262Tips before you start taking picturesRecord modeYou can select a record mode in which to take pictures or shoot movies.Select the best record mode for your purpose (printing, editing on acomputer, website editing, etc.). For information on the image sizes foreach record mode and memory capacity, see the table on P. 27.Record mode depicts the image size and compression rate of pictures you wish torecord.Pictures are made from thousands of dots (pixels). If a picture with relatively fewpixels is enlarged, it looks like a mosaic. A picture with many pixels is denser andclearer, but requires a larger file size (data size), decreasing the number of picturesthat can be saved. Increasing the compression rate reduces the file size, but makesthe pictures appear grainy.Image sizeThe number of pixels (horizontal × vertical) used when saving an image. Save yourpictures in a large image size to get clearer prints.CompressionImage data is compressed and recorded. The higher the compression, the less clearthe image will be.Still picture record modesImage size becomes larger Image becomes clearerApplication CompressionImage sizeLowcompressionHighcompressionSelect accordingto print size2816 × 2112 SHQ HQ1600 × 1200 – SQ1For small-sizedprints and websites 640 × 480 – SQ2Picture with high number of pixelsPicture with low number of pixels
