What would you do with 36MP?

[ellery]

As hobbyist, it is rewarding sometime to print your work out to display in your own living room and make it like own art gallery.
I will usually select best picture to print it on Canvas or photo paper but maximum up to A3 size as D700 is not up to poster size.
With D800, I can have poster size printed without any worry. That will be the pull factor for me if I am getting it, but a little too expensive for that though.

Well I have seen a print that is larger than A3 and you can go close to see little pixel break up - but it is not a straight from camera file you need to do post processing for this sort of printing. Like all things, the experts know what to do to make things happen that is why they get paid for their expertise. It is always more than just the camera.

Technically speaking a D70 file cannot show that much detail if printed at A3 would tend to lose some feel of sharp sharp look. If processed correctly, you could see details in floor panels that a straight file will not show. I found this out from working from first principles and not from listening to some of the so called experts in the early days of digital. Imagine when "experts" tell you that to send a file with more than 144dpi to an epson inkjet is not going to give you a more detail file. Guess what a upsize and tweak to produce a 600 dpi file can give you a print that has so much extra previous unseen details. But a price to be paid is that printing time is about 2 to 3 times longer. So in short if it does not work, find out why and more important how you can make it work.

 

[subzero]

I supposed use of extrapolation software is another option for large print. Like you mentioned, you pay a price to get the expert to do the extrapolation for you.
I was thinking with D800 36mp, will it eliminate the need to pay for extrapolation processing for large print? In theory larger MegaPixels can make larger print and of cause with the right printer.

Well I have seen a print that is larger than A3 and you can go close to see little pixel break up - but it is not a straight from camera file you need to do post processing for this sort of printing. Like all things, the experts know what to do to make things happen that is why they get paid for their expertise. It is always more than just the camera.

Technically speaking a D70 file cannot show that much detail if printed at A3 would tend to lose some feel of sharp sharp look. If processed correctly, you could see details in floor panels that a straight file will not show. I found this out from working from first principles and not from listening to some of the so called experts in the early days of digital. Imagine when "experts" tell you that to send a file with more than 144dpi to an epson inkjet is not going to give you a more detail file. Guess what a upsize and tweak to produce a 600 dpi file can give you a print that has so much extra previous unseen details. But a price to be paid is that printing time is about 2 to 3 times longer. So in short if it does not work, find out why and more important how you can make it work.

 

[Ansel]

I supposed use of extrapolation software is another option for large print. Like you mentioned, you pay a price to get the expert to do the extrapolation for you.
I was thinking with D800 36mp, will it eliminate the need to pay for extrapolation processing for large print? In theory larger MegaPixels can make larger print and of cause with the right printer.

Can you please share what you meant by "large print"?

I have seen many fairly large prints, eg A1 size, that came from 6MP cams like D70 and they look absolutely gorgeous. You may not necessarily need super duper extrapolation technique. Most cases, just a simple "resize" function in PS will do the trick for you.

 

[sjackal]

It really also depend upon capture time; the lighting, ISO, (file gets weaker with higher ISO especially from the older gen cams, affecting color depth and accuracy, and dynamic range.

You can use a D70 at base ISO 100 with good lighting ala studio shooting at f11 or nice outdoors and still get fantastic A1 or even A0 print with lotsa details. In best case scenerios. A better sensor just increase the chances of this best case scenario.

If the picture at capture time is bad, ie motion blur, in bad lighting, underexposure, and then rescued and corrected in post, even at 36MP it might not yield good results.

 

[Zenten]

It really also depend upon capture time; the lighting, ISO, (file gets weaker with higher ISO especially from the older gen cams, affecting color depth and accuracy, and dynamic range.

You can use a D70 at base ISO 100 with good lighting ala studio shooting at f11 or nice outdoors and still get fantastic A1 or even A0 print with lotsa details. In best case scenerios. A better sensor just increase the chances of this best case scenario.

If the picture at capture time is bad, ie motion blur, in bad lighting, underexposure, and then rescued and corrected in post, even at 36MP it might not yield good results.

...and you will be more prone to camera shake with 36MP ..............

 

[kentwong81]

if that's the case, the high end FX lenses like the new f1.4G prime lenses and the trinity lenses will be getting more popular.

 

[UncleFai]

if that's the case, the high end FX lenses like the new f1.4G prime lenses and the trinity lenses will be getting more popular.

Yup... buy one D800 @ US$3000 (or S$4000+) must also get 24 f1.4G, 35 f1.4G, 50 f1.4G, 85 f1.4G, 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 - i.e., knock another $20k from the user. Not bad marketing huh?

 

[subzero]

It really also depend upon capture time; the lighting, ISO, (file gets weaker with higher ISO especially from the older gen cams, affecting color depth and accuracy, and dynamic range.

You can use a D70 at base ISO 100 with good lighting ala studio shooting at f11 or nice outdoors and still get fantastic A1 or even A0 print with lotsa details. In best case scenerios. A better sensor just increase the chances of this best case scenario.

