What size photo should I choose to send in an email.
Hi you 'guys' with all the answers !!! When emailing a photo I am given the option of scaling the image. Do I choose Small (41.3KB), Medium (118 KB), Large (396 KB) or Actual Size. How do I know which option to choose and what is the difference? Does it affect sending time, quality or actual picture size.
MANY THANKS.
Sony laptop,
Windows XP Pro,
Wireless with Netscape
There is actually a reason for the three different sizes pf pictures, and it has to do with what you intend to to with the photo after it is sent.
If you are sending a 'snapshot' to a friend to view on another smart phone or small format PC then small is fine. Essentially if it is intended to be viewed once or twice, then choose small. Works great for this use.
If the viewer is going to be use a PC or other large format device, then the medium format if great. It has plenty of pixels to satisfy the display requirements of all but the most sophisticated monitor. This size is also good for printing at the 4x6 or maybe even a 5x7 size.
If you intend to work with the photo with something like Photoshop, or if you intend to have the photo processed professionally (as compared to printing it on a 600 dpi photo printer), use the larger size picture.
I use my iPhone camera, a point and shoot camera and a SLR high end camera a lot. If I am just fooling around, I will use the iPhone or pocket camera. If I am doing some serious photography (weddings, portraits, wildlife, etc.), I use my trusty SLR.
I will admit that the quality of the iPhone camera and my point-and-shoot are blurring with the quality of the SLR, there is still a difference when you blow the picture up to 11x17 or larger. Also, I don't think a bride would accept any explanation for me showing up at her wedding to take photos with only my iPhone ;o)
There is actually a reason for the three different sizes pf pictures, and it has to do with what you intend to to with the photo after it is sent.
If you are sending a 'snapshot' to a friend to view on another smart phone or small format PC then small is fine. Essentially if it is intended to be viewed once or twice, then choose small. Works great for this use.
If the viewer is going to be use a PC or other large format device, then the medium format if great. It has plenty of pixels to satisfy the display requirements of all but the most sophisticated monitor. This size is also good for printing at the 4x6 or maybe even a 5x7 size.
If you intend to work with the photo with something like Photoshop, or if you intend to have the photo processed professionally (as compared to printing it on a 600 dpi photo printer), use the larger size picture.
I use my iPhone camera, a point and shoot camera and a SLR high end camera a lot. If I am just fooling around, I will use the iPhone or pocket camera. If I am doing some serious photography (weddings, portraits, wildlife, etc.), I use my trusty SLR.
I will admit that the quality of the iPhone camera and my point-and-shoot are blurring with the quality of the SLR, there is still a difference when you blow the picture up to 11x17 or larger. Also, I don't think a bride would accept any explanation for me showing up at her wedding to take photos with only my iPhone ;o)
Without having to send myself 4 emails with each option, I thought I would ask the forum first, just in case someone actually answered my question. Alas no, so I sent myself 4 emails. The small photo sends very quickly, the quality is good but it cannot be used as a large picture on my desktop. It shows as lots of little pictures. The large, medium and actual size photos take varying times to send and download, the picture quality on my computer is exactly the same for each option and all show as one big picture on my desktop and the same size picture in my emails. I can see no real difference between the large, medium and actual size option. I stand to be corrected !!!!
The reason you can't see any difference between med, large and actual size is that the viewing software on your PC is squashing the photos to fit them on your screen. In reality they are bigger than your screen and if you viewed them full size you would see the quality difference. Which size you use to send them depends on what you want to used them for and if you are paying for uploaded data!
I tend to send them full size just in case I want to edit them later unless I'm on a very slow connection.
The quality of the picture is the same and the receiver can resize it if they need to. The smaller the picture, the faster it will send and the user will be able to down load it faster.
