elotrix
Level 1 (8 points)
iOS Apps

Q: iOS "Photos" - maximum resolution? (not "iPhoto")

Hi,

 

Does anyone from the Tech Support please tell me the maximum resolution the Photos app can handle? Because it seems to downsize my 36 MP jpgs from my Sony A7R and Nikon D810. 

Posted on Aug 30, 2016 5:56 AM

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elotrix

Q: iOS "Photos" - maximum resolution? (not "iPhoto")

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Jonathan UK,

    Jonathan UK Jonathan UK Aug 30, 2016 8:14 AM in response to elotrix
    Level 7 (31,156 points)
    Apple Watch
    Aug 30, 2016 8:14 AM in response to elotrix

    Hi

     

    When using iCloud Photo Library, enabling the Optimise iPhone Storage setting manages space on your iPhone by automatically keeping your original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud and storing only lightweight, space-saving versions on your iPhone. Files are optimised as needed on your iPhone, in order to optimise storage.

     

    This feature is enabled automatically if your iCloud storage plan is over 5 GB.

     

    To keep the full-resolution originals on your iPhone: go to Settings > iCloud > Photos > tap on Download and Keep Originals.

     

    If you are not storing original versions on your iPhone, to download a full-resolution photo or video, pinch to zoom in to 100% or tap Edit.

     

    More information:

  • by elotrix,

    elotrix elotrix Aug 30, 2016 3:09 PM in response to Jonathan UK
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iOS Apps
    Aug 30, 2016 3:09 PM in response to Jonathan UK

    Dear Jonathan,

     

    Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately though it has nothing to do with my question, as this is not about iCloud or storage in general, but about the internal algorithms of the Photos app. Every single photo which is apparently too big in resolution is getting downsized there. This means I can't see all the details of my shots as I can see them on my iMac, even when zooming in with a double-tab.

     

    I'm interested in this maximum resolution, and if this is going to be removed someday soon.

     

    Cheers

  • by LACAllen,

    LACAllen LACAllen Aug 30, 2016 3:57 PM in response to elotrix
    Level 5 (4,596 points)
    iCloud
    Aug 30, 2016 3:57 PM in response to elotrix

    His answer is correct.

     

    Do you have optimize set on your iPad?

  • by ShagCA,

    ShagCA ShagCA Aug 30, 2016 4:19 PM in response to elotrix
    Level 4 (1,838 points)
    iPad
    Aug 30, 2016 4:19 PM in response to elotrix

    As far as I know photos sync'd to the iPad/iPhone are automatically "optimized" (or downsized). There's nothing end users can do to bypass optimization.

  • by LACAllen,

    LACAllen LACAllen Aug 30, 2016 4:32 PM in response to elotrix
    Level 5 (4,596 points)
    iCloud
    Aug 30, 2016 4:32 PM in response to elotrix

    As shown here...

     

    Screen Shot 2016-08-30 at 7.29.53 PM.png

     

    The algorithm is not published. Optimize is either on or off. It is not controllable otherwise.

     

    How big is your iPad for storage? How full is it?

  • by elotrix,

    elotrix elotrix Aug 31, 2016 5:59 AM in response to LACAllen
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iOS Apps
    Aug 31, 2016 5:59 AM in response to LACAllen

    I'm not sure why everyone assumes I'm using the cloud, because I don't. Did I post this in the wrong section? Usually I transfer photos onto my mobile devices via AirDrop, Dropbox, or SD-Lightning connector.


    Once again the problem I'm struggling with, when I open a 36MP pic in Photos and double-tab to zoom in, it is not the same amount of detail as on my mac. It feels as if the app downsizes it to about the size of 20MP photo. But for many reasons it is really important to be able to show a 1:1 view of my photos.

     

    The file itself is untouched, when I am sending it back to my mac or whatever it has again the full resolution. So my assumption is that the fault must be within the algorithms of the Photos app. Does this make any sense?

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Aug 31, 2016 6:38 AM in response to elotrix
    Level 7 (24,146 points)
    Aug 31, 2016 6:38 AM in response to elotrix

    I believe that the iOS photo app always displays the image optimized for the device's retina display. I don't know of any way to disable that. There are many third party photo editors though, and some of them may not do that.

  • by elotrix,

    elotrix elotrix Sep 4, 2016 4:01 PM in response to Michael Black
    Level 1 (8 points)
    iOS Apps
    Sep 4, 2016 4:01 PM in response to Michael Black

    I honestly have no idea what's that supposed to mean, but if anybody knows of such software, I'm very happy to hear about it.

  • by Michael Black,

    Michael Black Michael Black Sep 4, 2016 6:18 PM in response to elotrix
    Level 7 (24,146 points)
    Sep 4, 2016 6:18 PM in response to elotrix

    As you yourself noted in the post just above mine, the file itself is not touched.  However when viewing it in iOS Photos App, it will always be "optimized" for the iPhone retina display. I do not know the nature of the optimization algorithm for photo display, but I do know it has always been that way.  You will not see a 1:1 view of high resolution format photo's when viewed in Photos on an iOS device - they will be scaled and altered to display "optimally" on the device's Retina display.

     

    If you wish to see them in a 1:1 view of the original, you need to investigate alternate viewers in the App Store, or offload those photographs to a computer and view them their in a true native resolution software viewer or editor.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Sep 4, 2016 6:25 PM in response to elotrix
    Level 7 (31,893 points)
    iPad
    Sep 4, 2016 6:25 PM in response to elotrix

    You have to remember that you are transferring photos from an app (Photos) designed to work within Mac OS on a (presumably) 27" iMac to a completely different iOS with a Photos app which is made to work with that system. Have you tried to test air dropping a photo from an iMac to another iMac? I would guess that that would result in an exact copy.