{"id":6067,"date":"2012-08-15T15:38:24","date_gmt":"2012-08-15T15:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=6067"},"modified":"2012-08-15T15:50:28","modified_gmt":"2012-08-15T15:50:28","slug":"thoughts-on-mega-pixels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/?p=6067","title":{"rendered":"Thoughts on Mega Pixels……"},"content":{"rendered":"

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How many mega pixels do you really need? \u00a0How much resolution is enough? \u00a0Good questions that are not that easy to answer! \u00a0With 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. \u00a0Then I got one!!!! \u00a0It 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? \u00a0Truthfully I’m still working out the need part, the want part, is settled!<\/p>\n

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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 \u00a024 mega pixels or higher are “High Resolution Cameras.” \u00a0That 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.<\/p>\n

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Pros:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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1. \u00a0More mega pixels yield higher resolution, which in turn, produces images with more detail.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. \u00a0File sizes are much larger and can help us produce much larger prints while holding very high detail.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. \u00a0 When necessary, high mega pixel cameras files can be cropped significantly and still yield highly detailed prints and files.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. \u00a0While 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. \u00a0In other words the Nikon D3s and D4 are still better cameras for very low light use, than the D800 or D3200. \u00a0When it comes to noise, pixel size matters.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Cons:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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1. \u00a0High resolution cameras produce large files often two or three times larger than the more common mega pixels of 12 to 18 megapixels. \u00a0Thus card size and storage space will become more of an issue.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2. \u00a0Because 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. \u00a0Thus the D800 can manage only 5 frames per second versus the D4’s 10.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3. \u00a0 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, \u00a0the harder it is to keep noise down to very low levels. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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4. \u00a0The higher the resolution, the more exacting your technique must be to get the full potential of the higher resolution cameras. \u00a0 \u00a0Tripods, cable relases’, mirror lockup, and very high shutter speeds become your greatest allies.<\/span><\/p>\n

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So what is a photographer to do? \u00a0Unfortunately 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. \u00a0I can tell you what I’m thinking, at the moment. \u00a0I 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. \u00a0But I promised an answer so here are my thoughts;<\/p>\n

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As of today I want to own at least two camera bodies, three if I could afford them.<\/p>\n

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The Main Do Everything Body:<\/span> \u00a0Nikon D4 or D3s \u00a0These are the best all round cameras in my opinion. \u00a0They have great speed, virtually no noise, and are built like tanks. \u00a0Yes they are expensive, but they are long term investments.<\/p>\n

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The High Resolution replacement for the 4X5 view camera DSLR<\/span>: \u00a0The 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.”<\/p>\n

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The everyday, travel, just plain fun camera to use:<\/span> \u00a0The D7000. \u00a0At 16 megapixels on a DX sensor (almost equal resolution to a 24 mega pixels on a FX sensor), it is very sharp, and capable. \u00a0Noise is very low all the way out to 1600 and manageable at 3200. \u00a0It is well built and the DX lenses are less expensive and smaller, so it is delight for travel. \u00a0It 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!!! \u00a0 Just ask Mike Moats, I don’t know anyone getting more out of this camera!! \u00a0 Finally the price is right at under $1,200. \u00a0One last thin, I am really big on soft, predictable shutter releases, this camera may be the best I’ve ver used!!!!<\/p>\n

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Since I no longer shoot a great deal of sports and action, \u00a0if I had to eliminate one of these camera from my list, sadly it would be the D4\/D3s. \u00a0So I guess the bottom line is, could I live with just as D800 and D7000? \u00a0If you throw in a killer compact camera, point and shoot type camera, and my iPhone, you bet!!!!!<\/p>\n

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I would love to hear your thoughts, so if you will email them to \u00a0billfortney@earthlink.net<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0I will publish an entry with your thoughts!!!<\/p>\n

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Blessings,<\/p>\n

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the pilgrim<\/p>\n

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Hats off to Eric Harmon for one of the best close-ups I’ve seen in a long time, way to go Eric!!! \u00a0D800 with the 105 Micro Nikkor!! \u00a0 F8 at 2 seconds. \u00a0 Window light. \u00a0RAW image. \u00a0Vibrance and Clarity added. \u00a0This is a considerable crop, the value of 36 megapixels.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How many mega pixels do you really need? \u00a0How much resolution is enough? \u00a0Good questions that are not that easy to answer! \u00a0With 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chronicles","category-learning"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6067"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6073,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6067\/revisions\/6073"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/billfortney.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}