Difference between 5MP and 8MP

Hello,

 

I'm a relative beginner with photography which will soon be evident

from my question.

 

I own a Sony DSC F828 which I understand is a good camera to learn

with. My question is related to image size. If I am to print photos

in smaller sizes f.e. 8*10" or less then is it sufficient if I take

the photo in 5MP or will I get still better resolution in the printed

image with 8MP?

 

Thanks in advance.

In general, you want 300ppi at the final print size. With the F828, the 8MP size gives you a little more than 300ppi in an 8x10, and 5MP gives you a little less. On this basis, 8MP would be the better choice. You can always resample for larger prints.

 

You may save memory space by taking smaller images, but those pixels are lost forever if you want larger prints in the future.

 

The F828 sensor is relatively noisy above ISO 100 (even compared to the 5MP F717). This is due partly to the small cell size resulting from cramming 8MP into a 4/3 sensor. Reducing the capture size will have no effect on this noise.

 

You can find a full review at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscf828/

Optimum image quality starts at 240PPI for a digicam, so yes you have sufficient resolution for an 8"x10" print from a 5mp image.

 

However, with an 8mp digicam, I would shoot everything I intend to print at full rez thus allowing plenty for crops and resizing.

aaayy! how u doing ? i am a beginner too. By the ways id like to add that some people on here will be a bit harsh on you, like it has happened to me in the past. Es x

Edward and Mr. Smith, thank you very much for your quick and informative responses.

 

I have no professional knowledge about photography. All I know is from using the camera. Of course, I still have many very basic hurdles to clear. I look forward to getting more help from knowledgeable people like yourselves in future.

 

Esther, thanks for the warning :)

 

Best regards.

It depends on the quality of the pixels and the lens much more than quantity. My 5MP

Olympus E-1 has no trouble with a 16x12" print where as many 8MP digicams wouldn't hold

up at that size.

no problemo ! Es

I've certainly seen nice large prints (e.g., 16 inches wide) from even 3MP cameras. For sure a well exposed, composed, sharp-lens-shot 6MP image will yield an excellent large print. More pixels are always better but you still have to work with what you have until you reach your own limitations and force yourself into upgrading your camera.

For printing by an inkjet printer you need 300 or 360dpi depending on make of printer [HP or Epsom]. To get this for larger prints you have to interpolate which means the computer invents extra pixels to have 300dpi at the print size you want. Used at a reasonable rate this is successful in making prints 16x12 as mentioned.

 

I suspect that when your camera uses 5Mp it uses the same sized pixels as when you shoot at 8Mp so there is no advantage with working at 5Mp. If you want to squeeze more shots onto your storage card, as I have done a few times when far from home and computer to download and without another spare card, I maintain top resolution but increase compression. Changing from FINE to a lower setting/ increased compression.

 

If you do not have an editing programme have a look at www.irfanview.com which is a basic but good programme capable of doing interpolating for you. They like a donation if you download.

I don't think people on this board are unnecessarily harsh on photo.net. Some of us get fed

up when people ask questions that have been answered 500 times already, or that are

addressed in the photo.net/learn area.

Andrew Robertson, so you get fed up when people ask a question that has been answered before? Maybe it's like when I was a teaching assistant and those pesky freshman chemistry students kept asking the same questions that students last year and the year before had asked, or that they could have found it the book. But you see, they were asking honest questions, and even if I got tired of hearing the same questions over and over I just did my best to answer them.

Thank you one and all for your suggestions.

 

I have downloaded IrfanView and will start experimenting.

 

Thanks again and regards.

Maybe it's more like when you were sitting below a sign that said "Please look up phone

numbers in the provided phone book to your left" and every second person came up and

asked you to look up phone numbers because they didn't bother reading the sign or using

the phone book.

Maybe the sign was in the wrong place :-)

or it could be that they cannot read fine print ... if I had left my glasses at home I would be stuck unless I could find a small hole to read through. Answering the same question several times hopefully means I get better at answering it.

And, as time we learn more and can answer questions from practice, not theory. I welcome repeat questions because it causes me to think more about what I am learning.

 

In this case, I have both a 5 and 8 megapix camera (Oly 5060 and E-300) and find very, very little difference in anything. In fact, the noise reduction system on the E-300 sometimes makes things like grass less sharp than on the 5060, something customers have noticed. So, it ain't just megapix. Oh, I get beautiful prints with a little tweaking from my ole 2020z, which has a hell of a lens. At the end of the day there are a lot of factors, including the quality one starts with.

Real simple:<br>5+ MP = perfect prints up to 8 x 10.<bR>8+ MP = perfect prints up to 11 x14, 11 x 17 if home (laser or inkjet) printed (with the proper printer).<p>The rest of it is all conversation.

The scientist answer

 

shoot identical shots at 5 mP AND 8 mP

 

print them

 

compare them

 

only your opinion counts

 

(The catch is if you find a better printer later or want bigger prints)

<i>"Difference between 5MP and 8MP"</i><p>

 

8mp - 5mp = 3mp

<p>

sorry couldn't resist