Optimum Quality Settings

I have a 10MP compact camera, but my camera allows me to shoot images of smaller dimensions too. Which settings should I use in which situations? Also, how do the compression settings influence image quality?
Ishmeen Sethi, Chandigarh

All DSLR and compact cameras allow you to shoot images of smaller dimensions. The image size is reduced with low resolution. Additionally, compression settings can also be selected. For instance, digital cameras nowadays allow you to choose from a variety of options-Super Fine, Fine, Normal, Basic and others.

When the images are compressed and are of low resolution, the file size becomes smaller. This allows you to store more images on a memory card. However, while the size of the file is smaller, there is a compromise in terms of image quality, as you are not capturing the best quality that your camera is capable of. If you plan to email or upload the images online, it is more convenient to shoot at a reduced resolution with higher compression settings. However, if you decide to print the high compression images later on, the quality will not be so good. This is why we would advise you to always shoot using the best quality settings, to be on the safe side. You can reduce the size of a good quality image easily but enlarging an image whose quality is poor is difficult.