How many megapixels......?

Re: An alternative view

Dont bother with the Mark 2, the mark 1 is a great camera, and you can get them cheap cheap cheap.... The Mark 2 is gonna be a big disapointment.
 
Nick

No one yet has asked you, do you want to get a photo of your own boat, something to put up over the fire place, or are you looking to start competing with Beken?

Also, no one has asked how you how you intend to, or want to print the image.

Just consider, lets assume you want a picture of your boat to longingly gaze over on long winter nights. If you use a digi camera, the first time the image is processed onto any material (I'm not talking here of digital processing) is when its printed, its what is called first original. A print onto canvas, or a textured material can really enhance a picture and give it a quality look.

If you use a film camera, then you go out, shoot a roll of film and the first chance you get to see your results is when you collect the prints from Boots. By then the image has been processed onto the film (1), the processing lab has then processed the film in chemicals, hope they get it right! Then they produce the prints from the negs, again lets hope its all in focus! (2). So far that's 2 separate image processes. So now you want it scanned to print at A2 and for that it needs to be 300dpi at the finished size, scan (3) then print (4). That's four image processes before you get your master piece. Every time the image is printed or scanned, you lose quality. You can of course have the prints blown up as large as they will go, then get a professional studio to scan the image on a drum scanner, or you could get a pro to photograph for you using transparencies, and get them scanned.

But after all what do you want to do with the photo? If you want a nice picture of your boat, get someone to take some digi photos on a good SLR and the get them printed on canvas and box mounted, you'll be delighted.
 
Good point..... I;m a bit between the two.

Yes I would like to take the occassional photograph of our own boat, to have at home and on board.

No I dont want to compete with Beken, but sailing around the Solent you see lots of sights, as you will know as well as I do. The occassional tallship, RTW racer, old gaffers, or friends in their own boats on cruises and rallies. Also, as committee boat we get to see some good close up racing shots (my video camera is the best fender I've got!)

I would just like to be able to take a few really good shots, and have them framed either for our own walls, as gifts, or for the sailing club.

Really grateful for all the advice - plenty of food for thought.
 
I work in a group that does photogrammetry (I don't!), and we use film - 9" x 9" negatives! However, although I'm not a photogrammetrist, I do know something about the resolution available on film. When we scan our VERY high quality negatives, we reckon the highest useful resolution for scanning is 15 microns; below that, you're just digitizing the grain of the film. So, for 35 mm film, you have a negative size of 24 mm x 35 mm (approximately). Therefore, the maximum number of pixels available is about 1600 x 2333; scanning at a higher resolution won't achieve anything. That's about 4 megapixels. That's for high performance film, and it's being generous; we reckon 25 microns for colour film.

Now, because the image forming elements in film aren't a regular array of pixels, you will get a better quality picture than the pixel comparison seems to be saying. But, to make use of that better image quality, you'll have to stick with wet processing. If you want to convert to digital form, you won't gain much over a pretty average digital camera.

Incidentally, our photographers at work now use nothing but digital cameras, and they used to reckon that 5 megapixels was equivalent to the quality of a 35 mm camera using consumer grade film.
 
mmmmm. Very interesting package, but I've got a shopping list as long as my arm for boaty stuff.

Let's give this a go

"Dear Santa,
Please can I have a camera like Photodog's got. I have been a very good boy all year, apart from when I ......" [starts feeling guilty and gives up] /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Just go ahead and take pictures with what you have, you might be surprised!
 
snooks! Now here you have the basis of an interesting article for YM (that's Yachting Monthly not Yogurt Maker! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif), take Nick and his dilemma as a case, run through all the options with him, out on the water, and hey presto! An article is born!
 
Joining this a bit late. Most points have been raised, however.....

If you want prints as an end result and have a film camera already, forget all about digital. Go straight from processing to printing.
DO NOT use a High Street processor. Once the negs have been poorly processed, you are shafted.
Use someone like Spectrum Photo Labs They also do a digitizing service.
Or use Leach Colour or similar. They can print digitally from negs or file.
If you want a really top quality scan you need to go to a repro-house who deal with the printing trade. Not a cheap option though.

Like Photodog says, a mid-range DSLR will do the trick. Lots of pixels jammed on a medium sized chip is not the answer though. That's why camera manufacturers are getting up to full, 35mm, sized chips now. And Nikon are still only using 12mb. There are many other factors which affect quality of the captured digital image and pixel-count is only one of them
 
We did an article about yachting photography a few years ago, wouldn't want to be accused of repeating content!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I did write a long reply last night to Nick, but somewhere some how my computer ate it, I was logged into the server at work and IPC reboot all the machines and update them when no one is working...If I get a chance I'll try to retype and re post /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
We did an article about yachting photography a few years ago, wouldn't want to be accused of repeating content!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif


[/ QUOTE ]I dont recall that (been subscribing for about 6 years) and maybe technology has moved on.;)

If you want some close-ups of boats with their sails set correctly, come and join us on the committee boat one Sunday morning. Might be a bit nippy this week though. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
...If I get a chance I'll try to retype and re post /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I, for one, would appreciate it.

TIA /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Andy
 
Just found this!

For the print size you want 9 mega pixies /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif should do you....you could get away with a 6.2, just hang the pic further away from the viewer...over a fireplace is good, then just light the fire before guests come round!!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Try to shoot 100 or 200iso, with a min shutter speed of around 1/500th or 2X 1/focal length...On land it's usually 1/focal length, so if you're using a 200mm lens a shutter speed of 1/200th will be fine, but on the water you AND your subject are moving so it would be best to go for at least 1/400th, but as I say unless you have a 400mm lens 1/500th is a good guide. The slowest I shoot (unless I'm getting arty) is about 1/350, I just open up to f4 and boost the ISO, but then it's really grey OR getting dark!

At 100 iso on a sunny day your Exposure Value (EV) should be 1/500th @ f8 (1/1000th f5.6 or 1/2000th f4) with the sun behind you (on the subject) open up 1/2 a stop so f8 is now f6.7 with the sun to your left or right, and open up a stop of you're shooting into the sun and you want some details in the shadows. If it's a really bright sunny day either in the Med or around midday, stop down 1/2 a stop so f8 become 9.5 etc

Hope that helps a bit

G
 
Thanks for that /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Now we need someone to start a thread on what is the best aspect to photograph a boat from, and whether you need to get the top of the mast in the shot.

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Andy
 
Purely on the megapixel question and probably very late in the day

An average 8-megapixel camera with an output printing resolution of 300ppi will give a print size of 12" x 8" .Given that the eye can't perceive an increase in quality above 240 ppi so now you have a print sized 15" x 10" . Now consider that the bigger the print the greater the viewing distance you can lower the output resolution to 140 ppi to give a very satisfactory 25" x 16 " combine this with some upsampling and you can go up to 35" x 24"

I have seen some more than acceptable A3+ prints from a 3.4 mega-pixel Coolpix 995 and these from part of the original file

Quality of lens , zoom range and your ability to hold the camera steady are another story .
 
[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for that /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Now we need someone to start a thread on what is the best aspect to photograph a boat from, and whether you need to get the top of the mast in the shot.

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Andy

[/ QUOTE ]

My favourite photographer of racing yacht photos and much more is Carlo Borlenghi

web site here
 
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