How big can I go?

[Dubie]

I have a Canon Rebel XTi. How big can I blow a picture without losing integrity?

Just out of curiousity, what kind of cameras do people use when they have gallery showings and their work is so huge?

 

[Big Mike]

There are a lot of factors here.

The resolution of your camera is 3888 x 2592. So at 300 PPI, that's 12.96" x 8.64". However, you don't have to use 300 PPI. Also, you can use software to up-sample the image.

Even then, it's a matter of personal taste as to how it looks. Some people might be happy with how it looks at 24x36 and some might not.

Sharpness of the image will come into play. Was a tripod used? Was MLU used? Was it a high quality lens used at a prime aperture?

After all that, you have to consider the viewing distance. You don't blow up an image to 10 feet wide and then press your nose up to it....you stand back.

I suggest that you try a few test prints and see for yourself.

 

[itoncool]

After all that, you have to consider the viewing distance. You don't blow up an image to 10 feet wide and then press your nose up to it....you stand back.

This is a very great point Mike, seems like a small silly thing but it's quite important. You just can't blow up any image and still viewing it like a postcard size.

I would like to add ISO, less is better to blow up.