New member - Photo quality setting?

Hello everyone,
I just joined and am also a newbie to the DSLR world (I just got my first one the 40D). I'm having lots of fun with it but am a bit overwhelmed with all the acronyms and jargon
Anyway, I was wondering what image quality setting you recommend. It seems like the 10.1 megpixel setting is a bit overkill with my 40D unless you need poster size output. Am I on the right track here? Thanks and I hope to learn lot from everyone in the forum.

I'm new as well so here is what I have and read. Always shoot in your best settings unless you know you'll never need a better quality image. You can always reduce it down. So unless you don't have the room and would like 5,500 pictures on one card rather than 2,500 than go ahead and reduce.

I'm using a 400D and I actually capture it all as RAW files. I carry 4 - 8GB CF cards and that's more than I can shoot on the 3 batteries that I have. Bring the cards home, go through keep what I want, adjust the lighting and save the RAW and Settings to a DVD and put it away. The rest I reduce and put up on picacsa or use it for whatever.

Now someone with more experience might disagree with me. This method has worked out for me so far. I have even sold a couple (whole 2 of them!) of the pictures since I had the original files.

Aram

Start shooting RAW now and learn to do the post processing. You will have much more control over your images. It is really pretty easy and I think faster.

Thanks for your replies. Right now I only have a 1GB CF card and have been shooting on M quality. The software I am using is Apple's Aperture program. I'll for sure try shooting in RAW and seeing what I can do with it. What fun!

BlackMacLabs wrote in post #4033130
It seems like the 10.1 megpixel setting is a bit overkill with my 40D unless you need poster size output. Am I on the right track here?

You're absolutely right about that. It's really hard to see an advantage past about 200 pixels per inch, and even then the picture needs to be tack-sharp.

But using your camera's full resolution gives you options. You can crop an image significantly and still have plenty of resolution left for "normal" print sizes. You can take a vertical image and crop it to horizontal, or vice-versa. You give yourself more creative possibilities when you capture as much data as you can.

I think you'll find most serious photographers use their camera's maximum resolution unless CF card space is an issue. And a lot of us shoot RAW.

Welcome to the DSLR world. Hold on to your wallet!

aram535 wrote in post #4033227
I'm new as well so here is what I have and read. Always shoot in your best settings unless you know you'll never need a better quality image. You can always reduce it down. So unless you don't have the room and would like 5,500 pictures on one card rather than 2,500 than go ahead and reduce.

I'm using a 400D and I actually capture it all as RAW files. I carry 4 - 8GB CF cards and that's more than I can shoot on the 3 batteries that I have. Bring the cards home, go through keep what I want, adjust the lighting and save the RAW and Settings to a DVD and put it away. The rest I reduce and put up on picacsa or use it for whatever.

Now someone with more experience might disagree with me. This method has worked out for me so far. I have even sold a couple (whole 2 of them!) of the pictures since I had the original files.

Aram

BlackMacLabs wrote in post #4033130
Hello everyone,
I just joined and am also a newbie to the DSLR world (I just got my first one the 40D). I'm having lots of fun with it but am a bit overwhelmed with all the acronyms and jargon
Anyway, I was wondering what image quality setting you recommend. It seems like the 10.1 megpixel setting is a bit overkill with my 40D unless you need poster size output. Am I on the right track here? Thanks and I hope to learn lot from everyone in the forum.

Welcome to POTN, to both of you .

Quote:
"Hold on to your wallet!"

That's an understatement!

JS

I agree with the suggestion that you start shooting in RAW. The control you have over your image file after the fact is second to none. As you learn to use the camera, you can also learn to process the RAW files.

Additionally, you mentioned that you are using Apple Aperture. That's a fantastic program (although I am partial to Adobe Lightroom), but maybe a little much at first? I don't know what your experience level is, so I don't mean to talk down to you (if you take it that way). DPP (Canon's software that comes with the camera) may be a good starting point if you find Aperture a little too overwhelming.

Don't get frustrated, which is bound to happen, with the camera, the software, and this Site. There are plenty of people here with many different levels of experience (mine: amateur at best) that are more than willing to help with all three.

Welcome aboard, and good luck! Oh, and welcome to the end of your budget as you know it!

Welcome, you'll find Curtis is giving you some excellent advice.

Mark