What Causes Pixelated Clouds?? Pic Included.

[Enem178]

This doesn't happen to all my photo's but i've seen it a couple of times but only in day time shoots. This is straight out the camera with no pp. Thanks for the help.

 

[Samanax]

What is the shot info (exif)?

Was this shot in JPEG or RAW?

If JPEG, what resolution.quality?

 

[smithphoto]

Man, It's been forever since I've been here. Any whoo...

I've had this problem before and it always came from three things

1. Low resolution images to begin with
2. The conversion settings from RAW to JPG
3. I've been told that some cameras can try to auto correct for sensor dust, this can also cause it apparently. I would recomend a good professional cleaning, this will be usefull reguardless of being an issue or not.

Good luck with it none the less. Take this information with a grain of salt. I'm still a noob. Ha

 

[Jon0807]

looks like this was shot in lower resolution?

 

[Enem178]

1/125 f/10.0 iso 200 focal length 135mm,

Shot in jpeg format and the quality was small.

 

[Samanax]

Shot in jpeg format and the quality was small.

That's the problem right there. Low resolution.

 

[Enem178]

O ok, It might sound stupid but I though all I was changing was the size of the pix and not the quality. I've been shooting EVERYTHING in small since I bought the camera just because the pix are easier to email. So I should be shooting in the largest format always?

 

[Jaszek]

Just shoot in large and than when you e-mail them you can always resize it.

 

[Enem178]

Will do, thanks..

 

[ANDS!]

That cloud is not pixelated. You're just seeing color banding, which you will see every now and then especially when youre going from light to dark areas of the same color.

Also "small" is not a quality setting. It is a resolution setting. Basic/Fine are "quality" settings.

 

[Enem178]

So shooting small/fine is the same quality as large/fine and if I dont plan on printing the image ill be good shooting small/fine?? If I go to print out a pic which has color banding, it wont show up in print will it?

 

[ANDS!]

You'll have more detail in the Large/Fine image, and some will qualify that as having superior "quality" than the Small/Fine image, but the compression algorithm used should be the same on both - just different resolutions.

And, and I'm no expert, banding can be a mechincal condition (meaning on your display) and an image issue (meaning in the data of the file). I can see color banding on the above photo, but we both might have **** for monitors. Only way you can know is to do a print. Since banding is a TONAL issue, it should show up if you print in grayscale (and thus save your precious color ink).

 

[Enem178]

Ok, Ill print it out and see if it's still visible. The monitor thing did cross my mind also, but anyway thanks for all the help!!

 

[epp_b]

It's either JPEG compression or colour banding is what causes it.

Shoot in high quality JPEG or shoot in RAW and only export to JPEG using low compression settings.

I'd have to do some looking up on colour banding to inform you more accurately about it. I'm not sure if it's a limitation of the sensor or digital displays. Making a large print would give you the answer.

 

[Enem178]

""only export to JPEG using low compression settings.""



Forgive me but what does this actually mean? Does this have something to do with me downloading the pics to my laptop?? Sorry and thanks for your help.