Is it better to shoot at full resolution and downsize later, or use a lower in-camera resolution?
Asked 4/19/2011
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If my camera can shoot at 5 MP or higher, but I only want smaller files (around 1 MB) with the best possible image quality, should I set the camera to a lower resolution like 2 MP, or shoot at full resolution and resize the images later on a computer?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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Downscaling a larger image on computer is almost certainly going to produce a better result. This is because resizing an image is very processor intensive, and there is a difference in quality between the various resampling algorithms (e.g. Lanczos vs Bicubic). Getting a 5 MP camera to produce a 2 MP image is going to cause the camera to perform the resizing and this is bad for 2 reasons: a) You can't control what resampling algorithm is used and b) The camera is always going to have a weaker processor than your computer so will inevitably use a resampling algorithm that's optimized for speed not quality.
So if quality is important, do your resizing on the computer.
Originally by user2528. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2528
15y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For best quality, shoot at full resolution and downsize later on a computer.
That usually gives better results because computer software offers more processing power and better resampling options, with more control over how the image is reduced. In-camera resizing is typically optimized for speed, and you usually can’t choose the algorithm used.
Shooting full resolution also keeps your options open: if one image turns out especially good, you still have the larger original for printing, cropping, or future use. If you shoot at 2 MP in-camera, that detail is gone permanently.
In practice, the difference may not always be dramatic, and some cameras may do a decent job. In-camera downsizing can also have a technical advantage if it happens earlier in the processing pipeline. But overall, if maximum quality matters, full resolution first and resize later is the safer choice.
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