Single exposure works versus stitched images.

12 Megapixel image from a Canon EOS 5D Mk1

Or maybe I should have titled this article how to make a 100 Megapixel camera out of your 12, 15 or 22 Megapixel camera.

In future I might do an article on the whole 300dpi photo quality printing scam we have been fed for a few years.

The image at the top was shot with a 12Mp EOS 5D Mk1. This started out 4368 pixels wide and about 2912 pixels high.

This image should then not be printed more than about 13-14 inches wide and less than 10 inches high. Because the 300dpi rule limits print size...

Taking delivery at Walker Digital

I trust you will see that the above work I collected today is a bit larger than the sizes quoted above. According to "the rules" this should not have worked. It did and it is not 300dpi either. A large format print such as this one is rarely viewed within arm's length. Canvas is not perfectly smooth and also "loses" much detail. Oh and the print is only around 170dpi.

Yes, the number of pixels in your image file is important but there are so many other factors to consider. These factors are hot topics and there are so many experts out there. Who do you believe? Dynamic range, to name but one, plays a huge role. Dynamic range issues start with the abilities of the camera's sensor to capture bright highlights and deep shadows. For this reason a good capture is vital. But what exactly is a good capture?

Camera light meters do not understand what you are trying to achieve. They will always take you to an average adequate exposure. This is almost never what we need to go for.

But wait, more on that later. We were talking about single frame exposures and stitching of multiple images.

A wide crop from the 2x3 image from a 22Mp Canon EOS 5D Mk III

The above 22Mp Canon EOS 5D III image measures around 5760 pixels wide by 3840 pixels high. This crop used the full width of 5760 pixels. Some unwanted dead space at the top was cropped away. This took away about 800-900 pixels from the original height of 3840 pixels down to about 3000 pixels high.

Practically applied, this means that the tree image should not be printed larger than about 18-19 inches wide and about 10 inches high to maintain 300 pixels per inch.

So why do I tell you all this? Simple really. There is a very fuzzy-bordered line between the number of pixels and the maximum print size. Photo quality printing was always considered 300dpi or better. This, very loosely, means that 300 bits of information need to be packed into every inch or 25,4mm for those of us in the metric world.

That would make a nice print but useless to cover that big bare wall in your house, right?

Yes, there is an upper limit to print size taking only megapixel numbers into account. It does NOT have to be 300dpi though.

I am happy to report that this is a total sham. Even 12Mp images can be printed fairly large as we have now seen above. Around A1 is probably a safe upper limit. Yes, you can upres the image file and go even larger. Watch this space for more. This is best left to the professionals. I am blessed to be able to take my printing to these fine people.

I am currently doing some tests to see exactly how big I can indeed go with a single-frame 12Mp image.

In the meantime this image is off to the printers next week. It is a 84Mp image shot with my humble old 12Mp 5D1. Around 9 exposures were stitched together to form this image.

It will not be released for sale but it will find a spot in our home because there is a lovely story behind the making of this image.

Does this mean I don't need a 40Mp or 50Mp camera? No, I don't and you very likely don't need one either.

Wanting it, well THAT is a different story...but about 90% of us really don't need one. Sorry. If you can, go for it but there is good news. You can make 100Mp images with your 12Mp camera.

Now it is very early into the exercise for me but I am doing some playing but I hope to have some playtime later in the week.

Happy shooting. Get out there and play often.

Until next time,

Anton