What do the L, M, and S image size settings mean on a Canon EOS 1200D?
Asked 6/5/2015
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On my Canon EOS 1200D, the JPEG image quality menu shows L, M, and S1 options, and each size appears to have two variants. What does each setting change, and what is the difference between the two choices for the same size?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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The size settings actually set two different things for any JPEG images taken by the camera: the resolution of the image being taken (the # x # size), and the quality setting for the JPEG compression for the image.
The L, M, and S sizes vary individually by the camera, but the numbers at the top in the blue bar tell you the pixel dimensions. So, in this case, your L size images are 5760x3840 (or 22MP). The larger the size you choose, the bigger the file will be, but the higher the resolution and the larger you can print out the image.
The "smoothness" of the quarter-circle indicates the quality level you're selecting. The higher the quality setting, the larger the file will be, but the more data is retained. JPEG is a "lossy" compression scheme that discards some of the color information in favor of making a smaller file. So, the smooth quarter-circle indicates "high" quality (large file, but less data discarded), and the stair-step quarter-circle indicates "medium" quality (smaller file, but more data discarded).
Originally by user27440. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27440
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
On the EOS 1200D, those settings control two things for JPEGs:
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Image size (resolution) — L, M, S1 set the pixel dimensions of the photo. L is the full resolution, while M and S1 save smaller versions. Larger sizes give you more detail, more cropping flexibility, and bigger print potential.
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JPEG compression quality — the two variants for each size are different compression levels. The higher-quality option uses less compression, so it keeps more image detail but creates a larger file. The lower-quality option uses more compression, so files are smaller but lose more information.
So for any given size:
- same size + higher quality = bigger file, better retained detail
- same size + lower quality = smaller file, more compression artifacts possible
If you want maximum quality and flexibility, use L with the higher-quality JPEG setting. Use M/S1 or the lower-quality option when you want to save card space or don’t need full resolution.
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