How can I get my avatar pic in focus?

[The Warden]

Guys,

This is not really an issue with the forum, more a request from experianced photographers.

I wish to change my avatar to a pic of my new car. The trouble is, all the pics I have taken pixelise (s/p?) badly when I resize them to 80x80.

Any ideas on the best resolution for the original pic (IE: highest or lowest camera resolution setting?) and any tricks when resizing using the camera software. Or am I best to try and crop the pic down to size (IE: take the pic futher back so the car is only small in the frame and crop the car portion only)

Camera is an Olympus C 750, software is Olympus Master version 1.

Sorry if I have posted this in the wrong place.

regards,

Gordie.

[Fabio's CV8]

Could be a variety of things bloke.

I don't know about using the camera software though.

I would be happy to have a look for you. Email it to me fabian@ls1.com.au :)

[jneil]

I would expect that the bigger the subject (as in the more you try and cram in) in the pic, the worse the result.

Put the camera on the highest settings so you get the best pic to work with.

Experiment with say just a wheel, resize that to 80x80 it should look much better then say the whole car with heaps of background etc.

Crop the image to remove all the crap that you don't need. I'd totally fill the frame with whatever you want the picture of. eg if you want a pic of a persons head, you ONLY need the head, so don't bother getting the neck and body and feet in the shot.

I use ACDSee for all my resizing/converting and it does a fine job. It could be the camera software is too simple and stuffing it up also.

[Rod]

its probably the software you are using...heres a picture I shrank from 2560x1920 down to 77x58 using just MS Paint that comes with WinXP...no pixelation.

http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/rodana/jpgs/small.jpg

[The Warden]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'll give MS paint a go and see how that works, if not, Fab I'll take you up on your offer.

regards,

Gordie

[The Warden]

:D Success.... well it will do until I can get some better pics of the car.

MS paint worked better than the camera software.

Cheers,

Gordie.

[heavychevy]

IrfanView works well too. Freeware

[VeeTee346]

IrfanView works well too. Freeware

What he said.

I use this all the time, resize filters (one of many features) are excellent.

http://www.irfanview.com/