Setting quality for a Sony DSC H-9-can it be done ?

[susaan]

My Sony has a "fine" setting for video,but cannot find same for still shots..as some of my band photos are to be used for huge posters(stage backdrops),cannot give the 300 DPI required.(my manager requested "No edits",so boosting it in Photoshop is not an option...

Does anyone know this camera well enough to comment ?,-manual,Sony site ,googling etc has not helped,
-I'm continually getting told,"Just shoot,don't worry about that DPI,its a printing problem..."
But its MY problem !!

This camera has issues with image softness,I understand...but my next pick would be the Canon XSi,which also comes in at 72 DPI...does this mean I have to re-consider,maybe get the 40D,which I like ,but is too big for stage crawling,for me ?

Sorry,a lot of questions..much to learn !

First post...Hello all...

[McQ]

Hi Susan, welcome to the forums. I am unfamiliar with the specifics of your camera, but I think this can in part be answered based on general DPI feedback. Start by taking a look at the tutorial on digital camera DPI/PPI and Print Size.

Something important here is that the image's embedded DPI as it comes from the camera is meaningless. 72 DPI is just close to what monitors typically display. The DPI is a function of only two things: (1) the print size and (2) the camera's resolution in megapixels. For example, I could achieve 1000 DPI by printing the image really small (assuming that my printer were capable of that). Most printers ignore the file's embedded DPI and override it with a DPI which is determined by your desired print size. Since it seems like you have to print to a certain size, then you should be concerned with (2), but you are likely already shooting at the full resolution.

Another important factor is JPEG compression, which is what the camera's "fine" and "ultrafine" or "normal" settings describe. This seems to be what you are running up against. More JPEG compression will make an image look too soft, even if the number of megapixels and DPI remain the same.

[willgoss]

I know in my H-1 there is a P.Quality under the main menu settings, right next to the Iso settings.....of course it doesn't show up in Camera mode but you must be in one of the Programming modes.....

On the other question of resizing...I have and do resize from my H-1 due to it's 5 MP limitation instead of my usual 10 MP.....I use FastStone for the resizing and the results are excellent...it also does not seem to leave traces of the resizing....for large blowups it has worked very well......

[Mohamed Ghuloom]

I do have a Sony DSC-H9 and that option is not available, but anyway, that doesn't matter. You can open your picture with Gimp or Photoshop >> Select All >> NEW >> choose exactly the same resolution >> make the DPI 600 and click OK >> paste it there and save it.
Your DPI is now 600 which will dramatically show the difference when printing it.

See, I have seen posters that are big as a size of a house. Is it possible they have used a 60MegaPixle camera for that? No.. even a 10 MP camera could do that. They just change it's dpi and print it with a very good printer.

[willgoss]

Remember that the Fine/Std setting as used by Sony is for the jpg compression.....

As an example at 10 MP the file saved size is 4.31 for fine and 2.33 for standard....

Other MP sizes are about proportional...

I would bet if the setting has disappeared they have selected a different compression ratio....