Half-uploaded images, resolution size issues

My version info is as follows:

Drupal 5.12
CCK: 5x-1.10
Imagefield: 5x-2.1
Download Method: Public
Files permissions: Users can upload files and edit files they've uploaded

The problem: Digital Cameras now create enormous images, with different DPI configurations. I'm quite sure the module writers are quite aware of this, but it causes problems with max resolution settings on the field settings page. If you have a 1mb image with 3600x2800 resolution, for example, its going to take a lot of time to view the image, especially if you use thickbox. So, obviously the best approach would be to enforce a max resolution of say...1200x900 in every field. All well and good, right?

Well, the problem is that some images will only half upload, and give the uploader a message about where to save a binary file, which I presume is the rest of the image that the size restriction excluded. However, the size restriction seems to crop images in weird ways, and I can't really seem to fix it. (I attached a screenshot to elaborate). I believe this problem to be with a DPI setting on the image, as a 1200x900 image at 72DPI and a 1200x900 image at 180 or 300DPI are NOT the same image size, which is one of the most %*^(@#*% annoying problems with modern interchangeable image formats, and I'm sure the module creators have pulled out enough of their own hair dealing with that fact. Since some cameras have a default image setting, and prospective email users arent going to be able to do batch DPI resizing in photoshop, I'm stumped.

I can't have cropped images of images half uploaded, but on the other hand, a 7 second loading time per image is equally painful.

Also: I have tried multiple configurations with max image size, and not all images have this problem, it seems to be certain random images that consistently have this problem (as its always the same image out of a group that causes the problem, not one image one time and another image another time). I have also tried multiple resolutions, 1200x900 seems to be fine 'most' of the time, 1200x1600 causes more problems than 1200x900, 1600x1200 causes even more problems. Beats the bloody hell out of me why.

I searched for a solution on this but I have yet to find one. I have some ideas, but I want to hear back from a module maintainer on this issue just in case there was a solution that I might have passed on my search, as I'm sure I'm not the first one to have this issue.

If any more info is required I'm happy to provide it and help any way I can.

Screenshot attached, thanks for the help!