# Advice needed about resolution settings for D800E



## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

Hi,

I run a portrait studio in St.Albans UK, and have been taking all my portraits on a Nikon D700 (12 MP) set to Large / Fine resolution. I have just upgraded to a Nikon D800E (36MP) and if I set that on Large / Fine resolution the file size triples.

I have conducted an experiment taking the same photo with both cameras set to all the different combinations of size and resolution and to match the Large / Fine file size of the D700, I need to have the D800E either set to Medium / Norm or Small / Fine.

What would be the best setting for portraits on the D800E out of these two? Does it really matter? All of my prints range from 6x4 inch prints to 18x12 inch prints, and canvasses up to 40x30 inches.

Obviously if I set the 800E to small / Fine I have the ability to enlarge the photo with less noise showing, but if I set it to Medium / Norm, I don’t have to enlarge so much but then any noise wont show because  of it.

Any advice will be most welcome.


Thanks in advance.


Martyn


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## tirediron (Jun 15, 2016)

Not sure why this matters?  Large/Fine are options which only affect the quality of the .jpg and not the raw file - I set mine to the smallest .jpg file size possible..


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## astroNikon (Jun 15, 2016)

I'm guessing OP only uses JPEGs and not RAW files.


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## Braineack (Jun 15, 2016)

Why would you buy that camera if you're not going to utilize the reason you bought it?


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## tirediron (Jun 15, 2016)

Braineack said:


> Why would you buy that camera if you're not going to utilize the reason you bought it?


'Tis a mystery indeed!


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## robbins.photo (Jun 15, 2016)

tirediron said:


> Braineack said:
> 
> 
> > Why would you buy that camera if you're not going to utilize the reason you bought it?
> ...



Well I could see it, you know, if it came in bronze...


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## robbins.photo (Jun 15, 2016)

Shmelvis said:


> Obviously if I set the 800E to small / Fine I have the ability to enlarge the photo with less noise showing, but if I set it to Medium / Norm, I don’t have to enlarge so much but then any noise wont show because  of it.
> 
> Any advice will be most welcome.
> 
> ...



Greetings, so of course first question, are you shooting in JPG, RAW, or both?

I guess the next question would be how much post processing you normally do and what size your final images need to be to get your desired results.  Do you do a lot of cropping or is more straight out of the camera as far as composition?


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## Braineack (Jun 15, 2016)

tirediron said:


> Braineack said:
> 
> 
> > Why would you buy that camera if you're not going to utilize the reason you bought it?
> ...


You're literally capturing 3x as many pixels, then confused the file size is also 3x as large.  Much mystery.


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## Trever1t (Jun 15, 2016)

Why aren't you shooting in raw (NEF) format????


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## PaulWog (Jun 15, 2016)

You say "obviously", but that isn't quite correct. You will not reduce any of your noise any more than you could if you shot in full size and properly used noise reduction.

It would be fair to dance around the truth if you were a hobbyist, but you're shooting professionally.

If JPeg works for you, shoot in the highest quality possible, and utilize the storage space you need. If you're doing bulk work (an entire high school or something like that), then a lower quality might make sense. Bulk editing in RAW should be, in most cases, better than auto JPeg settings. Especially in a studio setting.


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## Dave442 (Jun 15, 2016)

While it sounds like you had perfectly good results with the D700, the general consensus is to use the extra information that the D800 can provide and just go with the bigger file sizes. If you are shooting JPEG and not doing any processing then the larger file size is really just a matter of buying more storage space and using larger CF cards.


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## crzyfotopeeple (Jun 15, 2016)

Anybody know how to activate the crop sensor setting in my new medium format camera I just bought. The files are so dang big.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

tirediron said:


> Not sure why this matters?  Large/Fine are options which only affect the quality of the .jpg and not the raw file - I set mine to the smallest .jpg file size possible..


Sorry, I should have said I'm shooting the portraits in jpg


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

astroNikon said:


> I'm guessing OP only uses JPEGs and not RAW files.


Sorry, should have said I'm shooting in jpg


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

Braineack said:


> Why would you buy that camera if you're not going to utilize the reason you bought it?


Lol..fair comment. I'm using it for family portraits in my studio and I rattle through them at quite a rate. I can't afford the time to work in such massive files hence I want to emulate the D700 as far as that's concerned. However I'm also a photographer to one rather famous Rock guitarist and when I do work for him I will be using the full resolution the 800e will allow. I'm also a fan of aircraft photography and even with my 500 mm lens, I still need to crop quite a lot and don't want to lose quality. I needed an extra body as the hdmi socket on the d700 started playing up and I shoot tethered in the studio.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

tirediron said:


> Braineack said:
> 
> 
> > Why would you buy that camera if you're not going to utilize the reason you bought it?
> ...


