How To Get Maximum Image Quality From Any Digital Camera: Part 1

The LCD screen gives all shooting information at a glance.

 About "How To Get Maximum Image Quality From Any Digital Camera"

"How To Get Maximum Image Quality From Any Digital Camera" is a three part series. In Part 1 we will look at setting up the camera body, using the built in menu settings, to get as much information into each image file as the camera is capable of capturing. Part 2 looks at how our choice of lens and lens settings affect image quality. Shooting technique and camera handling make up Part 3 of this series.

What Is Maximum Image Quality?

My definition of maximum image quality is the file that will allow the largest possible photographic quality print from any given camera and lens combination. This will vary from camera to camera and from lens to lens. It might mean a 8"x12" or 13"x19" print from a 6 megapixel sensor or a 16"x24" or 24"x36" print from a 12-18 megapixel camera. Maximum image quality requires capturing the maximum amount and maximum quality of visual information possible for each camera and lens when the shutter is tripped. Getting the most information into each camera image file involves a combination of camera capture settings, lens settings and shooting techniques to take best advantage of both.

The Most Important Camera Settings For Best Quality

*File Recording Format

File recording quality/format screen

All DSLR's and many compact "point & shoot" cameras offer the choice to save image files as either .jpg or RAW format files. For maximum image quality, choose the RAW file format. This file type saves all of the information recorded by the image sensor in the camera. It offers greater bit depth than .jpg files(often 12, 14 or 16 bit depth instead of 8 for .jpg). RAW files also offer more and less destructive options for optimizing the image, similar to "developing" a film image, than are available for .jpg files. After "developing" in a RAW file editor such as Adobe Camera RAW or whatever came packaged with your camera, save the files in the native software format or as .tif files to retain maximum bit depth and information content. Be sure to also save the original RAW file to retain the option of going back at a later time to "develop" it in a different way.

*Color Recording Format

Color recording format/color space screen

Most cameras offer a variety of formats for recording the color information in a photo file. When available, AdobeRGB has the largest usable amount of color information and should be used. The next best option is usually standard RGB format, with a few other options having smaller and more restricted color spaces sometimes offered.

*Show The Exposure Histogram

Histogram screen set to display Red, Green & Blue histograms

All digital cameras offer the choice to show an exposure histogram on the LCD display on the back of the camera body. If possible, choose the histogram that shows individual graphs for red, blue and green. On these graphs, most exposure is on the right and least exposure is on the left. Try to keep each frame within the boundaries of the graph to avoid black areas with no detail and blank white areas. Frames without a full range should be biased as much as possible towards the right, as more exposure equals more information.

*About Image Stabilization

Image stabilization is turned OFF when on a tripod

Some camera systems have image stabilization built into the camera body in the form of a moveable sensor. Other camera systems incorporate image stabilization into individual lenses. Either way, if you mount your camera on a solid tripod the stabilization feature should be turned off. Stabilization should always be turned on whenever hand-holding the camera: all of the current types of image stabilization work quite well and there is no reason to ignore it when there is any possibility of camera movement during an exposure.

*ISO Speed

The lowest possible ISO speed should always be set for any exposure unless there are special reasons(such as wanting a noisy/grainy look) to use a higher speed. When the camera is tripod mounted this means an ISO that gives a shutter speed just fast enough to stop any subject movement during exposure. For hand-held work, the shutter speed must be fast enough to eliminate both camera and subject movement during exposure. Slower ISO speeds equate to more detail and sharpness and less noise/grain. This is especially true for smaller sensors in compact "point & shoot" cameras. Even in the very latest cameras, files shot at ISO 800 cannot equal the resolution and detail of files shot at ISO 200.

Following the above recommendations for  camera set-up will ensure that your camera is giving you the best photo files it is capable of producing. Of course there will be times when a faster per-second frame rate is needed and .jpg files are necessary or when ISO 1600 is the only possible way to get the shot. I am certainly not saying don't do that and miss the shot, just understand that those files may not be of the same quality and will not print to as large a size. This is especially true if major color correction or other types of editing need to done on the file. Greater bit depth allows more image manipulation without ill effect on the file.

Compact digital cameras

*Why own a compact digital camera?
Even though I have taken the route of simplifying my DSLR outfit to the bare minimum I still own a compact digital camera as well. There are several reasons for this. The most important reason is for an emergency back-up in case the DSLR goes down. Another is there are times and places it is just not as practical to carry the larger camera, even if only the body and one lens. There is also a down-side to using a compact compared to a DSLR.

*Size, weight, carrying ease and visibility
Sometimes it is just much easier to carry only a compact camera. It might be a windy day on the beach with blowing sand and salt spray or it might be storming with blowing rain or snow. A compact camera can be carried in a pocket and is ready to shoot when pulled out and be quickly protected again. A DSLR is either exposed on a neck strap or in a much less accessible case. Replacement cost in case of damage from the elements is a factor, too. In some areas it might be much wiser not to make a show of carrying camera gear, even if just cheaper “amateur equipment, and becoming a possible target of thieves or hostility. Carrying just a compact camera is less conspicuous. It can be taken from a pocket and a photo taken without bringing it up to eye level and quickly removed from sight again. For “street” photography a compact can be carried hidden in one hand and frames exposed on the fly. A compact is also much quieter than a DSLR so observers don’t know when or if exposures are being made. It can be very liberating to wander around looking for images without a larger and heavier DSLR outfit hanging from the neck or attached to a tripod.

*Image quality
Image quality from compact digital cameras is not the equal of DSLR’s but steps can be taken to maximize that quality. The smaller cameras mostly suffer from a smaller sensor which means smaller individual pixels. Image quality suffers much more as ISO speeds increase than it does with larger sensors. As with a DSLR, always shoot at the lowest practical ISO to get the best image quality. Zoom lenses with very wide focal length ranges tend to suffer much more from linear distortion and aberrations at both the shortest and longest ends of the zoom range. Longer range zooms on compacts are always much slower, too, limiting the usefulness of the longer focal lengths unless a tripod is used.

*Desirable features
When selecting a compact camera I look for a good image stabilization/anti-shake function as a tripod or monopod will not usually be used. Either easily accessible manual exposure or exposure compensation is a must to correct for backlighting or other exposure difficulties. I prefer a zoom in the 4x to 6x range to minimize both image quality fall-off at the focal extremes and speed loss at the long end of the range. I much prefer a zoom range starting at 28mm equivalent or shorter for versatility. It is usually much easier to move closer to a subject than to try to back up through a wall to fit more into the frame. The ability to shoot RAW files is a huge plus but not an absolute deal-breaker. Fitting into a pocket rather than requiring a neck strap or case is high on my list and another reason for choosing a medium-range over a longer-range zoom. A hot-shoe for accessory flash when needed is another plus but also not a deal-breaker.

*What to expect
A good compact digital camera, which includes most of the models currently available, should provide more than adequate image quality for on-screen and web use and for prints up to 8”x10”. Most will start having image-quality issues at larger sizes including softness and noise(grain) as compared to similar shots from a DSLR with a larger sensor. Color and noise problems can be more obvious if RAW shooting is not possible. Using the quality-enhancing techniques outlined in the “Most basic equipment” series will minimize these problems when using compact cameras, too. Just don’t expect to use a compact at maximum focal length and ISO800 for 16”x20” prints for the dining room wall – you will be very disappointed with the results. For images to post on a web site or Flickr or to e-mail to friends or to make 4”x6” prints to show, no one will know what kind of camera was used.