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| Last light of the Day in Newport, Rhode Island (click to enlarge) (2005 image from a Nikon D70 with a 6mp file size) |
I think my sweet spot would be a 24mp APS-C or DX sensor. For years and as the technology had not yet improved much, I used to be only satisfied with a "full frame," 35mm film frame sized sensors but I don't believe I need a sensor that large any longer. Sensor technology and the software that converts the photons into electrons and produces an image file before it gets to the memory card has improved so much, that I don't believe that I need the larger sensor anymore. Even for stock photography.
What about M4/3 sized sensors as are found in the Olympus E-M1 or Panasonic GH-4? Excellent! Wonderful! In fact, I probably don't need an APS-C sized sensor either as the M4/3 sensors, with their associated algorithms, are so good, they give me pretty much all the quality I really need–again, even for stock photography!
Then why would I then want to go bigger (larger sensors means larger lenses), more expensive and heavier than a M4/3 sensor and move up to an APS-C sensor?? I don't know. I think it has to do with an irrational insecurity from my past experience. My mind wants to convince me that the resulting images would be better, but in reality there is little, if any, difference under most conditions. Yes, there would be a difference in being able to achieve a narrower depth of field, but I don't have use for that very often in my photography. I'm a landscape, travel and nature photographer. Yes, there may be a difference at very high ISOs, but again, I don't go there very often. Less than 5% of my images are made above ISO 1600. Both aren't really a factor in my photography. But... those nagging thoughts of bigger is much better. But that is not so any more, for the most part.
Why 24mp? Normally, 24mp is much more than I would need. I'm very happy with 16mp. The more megapixels the more defects in lens design are apparent as well as camera movement. But, I think 24mp is a nice compromise number that gives more than adequate resolution AND also leaves some room for cropping, when one finds oneself photographing under less than ideal conditions. If I found that I needed to crop a file, the resulting image file would still be large enough, say down to 16mp, that the quality I desire would still there? You could think of it as a safety factor.
Currently, with my 16mp E-M1, if I have to crop, then the file may end up 12 or sometimes even 10mp. That is the downside of a lower resolution sensor. You have to almost always "get it right in the camera." But, sometimes you just can't. If something is too far away and you don't have a long enough lens to compose it properly, then you may have to crop the image during editing to achieve the best composition. Less than ideal, but it happens. With 16mp sensors, you have less flexibility than 24 or 36mp sensors. I have done exactly that–cropped a file to achieve the best composition–then upsized the file and let the sophisticated software "interpolate" and add new pixels to regain the size I lost. Again, not ideal, but sometimes it happens. With 24mp, I could crop when absolutely necessary and still have a good sized file.
So there you have it. My preferences for sensor size and density. How about you? What do you think will meet your needs?
Thanks for looking. Enjoy!
Dennis Mook
Many of my images can be found at www.dennismook.com. Please pay it a visit. I add new images regularly. Thank you.
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You're going to keep fooling around with this until you convince yourself, Dennis. Enjoy your soon-to-come Fuji!
ReplyDeleteDave, you would be surprised at my will power! Seriously, I would buy another one if Adobe would get their act together and demosaic those files in a way that would fully exploit their potential. But, I have a sneaking suspicion that, within the next couple of years, M4/3 will have sensors that are around 24mp. Patience, my friend, patience.
ReplyDeleteDennis
Hi Dennis, I too am a landscape and travel guy. I love the EM1 and have shot several mFT and FT cameras before this one. One downside (for me) is the 4:3 aspect ratio. I love it for people shots and for verticals. But for my landscapes I am nearly always cropping off the top and/or bottom to get 3:2. This brings 16mp down to 14mp.... to then compare with 20 or 24 on an APS-C. I guess that is why I am holding onto my NEX6 and even looking at the A6000... even though the only AF lens that I am happy with on the NEX is the Sigma 60mm. But then I use that for people shots, where I end up cropping the sides off to get a 4:3 aspect. Oh, well. As we know, no one camera is perfect. That's probably why so many of us have so many!
ReplyDeletePeter F.
Peter, I've written about my dislike for the 4:3 ratio as well. One of the reasons I would like 24mp sensors in my cameras is to be able to set the viewfinder for, or crop to, a 2:3 ratio and still have plenty of pixels on the final image.
DeleteI am intrigued with the A6000. I watched Gary Fong's presentation of the workings and attributes of the camera on one of B&H's videos and was even more impressed. What has kept me away was the dearth of excellent lenses, or my lack of being able to find information about whether or not their quality, with the exception of one or two of them. If I were convinced there were lenses available to meet my needs, I would be amendable to purchasing the camera.
Dennis— First, I came upon your blog a couple of weeks ago and have enjoyed and learned a lot from working my way up to the present more or less day by day. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy current main camera is an OM-D E-M5, following an E-PL3 following an E-30, following by quite a few years a lot of OM film gear (which I still have). But in the gap between film and digital Olympuses came my first digital camera, a simple Canon G-3, which brings me to the point . . .
. . . namely to answer your question about sensor "sweet spot": I remember the Canon G-3 as being 3 or 4 mp. The camera had severe limitations, compared with the film cameras I was used to—principally lack of responsiveness in interesting photographic, situations (by the time the shutter would go off the image I wanted was long gone, leaving me with shots of sidewalks, empty sky, my shoes, etc.) and terrible noise above ISO 100. BUT I NEVER FELT LIMITED BY 3-4 MP, even when I did some cropping! (I should add that I prefer small prints, 8x10 or 8x12 paper, whatever the cropping.) As far as I can see, your 6mp shot at the top of the post is not limited either: the texture of the water is particularly lovely, both in itself and in its reflection on the side of the boat.
So, simply because it's what I've got right now, and what I've been Lightrooming with, I'll say 12-16 mp is my sweet spot, perfect for what I want to do (at least for the moment).
Best wishes and thanks again!
Walter Foreman
namerof at uky dot edu
Walter, thank you for your comment. My first digital camera, which I still have, was a Canon G2. I believe it has a 3mp sensor. Back then, I didn't know anything about sensors, numbers of pixels, etc., but I loved how the sensor translated color and provided a smoothness of tones. It largely reminded me of my medium format film images. Using that camera was so freeing in many ways. I fell in love with the potential of digital imaging.
DeleteIf I didn't submit my images to a stock photography agency, I would agree with you in that about 16mp also be my sweet spot. But, I need a bit more resolution for clients.
Also, thank you for reading my blog. I am pleased that you found value in the content. I willingly share everything I have learned over the past many years with others so they can enjoy photography as much as I have.
Dennis
Walter, I forgot to mention that, I too, am a fan of Olympus film cameras, having used an OM-1 and OM-2 extensively in past years. I loved their size, layout of the controls and build quality. The lenses were also first class. My experience with those cameras was one of the reasons that peaked my interest in the digital versions.
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