Indeed!


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

Braineack said:


> tirediron said:
> 
> 
> > Braineack said:
> ...


Nope, not confused at all. I'm clearly capturing 3x as many pixels. I just wants to people's opinions on whether its best to select med norm or small fine to get the same file size. Seems like a perfectly sensible question to me.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

Trever1t said:


> Why aren't you shooting in raw (NEF) format????


Simples! File sizes just too big. I have to process all my files quickly between shoots. Loading up 100 files each of getting on for 100 mb will impede my workflow big time. Also, as I'm controlling my light, I get perfect exposed results every time so no need to shoot raw. There is nothing to recover. Just a quick touch up in PS and Portrait pro and it's done.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

PaulWog said:


> You say "obviously", but that isn't quite correct. You will not reduce any of your noise any more than you could if you shot in full size and properly used noise reduction.
> 
> It would be fair to dance around the truth if you were a hobbyist, but you're shooting professionally.
> 
> If JPeg works for you, shoot in the highest quality possible, and utilize the storage space you need. If you're doing bulk work (an entire high school or something like that), then a lower quality might make sense. Bulk editing in RAW should be, in most cases, better than auto JPeg settings. Especially in a studio setting.


Mm, interesting and thanks for your comment. Jpg works for my studio shoots and I have never had any complaint. I have always used the D700 set to large and fine and shooting at 12 mp has been fine. I would shoot in RAW but the file sizes would impede my progress in the studio big time. I'm rattling through the photo shoots like there is no tomorrow! I use RAW for other things but in the studio, jpg works (quickly) for me.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

Dave442 said:


> While it sounds like you had perfectly good results with the D700, the general consensus is to use the extra information that the D800 can provide and just go with the bigger file sizes. If you are shooting JPEG and not doing any processing then the larger file size is really just a matter of buying more storage space and using larger CF cards.


Thanks. I just don't need the massive file size for my studio work. 12 mp is just fine for what I'm doing. I just want to emulate the d800e to be like the d700. When I cover weddings, air shows, gig photography etc I use RAW and take my time over selecting the photographs, but the studio stuff has to be fast, in, out, next etc...


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## Dave442 (Jun 15, 2016)

I would probably go with medium normal for some slightly larger file sizes and optimised for quality (vs. optimised for size) on the d800. 

I know my sister is perfectly happy with those JPEGs from her D700 and has not bothered to move to the D8xx.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 15, 2016)

Dave442 said:


> I would probably go with medium normal for some slightly larger file sizes and optimised for quality (vs. optimised for size) on the d800.
> 
> I know my sister is perfectly happy with those JPEGs from her D700 and has not bothered to move to the D8xx.


Thanks. I'll take that on board.


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## Trever1t (Jun 15, 2016)

are jpg from the D800E any better than from a D7100? The whole advantage of the D800/810 is the dynamic range and resolution. Seriously I don't know and am curious to that answer. My suspicion is a D800 is not any advantage shooting jpg.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 16, 2016)

Trever1t said:


> are jpg from the D800E any better than from a D7100? The whole advantage of the D800/810 is the dynamic range and resolution. Seriously I don't know and am curious to that answer. My suspicion is a D800 is not any advantage shooting jpg.


I've only had the 800E a few days so not its difficult to say, but from my experimentation with resolutions and file sizes, I can't tell the difference. You mention the 7100 but my other camera is the 700 so they are both fx sensor.  I cannot tell any difference so far.


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## Trever1t (Jun 16, 2016)

Shooting raw I saw a major difference going from 700 to 800


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## Braineack (Jun 16, 2016)

What's the file size difference between the TIFF and RAW?

I don't like the idea of using compressed files for final products.  JPG Basic has a compression ratio of 1:16.

Nikon also suggest that the small size is good for a 12x8in print, and the Large size still only good for 24.5x16.5in  so quite a bit of upscaling needed to print at 40x30.  Using Basic jpeg, im sure the lossy compression artifacts will certainly be noticeable.  All to save disk space?


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## KmH (Jun 16, 2016)

Up grade your editing computer so it can handle the full size files.


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## Shmelvis (Jun 16, 2016)

KmH said:


> Up grade your editing computer so it can handle the full size files.


Yup, already been thinking the same!! more money!!!!


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## robbins.photo (Jun 16, 2016)

Shmelvis said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Up grade your editing computer so it can handle the full size files.
> ...


Or buy a cheaper body that creates smaller files for your studio work and save the d800 for other shooting endeavors

Sent from my N9518 using Tapatalk


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