Megapixel vs. Megapixel

nikon90s · Mar 11, 2004

Ok I know this will be hard to answer but I can't find an article that can explain it in plain English. How can you tell what DSLR camera will give you a sharper picture. I am looking at getting DSLR most likely a Nikon and have been looking at the D100 6.1 megagixel or the new D2H 4.1 megapixel. At first glance you would think that the 6.1 would be better, more megapixels better picture right? I know there are other things that go into what makes a shot sharper and this is a very subjective topic and more importantly that not all megapixels are created equally. How can someone tell what will give you a sharper picture if megapixels are not all made the same?

Chase · Mar 11, 2004

This doesn't exactly answer your question, but I would strongly suggest looking at the new D70 which should be shipping by the end of the month.

photogoddess · Mar 11, 2004

Not sure about the whole megapixel thing but I do know that your glass will make a difference in sharpness.

nikon90s · Mar 11, 2004

photogoddess said:
Not sure about the whole megapixel thing but I do know that your glass will make a difference in sharpness.

I know that but you can put the same glass on either camera

metroshane · Mar 11, 2004

Nah, you got it all wrong. The more megapixels...the bigger you can print your image. So if you're printing an 8x10 (or 4x5) for that matter, you will not be able to tell a difference. You see, at 300 dots per inch, you need so many megapixels across and up/down in that inch so that you can't see the pixels. Now say you want to ....ah hell...just go here.

http://www.megapixel.net/cgi-bin/fs...xel.net/html/articles/article-megapixels.html

On a standard print size, your glass is the determining factor on sharpness

drlynn · Mar 11, 2004

Higher Megapixels on a digicam generally mean that your pic will look "photo quality" at larger print sizes, not necessarily sharper.

I agree with Photogoddess, your glass will have a lot to do with overall sharpness.

When deciding between DSLR "A" and DSLR "B" with different MP resolutions, ask yourself how big do you want prints? If you are gonna want poster sized prints or larger, then you'll want a higher MP camera.
If you think you don't want more than 8x10 or 11x14, then a lower MP cam might suit you fine.

nikon90s · Mar 12, 2004

drlynn said:
Higher Megapixels on a digicam generally mean that your pic will look "photo quality" at larger print sizes, not necessarily sharper.

I agree with Photogoddess, your glass will have a lot to do with overall sharpness.

When deciding between DSLR "A" and DSLR "B" with different MP resolutions, ask yourself how big do you want prints? If you are gonna want poster sized prints or larger, then you'll want a higher MP camera.
If you think you don't want more than 8x10 or 11x14, then a lower MP cam might suit you fine.

Very good point. But from what I read not all Megapixels are created =.
like the canon 50s is a 5 Megapixel camera costs around $500 now the D2H is a 4.1 Megapixel costs around $3,300. The 50s will not give you a better shot then the D2H but I just don't know how I can tell with out taking both out and taking the same shots.

What size prints look 35mm quality or better with what megapixels size?(ie 2 Megapixels 3x5, 3 Megapixels 5x7 and so on) How can I tell that. :roll:

photogoddess · Mar 12, 2004

I think a megapixel is a megapixel is a megapixel. I think the difference is in the quality of the glass and the ccd. The glass part is obvious. If your glass sucks, your images will be soft. I am not sure about the CCD part but... if all CCDs were created equally, why would the camera manufacturers spend so much time and money improving them?

nikon90s · Mar 12, 2004

drlynn said:
Higher Megapixels on a digicam generally mean that your pic will look "photo quality" at larger print sizes, not necessarily sharper.

I agree with Photogoddess, your glass will have a lot to do with overall sharpness.

When deciding between DSLR "A" and DSLR "B" with different MP resolutions, ask yourself how big do you want prints? If you are gonna want poster sized prints or larger, then you'll want a higher MP camera.
If you think you don't want more than 8x10 or 11x14, then a lower MP cam might suit you fine.

Very good point. But from what I read not all Megapixels are created =.
like the canon 50s is a 5 Megapixel camera costs around $500 now the D2H is a 4.1 Megapixel costs around $3,300. The 50s will not give you a better shot then the D2H but I just don't know how I can tell with out taking both out and taking the same shots.

What size prints look 35mm quality or better with what megapixels size?(ie 2 Megapixels 3x5, 3 Megapixels 5x7 and so on) How can I tell that. :roll:

voodoocat · Mar 12, 2004

That is very true Nikon. Take the faveon sensor for example. It really only has 3 megapixels, yet performs more like 6 megapixels.

wwjoeld · Mar 12, 2004

that 4 mP nikon is meant for photojournalists who will be printing on newprint were resolution doesnt really matter.

markc · Mar 12, 2004

I think that article is misleading. If I make a print from a full-source image (6.4Mp) and another from a small cropped portion (say 2Mp), there is a noticable difference between the two at the sizes I print at, especially 12"x18". Since this is coming from the same source file, the camera and the glass are the same. Even at 8x10, I don't want to give up pixels if I don't have too.

They even contradict themsevles:

Indeed, past a certain number of pixels (around 1.3 megapixels), the quality of the image is not directly linked to the number of pixels on the sensor, the image contains a sufficient amount of information to create a clear and sharp photo.

and ...

Most mini-labs produce printed photos from 35mm film that measure around 6 x 4 inches or 15.24 cm x 10.16 cm. To obtain a good print with a similar dimension from a colour printer, the camera must be able to record an image of at least 2.16 megapixel.

Where are they getting this 1.3 Mp number from? According to their chart, a 4x6 needs 2.3Mp, not 2.16, so they contradict themselves yet again.

Anyway, 6x9 is the smallest I print at. According to their chart, 5 1/3 X 8 needs 4Mp. If you do 8x10's or larger, you want as many pixels as possible.

Here's another article on the subject.

I'm not saying that number of pixels is all-important, but it isimportant. It's just not the only factor to look at. Whether the sensor is a CCD or CMOS can have a big impact, as well as the quality of said sensor. CMOS sensors were usually used in the cheap cameras, but they've gotten to the point that they are in pro-level equipment, like the Canon 1Ds, so that shoudn't be an automatic assumption.

The D2H uses a JFET LBCAST sensor, which is similar to CMOS. The D100 uses a CCD, but is older technology.

I guess it really comes down to is trying it out for yourself, or putting some faith in the reviews to at least help you narrow it down. When it comes to the ever-changing world of high-tech, there are rarely easy answers.

doxx · Mar 12, 2004

How can someone tell what will give you a sharper picture if
megapixels are not all made the same?

Only way is to compare images...

The modern DSLRs have all pretty good sensors - all a little
bit different in the used technology and with that in quality.

The D2H is built for speed and durability, basically a pro camera for
photojournalists... the D100 is designed for the advanced amateur,
the 6 MP sensor is pretty much standard in this price range.

I have produced some beautiful 11x17 prints from my Canon 10D.

Also, the noise level is very important - the higher the ISO, the more
noise in your digital images. I remember the D100 having a higher
noise level than the 10D for example. If you want to do lots of low light/
night photography you might want a cam that offers high ISO settings.

http://www.dpreview.com is a very good source to check
the technical aspects of a digicam, often they show test pictures
as well.

Last but not least, visit your local camera store and actually try the
desired cameras - the feel and ergonomics of a camera are also
very important.

markc · Mar 12, 2004

The low noise is the reason I finally decided to go with the 10D. I tend to shoot in low-light situations, and the noise on the higher ISOs for the other cameras kinda sucked. This was the first camera in my price range that did what I wanted it to do.

I'll make nice 12x18 prints from my 6.4Mp 10D files, but I'd still love to have the large resolution of the 1Ds.