Image deterioration when resizing?

[matt green]

Hi all

I'm currently using a Kodak easyshare compact for mostly landscape pictures!, some of the pics taken so far with this haven't been ''too'' bad (still just dabbling at this stage) however whenever I resize down to 800x800 pixels to upload in my gallery quite a lot of shots are rendered useless.

Is this just a result of using a cheap compact, or a natural process of resizing...will I still have this problem if I ever started using a DSLR?

Matt
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[postcardcv]

You'll always loose something when you reduce the size of an image for web use, however a better image will look better when reduced. Sometimes making a resized image look right can be a real challenge, I've got some shots that look lovely at full res, but really lack punch when sized down for the web.

[matt green]

You'll always loose something when you reduce the size of an image for web use, however a better image will look better when reduced. Sometimes makinga resized image look right can be a real challenge, I've got some shots that look lovely at full res, but really lack punch when sized down for the web.

This makes sense, does anyone know if there are any free downloads that reduce images (ie chop a bit off around the frame) as apposed to resizing them?...that way the central image would at least stay unsullied right??

Matt

[Lisa W]

Picasa from Google allows for cropping. Might be a little hard to get the sizing just right for the web, from what I can tell if you resize manually it doesn't show pixels as you drag. But with a little bit of trial and error you can figure out how big the picture turns out. Picasa also has some other image editing software with it.

[Mickymouse]

Matt try Photofiltre, it's the easiest one I know for cropping and resizing, free too.

Mick

[matt green]

Matt try Photofiltre, it's the easiest one I know for cropping and resizing, free too.

Mick


Cheers Mick:t:

Will google it and have a look!

Matt

[RAH]

Generally speaking, you should do a sharpen after downsizing an image. This is regardless of what camera you use or what software you are using for the downsize (unless it is already set to do a sharpen on a downsize). When the image editor throws away pixels (that's how it downsizes, of course), the image usually gets softened, but can be brought back to life with a sharpen.

[bkrownd]

When the image editor throws away pixels (that's how it downsizes, of course), the image usually gets softened, but can be brought back to life with a sharpen.

Well, it doesn't really throw away pixels, but rather resamples the image from the old pixel grid to the new pixel grid, resulting in some smoothing.

[Doug Greenberg]

Generally speaking, you should do a sharpen after downsizing an image. This is regardless of what camera you use or what software you are using for the downsize (unless it is already set to do a sharpen on a downsize). When the image editor throws away pixels (that's how it downsizes, of course), the image usually gets softened, but can be brought back to life with a sharpen.

I totally agree. Sharpening needs to be done in stages, including a low-strength sharpening after the final resizing.