Need help setting DPI on Canon 350D

[sothardw]

Hey all, I just got a Canon Rebel XT. I have looked through the manual many times, but I am not sure how to change the DPI. I am taking photos at
3456 x 2304 and only getting 72 DPI. So there is no clarity when I zoom in on a photo.

Can anyone lead me in the right direction?

Thanks all!

 

[shingfan]

the definition of DPI is dots per inch....so depending on how much you are zooming...you get different DPI.....you change DPI when you zoom into different depth......you wont expect a clear image when you zoom all the way in....is very obvious because the DPI is less........if you want higher DPI....you just zoom out....

zoom in = lower DPI
zoom out = higher DPI

but honestly...DPI is something that you use on printer........on your camera....you are limited by the resolution of the LCD display...and it is fixed all the time...but you can understand DPI in a similar manner and it does work on the LCD screen in a similar manner even though it is not exactly the same

 

[auer1816]

He's right, DPI has nothing to do with your digital picture or the quality on screen or on the camera's LCD, just the print. 72 DPI is just what cameras output -- can't change that.

 

[c_mac]

i think he means the PPI (pixels per inch). a standard JPEG at least on most DSLR's is 72. now i know that some are 180, but obviously your's is 72. your best option is to either shoot in raw or change the resolution thus bumping up your PPI. if doing this in photoshop make sure that the resample image box in un-checked. change the PPI and the resolution will change accordingly

 

[Big Mike]

That's right...DPI is a printer setting and really has nothing to do with the camera and little to do with the digital file.

PPI (pixels per inch) is the display size on the computer screen. 72 is used because that's plenty for viewing an image on the screen. You can change your PPI to 10,000 or change it to 3....it won't necessarily change the image at all...it will just change it's 'size on the screen'. (unless you resample the image at the same time).

The important part is the actual size of the image in pixels (3456 x 2304)...that's all you should concern yourself with for now.

Pixels per inch becomes important when you are deciding what size you want to print the image. Most labs will want 300 pixels per inch of print size. So if you want to print a 4x6, then you will need at least 1200x1800. If you want an 8x10, then you will want to and image that is 2400x3000.

 

[sothardw]

Thanks all! That cleared it up for me. I was confused on the terminology there and the representation of the terminology. I need to start reading some books. I just got my first non-point and shoot camera, so I am new to being able to adjust everything.

Talking about the zoom makes sense, I was using a Macro lens.

Also, I was looking at my manual for my camera, and it shows lots of options that I do not have in my menus. I don't have the ability to shoot and RAW format. Any ideas there?

Thanks again all!

 

[Big Mike]

I don't have the ability to shoot and RAW format. Any ideas there?

With that camera, I don't think that you can set it to record RAW files...while you are in full auto mode. Switch it to one of the 'creative zone' modes P, Av, Tv or M. This is not laid out in the manual very well...you are certainly not the first person to ask about this.

Many people, with their first DSLR also ask about the DPI/PPI etc. as well...so you are not alone.

 

[markc]

You can change your PPI to 10,000 or change it to 3....it won't necessarily change the image at all...it will just change it's 'size on the screen'. (unless you resample the image at the same time)

It won't even do that. Screen resolution determines how much room those pixels will take up. A screen that is 17" wide at 1280 pixels is 75 PPI. A screen that is 17" wide at 800 pixels is 47 PPI. The pixels of the image are forced into that resolution.

The embedded PPI or DPI doesn't do anything as far as I can tell. It's just there as a handy piece of info. The number of pixels is the determining factor for how it's viewed on the screen (combined with screen resolution), and print size is the determining factor for making a print. DPI is just a handy guide to tell you what the quality will be like for a print of that given size.

 

[sothardw]

My main reason for asking about DPI/PPI was for when I do photoshop work. I am able to have more defined effects when I use an image with higher level of DPI/PPI. I will just try taking a HUGE photo and then go into photo shop with a re-size to shrink the image. That probably doesn't sound right, I just am not that great at typing out what I mean to explain.

