I am taking pictures solely for use on the web on an AGFA CL50. The final product for the web is a .jpeg of about 300 x 300 pixel size. I can take the picture at a resolutions from 640x480 up to 1600x1200 pixels. I am trying to maximize the detail of the image on the web. I have to reduce the image size or crop the image regardless of the resolution at which I take the picture. Any help on what resolution setting is best, and how to maximize clarity for this small of a final picture would be sincerely appreciated.

If I may ask a second question, can I use a 1000 watt halogen light on a tripod rather than a photography-type tungsten light to illuminate the item to be photographed? I can buy this type of "construction" lighting at a home improvement store for far less than a tungsten light set-up from a camera store. Is there something special about the tungsten lights that makes them better for taking pictures?

-- Dan Pastore (dan@erie.net), June 07, 2000

Answers

TANSTAAFL! There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. :-)

By that, I mean that no matter which method you use to interpolate or scale down you're only going to be able to represent so much information with the lesser resolution available in a smaller image. Frankly, I don't think the size you start at matters nearly as much as how much information you're trying to represent with that smaller image. Why not simply try taking a few test shots of different subjects at different sizes and then interpolating them down to see for yourself. Apply a little sharpening and you'll probably be just as happy either way. The only difference you might see is that some smaller details are picked up in the higher resolution images that wouldn't be in the lower res images and might survive interpolating down to an even smaller file, but I doubt it'll make much difference.

Try it for yourself, and good luck either way.

-- Gerald M. Payne (gmp@francomm.com), June 08, 2000.