What size to set in camera

[mittens (Marilyn)]

Does anyone have suggestions on what size picture is best to set my camera to for takng pictures? I used to have it set on medium but then reset it to large because I think someone said that was the best setting to use. I don't take pictures in RAW.

Does it matter when editing and for sharpness of the picture? I know it has to do with megapixels. I've looked on line a little but couldn't find a clear answer.

Thank you for any help you can give.

[Bard]

Memory is so cheap these days. Just set it to large.

[Cally]

Large Fine. Means that if you get one that you want to blow up and stick on the wall, it will be a better quality :-)

[Dorrena Ortega]

The pictures will be a better quality if you set it to the max.

[Bankmann]

@mittens The larger, the better. Larger/better quality or RAW format means there is more information stored in your picture. Which means any editing will have more raw material (no pun intended, really) to work with. The larger your pictures get, the more space they take on your memory card and your computer. Buy an extra memory card, just in case. And learn to trash pictures you don't use... ;-p

[mittens (Marilyn)]

Thank you all for your information. Sounds like large wins. I was worried it might be too big to work well in editing but I guess not.
I was afraid if I cropped large, it would make the picture blurrier. I guess I need to learn more about size. You have all been so helpful.

[Shades of Grey]

If you save small and try to enlarge, it will get blurry. Save large and you'll only have a blurry photo if you mess up the focus! :)

[mittens (Marilyn)]

@shadesofgrey What if you shoot in large and make it smaller in editing. Will the picture be sharper?

[Shades of Grey]

No, just smaller. :) You need to apply some sort of sharpening to it. What that is depends on your editing program of choice.

[mittens (Marilyn)]

@shadesofgrey Thank you Shades of Grey.
I pretty much just edit in picmonkey right now and I don't care for the sharpening tool in there. I'm limited in my knowledge of Photoshop and only have an old version of it on my computer.

[Shades of Grey]

Pick up PS and try it out....just play around till you figure it out...lots of youtube videos and tutorials online!

[mittens (Marilyn)]

@shadesofgrey Thanks again Shades of Grey. I'll have to do that.

[Teresa (pocketmouse)]

@mittens @cally What Cally said! The larger the size/resolution of the photo, the more you can do with it :) (And with RAW you can do even more.)