 

[Big Mike]

It won't even do that

I though it sounded weird when I typed it...

My main reason for asking about DPI/PPI was for when I do photoshop work. I am able to have more defined effects when I use an image with higher level of DPI/PPI. I will just try taking a HUGE photo and then go into photo shop with a re-size to shrink the image. That probably doesn't sound right, I just am not that great at typing out what I mean to explain.

Just always use your camera's maximum resolution setting. I also suggest shooting RAW...but that's a slightly different issue. Do your Photoshop work with the image at that size...and then, if you need/want to...change the size for whatever specific purpose you want to.

When I'm done with an image...I often end up with several different copies of it. One is the original, another is the Photoshop working copy (with layers etc.)...then I might make a copies for certain print sizes and aspect ratios...then I might shrink and downsize the image and save a copy for uploading to the web.

 

[markc]

No really. DPI/PPI has no meaning when you are dealing with a digital file, only the number of pixels. PPI/DPI only deals with display or printing, not the file data itself.
http://www.rideau-info.com/genealogy/digital/dpi.html
There are some printing labs that require 300 DPI because of the equipment they use, but if you are using an inkjet, that can be ignored.

 

[Digital Disasta]

Ok, well DPI and PPI are related in the fact that when you are working in a imaging program it is considered PPI, when you are printing it is DPI. If you plan on printing these images, 300 should be the min. resolution, when I work with print for work, it's 600 DPI. Now, when you are taking images with your camera, and it has a setting for DPI/PPI, exporting the image might be a problem (im not sure), but, if you import to an imaging program at 72 PPI, and try to make it 300 for print, it's going to be extremly distorted. So if you have a setting on your camera for resolution put it to at least 300 (if you plan to print), you wont see the difference on the screen (because screen resoultion is 72 PPI), but it will ensure the picture to be a quality one.

The website markc posted is wrong, don't listen to it. I will prove it now.

Goto google, click on images. (the reason for this is because most of the images found on the website are web images (72 dpi)

Search for anything get the full image, and copy the image to the clipboard.

Next open up Photoshop, hit apple+N, (cntl+N windows)

Now since the image is in the clipboard the image size is already set for photoshop, hit ok.

When the .psd is open paste the image apple+V (cntl+V windows)

next goto Image>Image size.

Change the DPI setting to 10.

Look at the image...

Now go back to Image>Image size, and make it 300.

look at the image at 100% and tell me that doesn't look like sh!t.

Then, try to print it, lol, looks like colored mud all over the page.

PPI/DPI matters A LOT.

 

[markc]

You are probably resampling. Try it with with resample off. If you have it on, you are changing the actual number of pixels. That's what determines what you are seeing. If you have resampling off, you leave the number of pixels alone and only change print size and DPI. You can change the DPI all you want and it won't change the image, only the size the print will be.

 

[Big Mike]

I believe Mark is correct. What Mr. Disasta is doing is trying to re-sample a small image into a bigger image...basically trying to create pixels...which will cause a loss in quality.

The most important thing is the actual size (in pixels) of the image....not the DPI or PPI.

Try this...open any image in photoshop and open the image size box. Deselect the 'resample' box and change the PPI. Change it to 10,000...or change it to 10...it won't change the image.

 

[Digital Disasta]

I believe Mark is correct. What Mr. Disasta is doing is trying to re-sample a small image into a bigger image...basically trying to create pixels...which will cause a loss in quality.

The most important thing is the actual size (in pixels) of the image....not the DPI or PPI.

Try this...open any image in photoshop and open the image size box. Deselect the 'resample' box and change the PPI. Change it to 10,000...or change it to 10...it won't change the image.

Turning resampling off and changing the DPI will change the image size when printing, just look at the dementions in the boxes, or turn the rulers on and change it is 72, or 300, the size changes...now I'm kind of confused on what the topic was originally about...haha