Brammers

I have just bought a new 3.3 MP digital camera and a 256 Mb Compact Flash card to take on holiday with me. Can anyone help with what the best resolution is to use?

The settings available are:

2048 x 1536 *** 157 pics
2048 x 1536 ** 209 pics
2048 x 1536 * 418 pics

1024 x 768 *** 628 pics
1024 x 768 ** 837 pics
1024 x 768 * 1478 pics

I used to take about 5 or 6 spools of 36 exposure 35mm films, which equals between 180 and 216 photos. Is it better to use a smaller resolution with lower compression (e.g. 1024 x 768 ***), or is it better to use a higher resolution with a higher compression (e.g. 2048 x 1536 *)? I will probably only be printing the pictures out at 6” x 4”, but would still like the best picture quality, while allowing me to take plenty of pictures.

Thanks for your help,

Brammers

ChristianR

iTrader: (1)

i would go for: 2048 x 1536 ** 209 pics

DominicA

i would go for 2048 x 1536 *** 157 pics

Brammers

Does the compression really affect the quality that much?

alistair

Personally, I'd go for the best possible quality and buy a spare card.

Brammers

Don't really want to have to fork out for another memory card, as I have just spent quite a bit buying the camera and the 256Mb card. This digital camera milarky is getting very expensive...

MartinM

Some ideas to ponder...

I'd go for the highest resolution at the best quality...you'll really curse when you want those 10 best pictures at 7x5 or even 10x8 and the original image just isn't good enough. Or when you want to crop the picture after the event and there's not enough pixels left to even print at 6x4

How many of the 180 or so film shots you would normally take would you class as 'keepers'..70% on a good holiday? If you review your pictures carefully, in-camera, each night and delete the worst, you'll come back with 90% of your digital shots as keepers. Overall you'll probably have more better pictures with digital than film, even tho' you have less capacity...if you see what I mean

Don't forget that the more pictures you take, the more eggs in one basket...I wouldn't wish it on you at all, but CF cards can (and sometimes do) go wrong, and sometimes in a catastrophic way...then how proud would you be that you'd lost 500 pics At least with 6 rolls of film you have some resilience against failure. Maybe another CF card would be good insurance - can you borrow one somewhere? No pro digital shooters use huge CF cards for that reason (losing a whole set of wedding photos is completeley unacceptable) - and 1GB microdrives are even worse

Brammers

Some very good points. I hadn't thought about it like that. I maybe will have to go and invest in another memory card. Only problem now is it is too late for me to order another card off the Internet, as I am going on holiday at the end of the week. I found the price of the cards on the high street to be very expensive. Maybe I could borrow a friends.

Cheers,

Brammers