Confused beginner

[tonic289]

I am aiming for high resolution. To be able to do this, I intend to buy a Pentax 6 x 7 film camera. I cannnot afford digital medium format.I also want to buy a Canon scanner with "9600 x 9600" (according to advertisement). After developing the film, would my prints appear like those printed from high resolution digital camera like the 21 MP Nikon or Canon or 36 MP Hasselblad? If the answer is in the negative, how can I turn my prints into quality ones like those that reknowned photographers display in gallery shows?

If I cannot afford a 9600 x 9600 scanner what specifications should I tell Mpix for canvas prints measuring 12 x 20? What is the ideal canvas print size for my negative used in Pentax 6 x 7? Thank you to all who respond.

 

[marmots]

if you are a beginner as you say you are, i would recommend a cheaper dslr to start
you don't need that high of a resolution to get great pictures.
and besides medium formats tend to be less versatile especially for beginners, they ae usually used for studio work
and if you are a beginner i recommend getting the basics down with an easier to use camera

edit:
look through some of these

 

[dxqcanada5]

You are thinking of shooting film ... and then converting the image to digital with a scanner ... and then getting the image file printed ?
or You are thinking of shooting film and getting high quality prints from them ?

 

[thevideographer]

12x20 inches or feet? You don't need 20+ megapixels to get good 12x20 inch prints.

 

[enzodm]

another user here (analog universe) recently posted a link on print sizes: How Big Can I Print by Thom Hogan (including a trick for having more Mpixels).
The least expensive 18Mpix camera (Canon 550D), new, costs less than an old Pentax 6x7 body only. Having no idea of photography, a good investment could be starting with something cheap but educational (a basic dSLR) and then going medium format. This because the main reason why those renowned photographers have prints displayed in gallery shows is not resolution but all the rest, which is mostly human matter .

By the way, I just visited a Frank Horvat exhibition, and if looked with the same pixel-peeper attitude we have on the Web, resolution of some old prints, or recent prints from old high ASA negatives, is awful. Yet the picture is excellent.

 

[tonic289]

I both want to get high quality prints from them (through a developer who charges 5 -8 pounds, silver prints) and use scanner. Either way.

 

[tonic289]

12 x 20 inches

 

[tonic289]

Clarification. MPix is a printing store which prints in ready-canvas or frames.

 

[DiskoJoe]

If you want to do film then I would suggest befriending someone that has their own lab and will take you under their wing or it will get expensive fast. A cheap dslr is a good way to start. You can get a used one for around $300 on ebay then you just need to get a good quality lens.

 

[enzodm]

Clarification. MPix is a printing store which prints in ready-canvas or frames.

if you aim at printing on canvas, canvas texture will reduce the amount of detail, so you need some less resolution (made size equal to paper).

 

[analog.universe]

12 x 20 inches

21 megapixel would be the industry standard highest possible quality for this size. The difference between 18 megapixel (which as mentioned can be obtained for around $500) and 21, you would need a magnifying glass to see, if you could see it at all. Since you've mentioned canvas, you probably couldn't tell the difference between 10 and 21.

 

[KmH]

From the Mpix web site: How to prepare your images.

Also, I don't believe Mpix offers a 12x20 canvas. Are you wanting the canvas on matboard, a stretcher frame, or as a gallery wrap?

 

[Mike_E]

There are so many different things in this equation.

First, how much of a beginner are you? What's your budget?
[if you are a competent photographer film is a good way to get into medium format although there are cheaper ways of getting into it than a Pentax.]
[knowing your budget will help with specific advice]

Second, do you intend to only work with canvas? How large to you expect to print for the main part of your shots?
[if yes then you needn't worry too much about resolution]
[if large prints are what you are after and price is an object along with all types of prints being in play then you are on the right track]

Obviously there is so much more to a print's being gallery worthy but we need a little more help in getting you there.

 

[tonic289]

I cannot afford a brand new medium format camera like a brand new Pentax 6 x 7. I feel comfortable using 120mm film which I presumed fits to the second hand Pentax. I also cannot afford buying a brand new 18 or 16 megapixel digital camera. For personal reasons, my sister bought me already a 12 megapixel Nikon 5000 camera. My donor cannot afford selling my used one to buy another with higher resolution. I like to sell my 'wares' in a fair together with some pottery in which I plan to spend some of my spare time.

 

[MissCream]

I'm not sure why you think you need a medium format camera for what you want, you do not need one.