FZ30 image resolution

[pschoen6]

I am a new Panasonic FZ30 owner, and don't know the camera that well yet. I have been experimenting with aspect ratio and image size and quality. What I don't understand is why I keep getting huge images of low resolution. When I open an image in PS, it is about 43"x30" and 72 dpi. I would much rather have a smaller image at a higher resolution.

I am sure there is something I am missing here! Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks

[slipe]

An image file has a display size embedded. Something has to be there so they go to an old Mac screen resolution which doesn't have any significance anymore.

The PPI has nothing to do with the image and is totally immaterial. Whatever display size they chose wouldn't be correct for any standard print size because of the 4:3 ratio, so they just go with the old 72PPI. You can easily change it but it accomplishes nothing.

Open one of the images and choose the crop tool. Put 10 in in the width and 8 in height (or the other way round). Put NOTHING in the PPI box. Crop the image to 8 X 10 and then open the image size box. It will have used all of the pixels you didn't crop off and give you a resulting PPI for that print size.

Other than print size the PPI is meaningless. The size in pixels is all that matters.

[pschoen6]

Thanks Slipe -- I wonder if we are talking about the same thing. The metadata on the image file says that the resolution is 72. If I look at the metadata for a RAW file, it says 240. I am not talking about screen resolution, but the native resolution of the image. Does this make sense?

[squirl033]

the native resolution of your FZ30 image files should be something on the order of 3300x2400 pixels. that's what counts, and the way PS displays it on your monitor does not change that. what your PP program says it is depends on the software you use and its default settings. if you have Irfanview (a free download image viewer), try opening the file with that, then look in the lower left corner, it will tell you the actualsize of the original image file.

[fmoore]

pschoen6 wrote:

When I open an image in PS, it is about 43"x30" and 72 dpi. I would much rather have a smaller image at a higher resolution.

For printing. Open the image in PS. Go to Image/Image Size. In the Document Size section, uncheck the Resample Image box. Set the width for whatever print size you want. The length will change automatically. The resolution - or pixel density -will increase. Since the overall resolution hasn't changed (you didn't resample), you'll see no differenceon your monitor. But the image will now print to the size you want at it's highest resoluiton.

[slipe]

fmoore wrote:

pschoen6 wrote:

For printing. Open the image in PS. Go to Image/Image Size. In the Document Size section, uncheck the Resample Image box. Set the width for whatever print size you want. The length will change automatically. The resolution - or pixel density -will increase. Since the overall resolution hasn't changed (you didn't resample), you'll see no differenceon your monitor. But the image will now print to the size you want at it's highest resoluiton.

You can't set any standard print size just with the image size box or the image will be distorted.

Unless you want a 4.5 X 6 or 7.5 X 10 print you will have to crop to the proper proportions.

[pschoen6]

Thank you all for your help. I now understand -- I have an image that contains 8M pixels, and using the default print size from the FZ30, they are spread out over a 43 x 30 inch print. If I turn off resample, and change the print size, I have the same number of pixels in a smaller size print, and thus the resolution increases in the resolution field in image size in PS.

I am used to digital cameras that give native print size of about 12 x 8 at a resolution of 300. This difference with the FZ30 confused me.

Thanks

[fmoore]

slipe wrote:

You can't set any standard print size just with the image size box or the image will be distorted.

Unless you want a 4.5 X 6 or 7.5 X 10 print you will have to crop to the proper proportions.

If you don't resample, the aspect ratio is kept the same, thus no distortion. You're right about the native 4x3 ratio not printing to any of the standard sizes; 4x6, 5x7, 8x10. Igenerally print to 9.5 x 7.125 on letter size (8.5x11) heavyweight matte paper. That gives it a nice border and can beput in 8.5x11 documemt frame readily available at big box stores.