is a 2MBit digicam enough ?

[flexy]

hi,

i'm on a budget and plan to buy a digital cam. After some searching i decided to go with the Canon PowerShot A60.
My question:
Is the 2MBit resolution (1600x1200) enough for every day use or should i rather save money and get a 3MBit camera ???

I need the camera mainly for snapshots, vacation pics, e-bay pictures, e-mailing and (maybe once in a while) printing some pics if i feel they're worth it. I am a digi cam newbie (kind of) and definetly not a photo pro, money is an issue too !


thanks

 

[NTB]

Do you plan on printing them out? if so, how large will the prints be? a 2MP camera is fine for standard size - 4x5.333 inches @ 300dpi resolution is what I normally print at - and even the occasional 8x10. I have a 2MP Olympus (D510) and, IMO, it turns out some beautiful pictures.

examples: (might be just a bit blurry, they've been recompressed to about 1/3 or so of orignal size)

One
Two
Three
Four

Nate

 

[AndyHui]

Generally if you are not going to print larger than 3R or 4R, a 2 megapixel camera is sufficient. Any prints larger than that would look far better with 3 megapixels.

 

[Adrian Tung]

I agree with the above two posters. I have the Sony Cybershot U-20 and it is sufficient for my point-and-shoot needs. I also recently got the HP PhotoSmart 130 printer which only prints 4R photos, and it works great with my digicam.


atwl

 

[NTB]

Could someone tell me what you two mean by 3R and 4R? I realize that they are sizes, but that's about it. I assume they are photography terms?

Nate

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: NTB
Do you plan on printing them out? if so, how large will the prints be? a 2MP camera is fine for standard size - 4x5.333 inches @ 300dpi resolution is what I normally print at - and even the occasional 8x10. I have a 2MP Olympus (D510) and, IMO, it turns out some beautiful pictures.

examples: (might be just a bit blurry, they've been recompressed to about 1/3 or so of orignal size)

One
Two
Three
Four

Nate

hi !

The question is how large are standard photos if you get them developed in a store, the standard size ? Is it 7" x 5" ??? If yes, this would be totally sufficient for my needs and occasional printing. I dont want to print posters, just 'normal' size photos.

 

[ExtraMSG]

as everyone else pointed out, it mostly depends upon the size of your prints. fwiw, i'd prefer getting a 3mp camera b/c it'd be great to blow up (8x10) your special pics (i.e., great wall, eiffel tower, etc.).

tangentially related, try to get some decent photo editing software, i.e., adobe photoshop elements. most digicams have crappy white balance resulting in inaccurate colors under different lighting conditions, (i.e., artifical vs. natural). Software like PSE have functions like auto-levels that can correct those errors resulting in *tremendous* improvements. After all, you'd want the magenta flowers to look magenta not lavendar, right?

 

[Adrian Tung]

Originally posted by: NTB
Could someone tell me what you two mean by 3R and 4R? I realize that they are sizes, but that's about it. I assume they are photography terms?

Nate

4R size is postcard size (4" x 6").
3R size is 3.5" x 5".


atwl