Bill Pierce
Well-known
How many megapixels do you need? Certainly the camera manufacturers’ answer has been MORE. But, of course, that depends on what you do with your pictures. Probably the highest demand for most folks is making prints. Let’s suppose you take a picture that is perfect in every way that effects sharpness and detail. A top drawer lens at an optimum aperture with perfect focus and no camera shake or blurred subject motion… (I know - but we can dream.)
How many megapixels do you need to preserve your perfection? Take the print size you want in inches and multiply each dimension by the wanted dpi, often 300 for a good print viewed close, even 360 for folks using Epson printers. Let’s take a look at a 2x3 frame enlarged to a 14x21 inch image on USC (17x22) paper with an Epson printer.
14x360=5040 21X360=7560
Then multiply the pixel width and height and slide the decimal point on the result 6 digits to the left (or divide by a million). There it is; you are going to need a little over 38 megapixels to to preserve every detail in your perfectly exposed, perfectly focused, motion free image when someone takes a close squint at your perfect large print.
I guess the manufacturers are right. You do need their high megapixel sensors to achieve perfection. Any thoughts about the price of perfection or perhaps your personal striving to achieve perfection?
How many megapixels do you need to preserve your perfection? Take the print size you want in inches and multiply each dimension by the wanted dpi, often 300 for a good print viewed close, even 360 for folks using Epson printers. Let’s take a look at a 2x3 frame enlarged to a 14x21 inch image on USC (17x22) paper with an Epson printer.
14x360=5040 21X360=7560
Then multiply the pixel width and height and slide the decimal point on the result 6 digits to the left (or divide by a million). There it is; you are going to need a little over 38 megapixels to to preserve every detail in your perfectly exposed, perfectly focused, motion free image when someone takes a close squint at your perfect large print.
I guess the manufacturers are right. You do need their high megapixel sensors to achieve perfection. Any thoughts about the price of perfection or perhaps your personal striving to achieve perfection?