, Only 180 dpi

[LiSkynden]

I just noticed that my friend's cheap Nikon coolpix takes 300dpi pics and my S5 takes only 180dpi ...
I tried to set it to higest possible but nope, they are just 180dpi no matter what settings i try.

Is there anything i can do with it?

[Cadwell]

No... but then why would you want to? It is a completely irrelevant number and doesn't affect anything. The pictures will be exactly the same on-screen, printed and everywhere else whether you have 1dpi in that field or 10,000 dpi.

[boblybill]

Dpi is what you computer assigns the picture to translate mega pixels to print size... In my experience, it assigns them some what randomly. Nothing your camera will do to fix it, but there is away for you to fix it. At the highest setting, the S5 shoots shots at 3264x2448 right? Basically the printer doesn't "think" in pixels but rather dots and inches. The easiest way to get the dpi you want is to get the size print you want (say 8x12) and pixels needed. If you wanted a 8x12 to print at 300dpi, you'll need a shot that has 2400x3600 pixels or a 8.64 MP shot. Your camera actually can, right out of the camera, produce a 10.88 (3264/300) by 8.16 (2448/300) shot at 300dpi. Basically, all cameras can print at 300dpi but not all cameras can print a 8x12 at 300dpi. My 40D (10.1 MP or 3888x2592) can print a 12.96x8.64 at 300dpi right off the camera. If I wanted a 36x24 of that shot, I would have to resize it in photoshop or similar program to 10800x7200 (77.76 MP) to get a 300dpi shot. If I didn't resize it, I could print a 36x24 with at 108dpi (3888/36) with the Mega Pixels that I have. Did that make sense or was I just rambling?

[LiSkynden]

Erm... i think i got it yes, and i kind of knew all that already but somehow i have a feeling that 300 is better than 180. :rolleyes:

Forexample, if i wanna make a CD cover, i mean offficially, sent it to CD cover printing company, they want the pics in 300dpi. Yes, i know i can change it in Photoshop but it just feels a bit weird that Canon S5 shots 180dpi and Nikon coolpix 300dpi. ...

i mean hey, Nikon coolpix:

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/lindon2/nikons210.jpg

and S5

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/lindon2/C930-1342-mainnew-ca.jpg

Which looks more impressive? :p

[boblybill]

If it makes you feel any better, when I first put my 40D shots into photoshop they were showing as 54x36 at 72dpi. I just had to change how photoshop "configured" the shots to be 300dpi (you can to this in Camera RAW, but I don't think the S5 can shoot RAW can it).

[prime80]

As was posted before...those numbers are irrelevant for print output. It's just a setting that the camera has for a base setting. By your logic, both your S5 and the Coolpix are better than my 40D and 1DMkIIn which come into photoshop at 72ppi.

FYI, neither camera shoots 180ppi or 300ppi. They have a set sensor size, and the pixel density of the sensor determines their ppi. How photoshop reads that data is irrelevant for what you're talking about. If you wanna make a 5x5 (or whatever size it is) CD cover, then crop whatever image you have to 1500x1500 pixels and you'll have a 300ppi print that's exactly what you want, regardless of the ppi setting in Photoshop.

Erm... i think i got it yes, and i kind of knew all that already but somehow i have a feeling that 300 is better than 180. :rolleyes:

Forexample, if i wanna make a CD cover, i mean offficially, sent it to CD cover printing company, they want the pics in 300dpi. Yes, i know i can change it in Photoshop but it just feels a bit weird that Canon S5 shots 180dpi and Nikon coolpix 300dpi. ...

i mean hey, Nikon coolpix:

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/lindon2/nikons210.jpg

and S5

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p24/lindon2/C930-1342-mainnew-ca.jpg

Which looks more impressive? :p

[LiSkynden]

Thanks guys. ... somehow it just eats me. :cool:

Im gonna sell my S5 and buy Nikon Coolpix.
... just kidding. :p

[EOS_JD]

Just a small point here. the correct term for digital images is pixels per inch (ppi). Your camera captures images on an analogue sensor then converts the information into a digital file that is made of pixels (not dots).

the ppi figure (as you will see it is called in Photoshop) is as noted above irrelevant until you come to print. As you increase the ppi, the image will become smaller as you are packing the same number of pixels into a smaller space.

dpi is what your printer outputs. i.e. it creates the number of dots per inch on the printed image.

