Canon 7d outputting at 72 dpi
 

My Canon 7d camera seems to be to download photos to my computer with a pixel measurement of 5184 x 3456 but with a dpi of 72? Shouldn't it be 300 dpi?

If so is there anyway to fix this?

Thanks for any help you can offer. I'm a bit perplexed by this.

Aren't you using Canon's DPP for processing? If you're not then copy paste your files on your computer and open them through Photoshop or whatever you use.

Using Lightroom to process. I just wondered why Canon outfit their files at 72 dpi for the new 7d model.

It is not the Camera that is outputting at 72 dpi that is just the default that you processing software is using - you can probably change the default in Lightroom.
It does not matter what dpi you are using as you can change it at will. A file size with the same pixel dimensions will be exactly the same if it is 72 dpi or 1000 dpi.
Just to clarify things - the DPI does not effect image quality or file size whatsoever. It is only relevant when you come to print.

I think you'l find that its 72 PPI ie pixels per inch. The PPI setting only matters when you come to print your image. 72 PPI is way to low to produce acceptable prints. For home printing, using my Epson 1290, I usually aim for a minimum of 150 PPI as a minimum, and preferably over 200. The figure of 300 PPI that you mention is the recognised resolution usually required by commercial printers for magazines.

Changing the PPI affects the output size of your image when printed, but does not change the actual file size. So for example your 5184 x 3456 image printed at 72 PPI would produce a print 72" x 48" :eek: (5184/72 x 3456/72). Printing the same image at 300 PPI would produce a print 17" x 11.5"

To change the PPI in PS go to Image > Image Size, UNCHECK Resample image and enter the desired PPI eg 300 in the resolution box - the document size will change but the number of pixels in the image won't.

DPI = dot per inch and refers to the nunber of dot of ink a dot matrix printer puts onto one inch of paper. For example my Espon can print at 2440 DPI.

DPI & PPI are completely independent (altough often confused ;) )

The photos have come straight off the card reader into my computer with the 72 dpi written on them in the EXIF data. Could it be Windows Vista that has it set for this default? Is there a way to change that or need I not bother?

You need not bother as it is irrelevant - until you come to print it is a meaningless figure.
When you download to the PC you must be using a program to do so - it is this program that is setting the 72 dpi. I use Canon's DPP to and there is a setting whereby you can set the default output resolution (which I have set to 72 dpi !!!) but you can set it to whatever you want.

If we are talking jpegs straight from the camera then it is the camera that is setting the ppi and not any external software.

Canon have always been all over the place with jpeg ppi depending on the camera model. If I remember correctly it has varied from 180, 160 and 72ppi.

As a example all Olympus E-system modeles output jpegs at 311ppi, why ,because that is the ppi that Olympus's only printer (dyesub) outputs at.

I could understand when the Canons used to be 180ppi as it matched there own printers output, (180ppi used to divide exactly inti the DPI settings) but 72ppi, well pehaps they think most 7D owners will be outputting to the web.;)

But agree it is none event till you are outputing as a print. :)