how often do you print your digital photos?

[furcalchick]

all the time when i hear about people trying to sell cameras, they talk about how well they come out in the prints that people are supposed to get after they take a set of digital photos and just be like the old days where we have the pictures developed and made physical. in my experience, i have printed like in the single digits of photos out of over 1000 i have taken the past few years. but if you just listened to the ads, they sell the megapixels as the main feature of any camera to get the biggest prints, and i know that some people never actually physically print their photos. i know pros print their photos all the time as well. what i'm trying to get here is how often do you print your photos and do you see megapixels as the main selling point in getting a camera?

 

[dllavaneras]

Hmm, I don't print that often, but when I do I can print up to 50 pics (2 words: volume discount ) I give them as presents (most are 4x6) and the ones in my "portfolio" are 8x10. I do have the need for more Mp, since I've got a 3.2 Mp cam and 8x10s are as big as I can print them at a decent quality. Besides, more Mp gives me the freedom to crop my pics and compose them the way I want and print at a larger size. There are a few pics I'd like to print poster size but that isn't going to happen with a 2048x1536

EDIT: And no, I don't see Mp as the main selling point in a camera. A strong point, but not the most important. That's why I prefer a 8Mp Canon 30D to a 10Mp Rebel XTi. Image quality, camera build and features are important as well.

 

[EricNau]

Megapixels are important, but not just when it comes to printing... As computer screens get bigger and clearer (or iTV displays your pictures on HD TV), lower-quality pictures will start to look substandard compared to the higher-megapixel pictures.

Of course, other properties of the camera must be considered such as zoom, picture clarity, quality, etc.

 

[mad jew]

Interesting thread. I always aim to print my shots but never actually get around to it.

 

[hana]

I print on the average one hundred photos a month. December would be my most highest volume month since there were a few Christmas programs and I did a number of prints for my friends of their kids. Costco quality since I go there anyway and I'm trying to pay for my executive membership with something besides toilet paper purchases.

I find that my parent friends who are (1) into scrapbooking (2) have grandparents who like holding those glossy photos appreciate it. Mostly 4x6 prints, but occaisionally 5x7 for big group shots.

I have a Rebel XT. For me, it is not a megapixel thing...it was more of a low light "no flash photography" edict that drove me to get this SLR.

 

[Compile 'em all]

I always aim to print my shots but never actually get around to it.

Me too. I have tons of photos, some of them are pretty good but I didn't print single one till now

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

I always aim to print my shots but never actually get around to it.

Exactly where I am at the moment...

(And the 'reverse' is also true: I aim to scan all those pre-digital camera pictures I have, but haven't gotten 'round to doing that, either... ).

But I have my eyes on a Canon IP4300 printer (and a CanonScan lide80 with film adapter) which could help, eventually...

 

[-hh]

Interesting thread. I always aim to print my shots but never actually get around to it.

Same here - - I was looking for the "not often enough" button in the poll


-hh

 

[compuwar]

I print frequently if I sell shots, or for the portfolio. It's not just about megapixels, the camera is a tool, and the right tool has to achieve the results I want, no matter what the resolution is. Sure, I've got 12.4MP- but that wasn't the driving decision (especially since with those tiny photosites diffraction rears its ugly head past f/11.

 

[dextertangocci]

None whatsoever.

They look prettier on my MB's screen

 

[Quboid]

Pretty good question. I never print my photos and i always mean to.

 

[Macanadian]

Posting digital prints

I print up digital shots. For my mother, family, friends. I also have larger prints hanging on my walls.

Can't stand the 5 megapixel cameras. You can't blow it up too large or do too much cropping. So, I'm still using 50 iso Fuji slide film inconjunction with the digital camera.

My next buy will probably be the Pentax 10D. Since I already have the K1000 and Z1P cameras.

Printing digital prints suppose to read above.

 

[dllavaneras]

Sure, I've got 12.4MP- but that wasn't the driving decision (especially since with those tiny photosites diffraction rears its ugly head past f/11.

Which camera do you have? And how bad is the diffraction at/past f/11? Is it really that bad?

 

[Abstract]

I print them maybe once or twice a year. When I do print, I may print 50 or 60 photos, so I guess I print twice per year, but 100 photos per year, minimum.

Then there are the photos that go into Apple PhotoBooks. Some of them were designed to be printed to fit the entire page, which is around the size of an A4 paper (approximately 8.5" x 11", I guess), so I do need the megapixels. That means I get around 200 prints, since each PhotoBook I make for my parents is filled with around 100 photos.

I'm going to print out a lot of photos soon, and none of them will be 4x6 inch. I think I'm going to make a 5x7" minimum size for myself, although that would make things (at least) 3x more expensive.

 

[apfhex]

If I had a higher megapixel camera—mine is 4—I might be tempted to get some large prints made. And if I could afford it (someday, probably when I buy my next one) I'd love to get a large format printer and some quality photo paper and make some prints, just for fun.

I do often use my digital photos on 4x6 paper to glue to cards for friends and family. I have a few 8.5x11 prints laying around too that look pretty good.

First priority is probably to get a new digital camera...

 

[flipper38]

Batch printing

I use a photo printer (Epson Picture Mate) and wait until I have 50 or 60 pictures before printing because, over time, the ink catridge dries out.
So I buy a new catridge and paper and do it all at once.

I get much better quality this way