Thoughts on Mega Pixels……

How many mega pixels do you really need?  How much resolution is enough?  Good questions that are not that easy to answer!  With the advent of the Super Camera, the Nikon D800, the issue becomes more relevant than ever. When I first heard rumors about the D800 and that it would in fact be a 36 mega pixel camera, I couldn’t believe it, and actually, was not interested in it.  Then I got one!!!!  It is an unbelievable thrill to watch one of the files pop on the screen and then go into 100% crop and still see nothing but wonderful detail, but do I need it?  Truthfully I’m still working out the need part, the want part, is settled!

Let’s take a moment or two to flesh out the pros and cons to high resolution cameras. For the sake of this discussion lets stipulate that as of today August 15th, 2012  24 mega pixels or higher are “High Resolution Cameras.”  That is not to say that 12 to 18 megapixels are not Hi Res, but they are not in the same league as the 24 and higher cameras.

Pros:

1.  More mega pixels yield higher resolution, which in turn, produces images with more detail.

2.  File sizes are much larger and can help us produce much larger prints while holding very high detail.

3.   When necessary, high mega pixel cameras files can be cropped significantly and still yield highly detailed prints and files.

4.  While high mega pixel cameras like the Nikon D800 and D3200 have very low noise at high ISO, they cannot compete with the 12-18 mega pixel cameras of the same generation of technology.  In other words the Nikon D3s and D4 are still better cameras for very low light use, than the D800 or D3200.  When it comes to noise, pixel size matters.

Cons:

1.  High resolution cameras produce large files often two or three times larger than the more common mega pixels of 12 to 18 megapixels.  Thus card size and storage space will become more of an issue.

2.  Because the files are larger they cannot be passed through the to the buffer as fast and the buffer, no matter how large, still will reach capacity sooner.  Thus the D800 can manage only 5 frames per second versus the D4’s 10.

3.   As I mentioned above, even though the D800 and D3200 show remarkable low light performance in regards to noise at HIgh ISO, the higher the megapixels,  the harder it is to keep noise down to very low levels.  

4.  The higher the resolution, the more exacting your technique must be to get the full potential of the higher resolution cameras.    Tripods, cable relases’, mirror lockup, and very high shutter speeds become your greatest allies.

So what is a photographer to do?  Unfortunately I can’t tell you what to do, because we are all different, and I don’t know your needs, what you shoot, how good your tehcnique is, and what your camera budget is like.  I can tell you what I’m thinking, at the moment.  I say at the moment because all of this is a moving target, as new cameras appear, the more options change the lines in the sand.  But I promised an answer so here are my thoughts;

As of today I want to own at least two camera bodies, three if I could afford them.

The Main Do Everything Body:  Nikon D4 or D3s  These are the best all round cameras in my opinion.  They have great speed, virtually no noise, and are built like tanks.  Yes they are expensive, but they are long term investments.

The High Resolution replacement for the 4X5 view camera DSLR:  The D800/800e This camera stands alone as the highest resolution camera you can buy for tens of thousands of dollars less expensive than the camera in 2nd place. For Fine Art, Landscape, and any place you want extreme resolution for huge print sizes, this is ” the beast.”

The everyday, travel, just plain fun camera to use:  The D7000.  At 16 megapixels on a DX sensor (almost equal resolution to a 24 mega pixels on a FX sensor), it is very sharp, and capable.  Noise is very low all the way out to 1600 and manageable at 3200.  It is well built and the DX lenses are less expensive and smaller, so it is delight for travel.  It is also the best camera for close-up work, because the crop factor stretches your lens by 1.5, that makes your 200mm Micro Nikkor, like a 300mm Micro Nikkor!!!   Just ask Mike Moats, I don’t know anyone getting more out of this camera!!   Finally the price is right at under $1,200.  One last thin, I am really big on soft, predictable shutter releases, this camera may be the best I’ve ver used!!!!

Since I no longer shoot a great deal of sports and action,  if I had to eliminate one of these camera from my list, sadly it would be the D4/D3s.  So I guess the bottom line is, could I live with just as D800 and D7000?  If you throw in a killer compact camera, point and shoot type camera, and my iPhone, you bet!!!!!

I would love to hear your thoughts, so if you will email them to  billfortney@earthlink.net  I will publish an entry with your thoughts!!!

Blessings,

the pilgrim

Hats off to Eric Harmon for one of the best close-ups I’ve seen in a long time, way to go Eric!!!  D800 with the 105 Micro Nikkor!!   F8 at 2 seconds.   Window light.  RAW image.  Vibrance and Clarity added.  This is a considerable crop, the value of 36 megapixels.