In conversation with a neighbour today whilst I was out with my camera, I was asked if a 35mm DSLR produces better images than film does.
I really wasn't sure; the last time this really came up was when the *ist D came out, and film was still meant to be far superior, in terms of capturing detail and enlargement potential. So what size sensor does 35mm film equate to? It appears that ISO 100 was deemed to be about 20MP, but later revised to between 4MP-16MP, depending on the film, and 8 MP DSLRs produced an 'image quality' close to 16MP. This says more here (last revised 2008): http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/film.vs.digital.summary1/index.html A question/answer in a camera magazine today suggested that 24MP 35mm DSLR prints could be made to A3 paper size (at 300ppi) and A2 with a 36MP sensor. This I found shows a 30" x 42" enlargement of a Velvia ISO 50 slide: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecostolo/3750325141/ I know I've seen similar size enlargements from 35mm DSLRs that look good viewed at a close distance from the enlargement. I also understand the grain difference between film and digital files is different, and I'm trying hard not to compare apples with oranges, but with 35mm 50.6 MP sensors about to hit the market, have we now reached the point where DSLRs conclusively capture more information than film (specifically 35mm only)? Additionally, do we have to print at 300ppi? Can you reduce this and still produce sharp enough pictures at an enlarged size - assuming the image is a good sharp one to begin with? I don't think I've ever had an image printed beyond 16" x 20", so I'm curious how far it can be enlarged and remain really quite sharp, for example as a framed print in a large family room? Larger sensors equal more detail, which you must be able to do more with including fairly big enlargements from a small cropped area of any given image. Are cameras sensors getting too large at 35mm? Malcolm -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
