Question regarding camera resolution. I\'m in the market as it were...

QuietiManes

QuietiManes

New member
Firstly, I\'ll appologize, as the camera questions have been done to death. But this is a little more specific and since I\'m currently shopping around for a camera, I\'d like to get some opinions from someone other than the salesman. I remember reading somewhere at least a couple times, a short note saying something like \"anything more is a waste\" \"not needed\" \"i\'m quite happy with it\" in other threads about which camera to buy by people who have 3-5mp cameras.

So, mainly for photographing miniatures, but any photo really being viewed on a monitor, I\'d like to know if anything over 2 or 3 mega pixel cameras are a complete waste if you\'re posting the pictures to the internet. Hence the photo being viewed on a monitor.

Looking at the Nikon Coolpix 8700-8800 the features list this:
-8.0 megapixel sensor captures 3264 x 2448 images for poster-size plus print enlargements

Which got me thinking, and I checked just now, my monitor has a MAX setting of 1600 x 1200 pixels. That is LESS than 1/4 or LESS than %25 of the pixels in an 8mp picture. So, at best, I can only view a 2mp (1.92) picture to it\'s fullest. Is this right?

Of course, I\'d think a \"graphics geek\" would have a newer, better system. Anyone in animation or graphic arts etc. But how much further does the average computer monitor go from 1600x1200?

This assumes, resizing and such, makes no difference. A pixel is a pixel, if I cut a picture in half, I can then blow up the detail level but I\'m still only looking at half the picture, so instead of seeing 1/4 the detail, I now see 1/2...still at 2mp roughly, just under. Correct? Or am I missing something?

So taking the cropping into account, a 4 or 5mp camera might be nice, to maximize. But WTF posts 1600x1200 pixel pictures? That\'s a large file after all.

So...am I missing something or what\'s the deal? At what point does more pixels become a waste for our uses here on CMON, EBAY and our wee shops/storefronts? ???

Help me help me...I am slowly going crazy...

1-2-3-4 WATCH ME FLY

...or is my video card and monitor just really old?
 
H

Hi-lite-r

Guest
Well..

I use a Fuji finepix S3000, its a 3.2 MP camera with macro, etc. Nothing really special, more important though is really your photo editing software as raw images straight out of the camera are normally useless for web use. I use photoshop. This pic. http://www.coolminiornot.com/93112 I took on the 1 Mb setting (not very high) and with photoshop i can edit out parts and generally make a good picture.

So to me it owuld be better to get something with 4 or so Mega pixels and then get some good photo editing software.
 
R

Rab

Member
I think the whole megapixel thing has become something of a headline grabbing, selling point for many manufacturers. A 3 Mp camera is probably sufficient for most people, there\'s certainly enough detail in the photos to print them out at normal photo sizes.

It\'s like the MHz race in PCs, people look at the numbers and the one with the biggest number is obviously the best, right? So the manufacturers pander to that impression and use the clock speed as the main selling point.

As Hi-lite-r said, a higher res camera does give you more latitude with cropping etc, but yes, anything much over 1Mp is too big for the web.

However, any higher res camera will take pictures at lower resolutions and you can always re-size the image in PhotoShop, PSP, Gimp etc.

Don\'t get too hung up on the resolution of the camera, look at the factors that are important to you, how good is the macro, does it have a manual white balance, can you control the aperture and hence the depth of field?

Also, consider if you\'re going to use the camera exclusively for photographing miniatures or do you want something to take holiday snaps with too? In which case, something with more than a 1Mp resolution might be handy :)

Rab.
 
L

Legacy Account

Active member
If you\'re going to buy a new camera, you may as well get one that\'ll take decent pics to print out as well....

If you have a choice of 3mp or 5mp for a bit extra dosh, take the 5mp as you\'ll have way more scope for cropping and enlarging. Also make sure you get one with a good macro that\'ll focus to around 5cm or less, an optical zoom and an aperture priority mode.

Have to say I noticed a big difference in the quality of the pics my 6mp cam takes over my 3mp (but it does have a shit hot lens on the front.... :))
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back To Top
Top