When 38 Megapixles aren't enough

Matt Harper · 15 Jan 2006 at 23:30

Slime101 said:
Which is a pointless calc as we dont print anything higher than 300dpi in normal use, and photo print uses 300dpi or 240dpi depending on the size...

plus most billboards ads aren't a great DPI either. So i don't see the point of having such a high MP camera. Another example of technology over practicality. :rolleyes:

Hodders · 16 Jan 2006 at 01:48

Err, how about digital zoom/image stabalisation both are far more possible with that kind of resolution.

Slime101 · 16 Jan 2006 at 08:42

Hodders said:
Err, how about digital zoom/image stabalisation both are far more possible with that kind of resolution.

How is IS more possible with that?

There is no excuse for using digital zoom like that, it would simply become an alternative way of getting close for lazy people. Yes everyone crops from time to time, but digital zoom is nasty and somthing we dont want bought into the forfront of photography.

spell · 16 Jan 2006 at 12:22

SDK^ said:
Yeah but you can't fit a full frame sensor in a point & shoot camera

I suspect you probably could, it might be a bit larger than the latest small P&Ss but think of something along the Olympus Trip size for instance which took 35 mm film, you may find that it is certainly possible.

I think that we will see larger sensors in P&S, maybe not 35mm but certainly larger than the current crop...you could for instance put an APS sized sensor in if you so wished.

Hodders · 17 Jan 2006 at 11:19

Slime101 said:
How is IS more possible with that?

Well if you have a huge sensor with more pixels than you know what to do with you can:

1) Use a slightly smaller area to take the image from.
2) You can then digitally move the 'selected image' area around on the larger sensor to counteract the camera shake.

It is a system that works really well on some video cameras where they have excess pixels on the sensors.

Slime101 said:
There is no excuse for using digital zoom like that, it would simply become an alternative way of getting close for lazy people. Yes everyone crops from time to time, but digital zoom is nasty and somthing we dont want bought into the forfront of photography.

Or put another way - a method of turning my 80-300 zoom into a 80-600 zoom when I really want it to be. I accept that this is no different from cropping on the PC back home after the event. But I often find that composing the image in the viewfinder helps me take far better pictures than cropping afterwards.

It would also mean that multipoint metering/focusing could be adapted to meter the intended final shot.

Both the above simply add flexibility to the camera - always a good thing, surely ?