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

Question

Level 1

8 points

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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Answer 1

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,021 points

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:

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Answer 2

elotrix Author

Level 1

8 points

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

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Answer 3

LACAllen

Level 8

43,602 points

Aug 30, 2016 3:57 PM in response to elotrix

His answer is correct.

Do you have optimize set on your iPad?

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Answer 4

ShagCA

Level 5

6,365 points

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.

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Answer 5

LACAllen

Level 8

43,602 points

Aug 30, 2016 4:32 PM in response to elotrix

As shown here...

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?

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Answer 6

elotrix Author

Level 1

8 points

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?

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Answer 7

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.

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Answer 8

elotrix Author

Level 1

8 points

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.

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Answer 9

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.

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Answer 10

babowa

Level 9

78,580 points

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.

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