When you take an image the ONLY THING THAT MATTERS is the Number of pixels (not the ppi value).

[EOS_JD]

Dpi is what you computer assigns the picture to translate mega pixels to print size... In my experience, it assigns them some what randomly.

Each camera seems to import it's own default. might be 72 some say 300 but it really matters not a jot. (PS the term ppi should be used as we are talking about a digital image made of pixels not dots.

Nothing your camera will do to fix it, but there is away for you to fix it. At the highest setting, the S5 shoots shots at 3264x2448 right? Basically the printer doesn't "think" in pixels but rather dots and inches.

Printer places dots on paper but needs an image with an appropriate ppi figure in order to make a quality print. for example I could print at my highest dpi setting (5760 x 1440 on my Epson) and use a 72ppi image and the result would still be terrible.

The easiest way to get the dpi you want is to get the size print you want (say 8x12) and pixels needed. If you wanted a 8x12 to print at 300dpi, you'll need a shot that has 2400x3600 pixels or a 8.64 MP shot.

Although I guess you know, for the benefit of others, you do not need to resize your images to 300ppi. A 6x4 will look just fine at 240ppi. As you get larger, so your ppi resolution can actually fall as you would view a 16x12 print at a much further distance than a 6x4.

So print your image at the required ppi for the distance you are viewing it at and set your printer to print at the required quality setting or resolution.

Your camera actually can, right out of the camera, produce a 10.88 (3264/300) by 8.16 (2448/300) shot at 300dpi.

Again this should be 300ppi.

Basically, all cameras can print at 300dpi but not all cameras can print a 8x12 at 300dpi.

Cameras are NOT printers. I think you mean you can create a 300ppi image from any image file. the print size of that 300ppi file will depend on the number of pixels you have. So if you have a 3000x2400 pixel image tat would allow a 10x8 at 300ppi but if you only had a web sized image say 600x400, at 300ppi the resultant print would be 2"x1.5"!

My 40D (10.1 MP or 3888x2592) can print a 12.96x8.64 at 300dpi right off the camera. If I wanted a 36x24 of that shot, I would have to resize it in photoshop or similar program to 10800x7200 (77.76 MP) to get a 300dpi shot.

If I didn't resize it, I could print a 36x24 with at 108dpi (3888/36) with the Mega Pixels that I have. Did that make sense or was I just rambling?

Your figures are correct (apart from not using dpi instead of ppi). I appreciate you are using the above example to show pixel dimensions. In order to print a 36x24 I'd probably only resize by a very small amount so that I could print the image at around 150ppi. To print an image this size at 300ppi would be overkill and at 108ppi it would actually probably still look ok given the distance at which you would view the image.

[EOS_JD]

Erm... i think i got it yes, and i kind of knew all that already but somehow i have a feeling that 300 is better than 180. :rolleyes:

Forexample, if i wanna make a CD cover, i mean offficially, sent it to CD cover printing company, they want the pics in 300dpi. Yes, i know i can change it in Photoshop but it just feels a bit weird that Canon S5 shots 180dpi and Nikon coolpix 300dpi. ...

300ppi is not better than 1ppi or 1,000,000ppi.

The ONLY thing that matters is the overall number of pixels in your image (although the quality of the information in those pixels is even more important)

Using compacts generally means higher noise levels and poorer quality than an slr camera which uises much larger sensors to capture more light therefore more detail.

To make your CD cover, set the crop tool in Photoshop to the right size (using the boxes at the top of the screen). If you want a resolution of 300ppi, set that in the resolution box, crop the image and press enter and job done.

JD

[LiSkynden]

Ok, i think i got it now ... and learned the lesson :D

To make your CD cover, set the crop tool in Photoshop to the right size (using the boxes at the top of the screen). If you want a resolution of 300ppi, set that in the resolution box, crop the image and press enter and job done.Just tried this and it worked like you said. Thanks EOS_JD.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Just for memory refereshing, so you can all roll this out next time;

** DPI and YOU ** -A POTN informational service- (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=83445)

It's in the Post Processing FAQ sticky thread.

[EOS_JD]

Just for memory refereshing, so you can all roll this out next time;

** DPI and YOU ** -A POTN informational service- (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=83445)

It's in the Post Processing FAQ sticky thread.

Forgot I posted in this thread some time ago :)