If the picture at capture time is bad, ie motion blur, in bad lighting, underexposure, and then rescued and corrected in post, even at 36MP it might not yield good results.

No doubt quality of picture, i.e lighting, sharpness, exposure, play an important role for good print. You can imagine a tiny flaw such as noise can be amplified on A1, A0 print.

Let's say you have a perfect photo taken with both D70 and D800 (min noise max sharpness & contrast) from same place same time, photoshop not used for enhancing the pixel and send to the printer. Which one will produce a better A1, A0 or larger print? D70 may produced decent print but I am sure there will be some different from d800 print, by how much I am not sure.

 

[La Fontaine]

Remember that all the sensors use the Bayer Interpolation.

So, if everything being equal, the higher pixel count would give you more details and sharpness.

 

[kentwong81]

Yup... buy one D800 @ US$3000 (or S$4000+) must also get 24 f1.4G, 35 f1.4G, 50 f1.4G, 85 f1.4G, 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 - i.e., knock another $20k from the user. Not bad marketing huh?

Yes, maybe that's why Nikon share price surged 10% on Monday.

 

[jackmbox]

Yup... buy one D800 @ US$3000 (or S$4000+) must also get 24 f1.4G, 35 f1.4G, 50 f1.4G, 85 f1.4G, 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 - i.e., knock another $20k from the user. Not bad marketing huh?

hmm...

 

[UncleFai]

Yup... buy one D800 @ US$3000 (or S$4000+) must also get 24 f1.4G, 35 f1.4G, 50 f1.4G, 85 f1.4G, 14-24 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 - i.e., knock another $20k from the user. Not bad marketing huh?

And if I am Nikon (and evil), I will quickly refresh all these lenses with ones that are "more optimized for the D800" (in reality, just change some of the outside plastic can liow lah)... time to buy Nikon shares... :devil:

 

[Cheesecake]

i only have D lenses and I cannot wait to try them out on the new D800E.

will know when I get my hands on the D800E but i doubt there's a need for me to change my D lenses into the new AFS G lenses.

 

[Blur Shadow]

i only have D lenses and I cannot wait to try them out on the new D800E.

will know when I get my hands on the D800E but i doubt there's a need for me to change my D lenses into the new AFS G lenses.

Awaiting your comments! Haha.

 

[Cheesecake]

Awaiting your comments! Haha.

very excited with this launch and pleasantly surprised at the D800E's release.

its good to be still using Nikon. hurhurhur!

 

[Ansel]

No doubt quality of picture, i.e lighting, sharpness, exposure, play an important role for good print. You can imagine a tiny flaw such as noise can be amplified on A1, A0 print.

Let's say you have a perfect photo taken with both D70 and D800 (min noise max sharpness & contrast) from same place same time, photoshop not used for enhancing the pixel and send to the printer. Which one will produce a better A1, A0 or larger print? D70 may produced decent print but I am sure there will be some different from d800 print, by how much I am not sure.

Yes, we know that all things being equal, the 36MP will give you a better result than a 6MP, but only in a large print and I dont think you can see a difference up to 10R (10x15) size without interpolation, using the commonly available printing technologies, especially the commercial labs. And you do simple interpolation, MOST PEOPLE can't even see a difference at 16x20.

And of course, technology moves on and you will always get better quality in digital products as time progresses.

What I'm trying to say is, YOU DON'T NEED 36MP to print up to A1, 12MP(D700 or D3 or D90) is more than sufficient, BUT IT WILL BE NICE TO HAVE.

 

[yilishengxian]

with 36mp, can print larger images to fill my walls and ceilings ...

 

[UncleFai]

with 36mp, can print larger images to fill my walls and ceilings ...

One suggestion: print large images of your mum and gf/wife and paste it on your walls and ceilings... sure score point.

 

[yilishengxian]

One suggestion: print large images of your mum and gf/wife and paste it on your walls and ceilings... sure score point.

I was about to print for my mum -.-" and my wall is almost full of images though ...

 

[DM101]

True to the first point, but you are taking the very long road of D1 vs D800, a much shorter road between the D3s and the D800, and even shorter between D4 and D800. Why stretch the truth?

If it is true, then pray tell why the D4 has only 16MP? If Nikon can deliver 36MP at better noise performance than D3s? And there are how many people who say that D4 is only a slight improvement over D3s? Then the D800 at 36Mp will be performance at much higher pixel count and have as good a noise performance as D4! Dream on.

And it is proven that the D7000 noise performance is not in the same league as D700. I will be very surprised if D800 can spot 36Mp and be better in noise performance than D700.

Again, D3x has similar noise performance as D300s, simply cutting a bigger sensor from the same wafer. And D800 will have similar noise performance as D7000, again cutting a FX sensor from the same wafer that gives us the DX sensor of D7000.

And D3x cannot match D3s in noise performance. Yes technology is not constant, but please do not be a blind believer that technology can move that fast. 3 to 4 more years from now, maybe. Tomorrow, no.

I also Agree with your reasoning Bro... if D800 noise control on par with D4 why D4 only 16M :thumbsup: