While I realize that a larger file size will enable one to enlarge photos to a bigger size, is there any impact on the quality of the photo itself? For instance, in a very low light situation and a small photo, will a 12 MB photo be of better quality than a 6 MB or a 3MB? Given, say, a 12 mexapixel camera.
The image quality is related to the resolution of the image, which is related to the file type. So if you shoot JPEG, for example, all your photos will probably be 72ppi (pixels per inch). A 72ppi 3MB image will be of the same quality of a 72ppi 12MB image.
However, a 300ppi 3MB image will be of better quality than a 72ppi 12MB image - and by better quality I mean if you were to zoom in on the image, the pixels would be finer and the image would appear smoother on the 300ppi image. Higher resolution images are also used in printing, as they give a far better result.
To think about it another way - an image of a given file size will have smaller dimensions if the resolution is higher - because the resolution is higher, there is more information stored in the pixels, so the dimensions would have to be smaller to "fit in" to a given file size.
For example, say I shoot a photo at 72ppi and it is 3000x4000 pixels in size (equating to, for example, 9x12cm). Then, I adjust the image quality so it's 200ppi (which you can do in Photoshop) - the pixel size increases dramatically (for example, to 7500x10000 pixels), but the physical size remains at 9x12cm.
I know I've probably explained it in a bit of a confusing way, but I hope it makes some sense!
Well, yes, it certainly makes sense and I guess I knew that but I frequently forget! Now I just need to find out my dpi. I thought it might be 300 dpi but I will have to figure it out. Thanks so much for all the detail in your answer!
@pocketmouse I know you as a great photographer on this project, but your comment suprises me a bit. As long as you only work with digital files and presenting on pc, dpi in my humble opinion is not interesting. It's about pixels. Dpi (dots per inch) is just for print. A newspaper works with 240 dpi, a magazine with 300 dpi. A digital photo stores in pixels, not in dots per inch. If you save 10cm x 100 dpi or 100 cm x 10dpi, it shoudn't matter, it's always 1000 pixels wide. Or did I understand you wrong? @danette Basic rule for me: shoot in your max quality. You can always downsize on the pc, never upsize. And it's not only about printing on large scale, but also about being able to crop only a small item out of the photo (e.g. http://365project.org/djepie/365/2012-08-28 and http://jaapmeijer.com/images/2012/lely.JPG). And the third and last reason is that at postprocessing a photo software like Lightroom / Photoshop can improve much better when they have the maximum of details. But I would say: give it a try. And enjoy!
@djepie Thank you for all your added information. When I was shooting "less important" things, I used a mid-size photo so I wouldn't overload my computer. On Friday and Saturday, I uploaded nearly 1000 photos to my computer and have spent part of this morning taking photos off so I can actually use my computer. I will definitely take your advice about the size. I feel I am pushing the limits of my camera now that it is a few years old. I have much to learn! I appreciate your input.
@djepie Exactly. I know that online work only involved 72ppi at best! I work with print frequently, hence my input on that. And the original poster was inquiring into the comparison of image quality - I spoke about it generally, not specific to online use. Sorry then - I misued the term and was meant to write ppi, not dpi. I shall edit my original post to reflect that :)
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However, a 300ppi 3MB image will be of better quality than a 72ppi 12MB image - and by better quality I mean if you were to zoom in on the image, the pixels would be finer and the image would appear smoother on the 300ppi image. Higher resolution images are also used in printing, as they give a far better result.
To think about it another way - an image of a given file size will have smaller dimensions if the resolution is higher - because the resolution is higher, there is more information stored in the pixels, so the dimensions would have to be smaller to "fit in" to a given file size.
For example, say I shoot a photo at 72ppi and it is 3000x4000 pixels in size (equating to, for example, 9x12cm). Then, I adjust the image quality so it's 200ppi (which you can do in Photoshop) - the pixel size increases dramatically (for example, to 7500x10000 pixels), but the physical size remains at 9x12cm.
I know I've probably explained it in a bit of a confusing way, but I hope it makes some sense!
@danette Basic rule for me: shoot in your max quality. You can always downsize on the pc, never upsize. And it's not only about printing on large scale, but also about being able to crop only a small item out of the photo (e.g. http://365project.org/djepie/365/2012-08-28 and http://jaapmeijer.com/images/2012/lely.JPG). And the third and last reason is that at postprocessing a photo software like Lightroom / Photoshop can improve much better when they have the maximum of details. But I would say: give it a try. And enjoy!