My 4x6 prints are cropped. I guess I don't know what image size to pick.

[d48]

I recently upgraded to a Sony P200 which I absolutely love. I've been taking pictures at the best 7MP image size. But when I upload them online for 4x6 prints, the prints end up being cropped from what I saw on my computer.

The manual lists these options for image sizes:
- 7M the default (3072 x 2034) for printing at a larger size with high density
- 3:2 (3072 x 2048) for printing at photo size with high density
- 5M (2592x1944) for printing at a larger size with high density
- 3M (2048 x 1536) for printing at A4 size
- 1M (1280 x 960) for printing at postcard size
- VGA (640 x 480) for emails and creating home pages

So maybe if I anticipate making 4x6 prints, I should pick the 3:2 option??? How do I know when to use the 7M and 5M options? Most of the time I don't know in advance that I'm going to make a 8 x 10. Also, what is A4 size?

Also, if I did take a picture on 7M, how can I adjust it so that I control the part that gets printed in a 4x6 when I upload it online?

Can someone explain this to me? I had a Canon S100 that I never adjusted the image size on and the prints always seemed to match what I saw on my computer. It died with a E18 error, so I can't check which settings were the default.

Thanks!

[Ray Schnoor]

If you want to make uncropped 4x6 photos directly out of the camera, you have to use the 3:2 mode. What I would suggest, though, is to use the 7M setting and do the cropping yourself to get whatever size/ratio you want later. That way you don't have to know ahead of time what size you are going to print.

Ray.

[Steve Cifra]

I have a Sony F717, and I mostly shoot in 3:2 mode. Just makes it easier to print pictures. When I don't and want to print a 4x6 say, I use Photoshop and set my crop for a 4x6 image. When you do the crop, the box will always be a 4x6 ratio. I assume most editors can do this.

Steve

[Ray Schnoor]

Also, what is A4 size?

Also, if I did take a picture on 7M, how can I adjust it so that I control the part that gets printed in a 4x6 when I upload it online?

A4 size is 210mm x 297mm (or ~8.3" x 11.7").

To control what is printed online, you either have to do the cropping yourself before uploading, or use an online printing service that lets you do that. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any online services that allow this, but I have used them in the past. Not knowing what image editing software you use, I can't say how you would do this before uploading. You just have to make sure that the image you upload is in the size ratio you want to print, otherwise some cropping will occur to make the image fit the paper.

For 4x6 photos, you just have to make sure that the long dimension is 6/4 x (or 1.5x) the short dimension; 8x10, the long dimension is 10/8 x (or 1.25x) the short dimension; A4, the long dimension is 297/210 x (or ~1.4x) the short dimension...

Can someone explain this to me? I had a Canon S100 that I never adjusted the image size on and the prints always seemed to match what I saw on my computer.

Looking at the S100 review, it looks like it saves images in either 1600x1200 or 640x480, both of which are 4:3 ratios. If you are printing 4x6 images then some cropping was done before printing, you probably just didn't notice it.

Edit: Both Shutterfly and EZPrints offer cropping to specific size ratios of images. I have used them in the past and was happy with the results, but have not used them in at least a year.

Ray.

[sbnr]

If you have adobe photo shop, you can just resize the pix to that size and you won't lose quality.

[d48]

Thanks for all your help.

I usually use Roxio PhotoSuite 7 or an older version of ULead Photo Explorer (v7). I looked in PhotoSuite and saw how I can easily crop for the 4x6 prints. But I guess that means that I'd have to do that to each print before I upload them for printing. That's not bad if I have a handful of prints, but it is if I have several hundred vacation photos.

Any more thoughts? Maybe I should take most pictures in the 3:2 mode, but then I'm not taking advantage of the 7MP. And I really don't know when I'll get those special pictures that I want to enlarge until after I've taken them.

[Ray Schnoor]

Any more thoughts? Maybe I should take most pictures in the 3:2 mode, but then I'm not taking advantage of the 7MP. And I really don't know when I'll get those special pictures that I want to enlarge until after I've taken them.

If I were you, I would go ahead and shoot in the 3:2 mode. I haven't read any reviews about the P200, but if your number are correct in your first post, the 3:2 mode (3072x2048=6.29 megapixels) actually has more resolution than the 7M mode(3072x2034=6.25 megapixels). This means that the 7M mode is actually a slightly cropped version of the 3:2 mode. If most of your prints are 4x6, then you are all set. Now you only have to make crops of the few shots that you want to blow up.

Ray.

[Ray Schnoor]

I just checked your numbers, and the 7M is actually 3072x2304=7.08 megapixels. Regardless, if you don't want to go through and select what areas of the 7M photos you want printed, you should probably still shoot in the 3:2 mode. You will save yourself lots of time and you are not losing much (6% top and bottom of the shot) for when you still want to blow up the occasional photo.

Ray.