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Question: PLEASE HELP!! BIGGER IMAGE SIZE!?
I have an Olympus M725 SW!. And it has 7!.1 megapixels, and my cellphone takes BIGGER (not better) pictures and it's only 3!.2 megapixels!. How can I make my camera pictures BIGGER!?

I went to the menu, then image Quality and it says:

SHQ: 3072x2304
HQ: 3072x2304
SQ1: 2048x1536
SQ2: 640x 480

What are these!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
If you look (in an image processing program or in some disk access software) you will find the number of pixels per inch that the image is "naturally" set up in!.
If you were to take a picture with that SHQ setting and printed it at 300 dots per inch (dpi) it would make a picture over 10" wide and you would have to print it lengthwise to fit it on the paper in most popular printers!. The SQ2 would come out just over 2" wide and if blown up to fit on the page would look blurry as each image pixel was stretched to cover many print pixels!.
On the other hand, screen and website resolution is often 72 or 96 pixels per inch and using the former the SQ2 would be almost 9 inches wide and the SHQ would be over 42 inches (way off the screen)
I take most of my camera pictures at 1280 (not available on your camera) and then trim then down to use on web site pages, I don't print many of them!. My phone takes 640 and has such wide angle view that I frequently can only use 50% of the image, but couldn't get closer to frame better!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If printing your pictures is the goal then you should always shoot in the SHQ setting!.

If you are printing at 300dpi (dots per inch) just divide 3072 and 2304 by 300 to determine the maximum print size!. That comes out to 10!.24 x 7!.68 so an 8 x 10 print should look fine!. If you printed at 150dpi, your print would be 20!.48 x 15!.36 so a 16 x 20 print will be possible!. If you shoot at SQ2 ad print at 300dpi you can make a 1 x 2 print!.

However, at this size (16 x 20) viewing distance must be taken into account!. If you print the same file at 300dpi and make an 8x10 and then print it again at 150dpi to make a 16 x 20 and view them from the same distance the 16 x 20 won't look too good!. Move back farther and the 16 x 20 will begin to look better!. Billboards, which are intended to be viewed from several hundred feet, are usually printed at 40dpi!.

Of course, your original file must be sharply focused and properly exposed and taken at a low ISO - no more than 100!. If you shoot at a high ISO, say 800, with the lens wide-open (f3!.5 or whatever it is) then don't expect great results!. For the best results either have your camera on a tripod or a firm surface, your lens at f8 or f11 and use the self-timer to release the shutter!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

You bought a good camera but if you do not shoot it at its highest resolution, 3072x2304, you have wasted your money!.

You can always make prints smaller, but if you don't have the image data, you cannot make large prints!. Just remember to rename the image file when you do resize it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If you want the biggest and best picture you can get out of your camera, go with the SHQ 3072x2304 (this is the size of the photo) Choosing this option will get you the most mega pixels!. I got the new Nikon Coolpix s210 and just read the manual!. Taught me everything i needed to know!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Those numbers are the width and height in pixels of the image!.

What do you mean by bigger!? they are bigger on the camera's preview screen!? they are bigger when you print them!?Www@QuestionHome@Com