Picture Quality Question for Camera Noob

[barr08]

Hi,

I just got a new Canon A710IS, which I like very much. There are a few things I want to know though, and I couldn't figure it out myself through trial and error.

I want the highest possible picture quality. I don't care about size, I have a 1 gig card, and I unload my pics every night. How would I achieve this?

This review has specs a little bit down the page.

Thanks!

 

[Lovesong]

In terms of the largest file possible (that will give you the highest resolution images), you would want to set the image size to large, and then make sure the quality is set to SuperFine.

From a photographic viewpoint, if you're trying to get the sharpest images that your lens will produce, you will likely need to go to Aperture priority mode (that Av mode on top of the camera), and set the aperture to f/8. This is usually the sharpest point for most lenses, and will produce images that are going to be in sharp focus. Be aware that everything will be in focus, so if you're trying to get an image that isolates one subject from another, this wouldn't be it.

 

[miloblithe]

From a photographic viewpoint, if you're trying to get the sharpest images that your lens will produce, you will likely need to go to Aperture priority mode (that Av mode on top of the camera), and set the aperture to f/8. This is usually the sharpest point for most lenses, and will produce images that are going to be in sharp focus. Be aware that everything will be in focus, so if you're trying to get an image that isolates one subject from another, this wouldn't be it.

f/8 is the minumum aperture for the lens on this camera, I believe. I'd guess that given that, this lens would probably be sharpest around f/5. In terms of isolating a subject by using shallow depth of field, that's not really possible on a point and shoot, because in terms of depth of field, f/2.8 on a P&S is roughly the equivalent of f/11 on a full frame camera.

 

[ChrisA]

I
...set the aperture to f/8. This is usually the sharpest point for most lenses,...

f/8 applies to a larger camera like an SLR. These P&S camera are very, very small. I'd guess the sharpest f-stop is going to be one stop less than wide open. What you are trying to do is balance lens aberration with defraction

But more importently you get the best results with these cameras if you select the slowest ISO speed and put the camera on a tripod. You can do even better if you use the self timer so that your hand in not on the camera when the shuter trips.

Lighting helps a lot too. you want flat, even, low contrast lighting that is like an overcast day