NEWSERIES
Make the most of your Canon EOS camera’s image quality settings
In part 17 of our series: We explain the all-important differences between the various image file types
O neof the big decisions you need to make when you start shooting is the type of file that you’re going to save your photos in. That’s why Image Quality is the first option in your camera menu. While it has no effect on the composition, it does make a difference to what you can do to your image after you’ve got the shot, how big you can blow your image up (or how much scope there is to crop it), the maximum burst and the number of shots you can save to your memory card.
There are three types of file: Raw, JPEG and HEIF, although only a few newer cameras currently offer the latter option. In addition to choosing the file type, you can also select the level of compression and, in the case of JPEG and HEIF, the resolution of the image, too.
Compression and resolution are different things. The resolution is the number of pixels that make up an image. For example, with an EOS 90D, you’re able to shoot JPEGs as large (L) 32MP files, medium-sized ones (M) at 15MP, or small ones (S1) at 8.1MP. There’s also a tiny 3.8MP option (S2). Larger images give you more room for manoeuvre when it comes to cropping or printing your images later.
Each of the main JPEG and HEIF sizes (L, M or S1) are available in two compression (qual
