Digital BW, The Print

Stephen-
I got in this late and didn't plow through the whole thread.  Apparently 
you did.

I (wrongly) presumed that the issue of pixel size over pixel count had 
been brought up early on.

Actually, it is more important IMHO.  12MP on a .5" sensor yields a lot 
less "capture" data per pixel than 12MP on a 1" device.  Assuming the 
same algorithm to put it all together, the larger pixels are less lossy.

Since we're dealing with a much smarter group here, hopefully 
understanding that is a given.  I use to laugh at the amateurs with a 
point-and-shoot that would walk up and say, "Mah camyra has 16MP and it 
teks rally good pitchurs."  You just have to laugh and walk off.  
Digital zoom is another marketing piece of crap.

That said, the Hasselblad optics are the other plus factor, depending on 
which lenses one buys.

The biggest problem with digital optics though is the difficulty having 
them focus all colors on a flat plane, unlike color film where you do 
NOT want that.  The digital series lenses (Nikon, Canon) really only 
reduced the circle they threw to cover the sensor size.  Nothing to do 
with flat focal plane.  Nikon ran into that later when people started 
putting early DX lenses on the newer DIT cameras and got vignetting.  
Thus, the "adjustment" firmware and software to keep the pros happy 
until the next round of glass.  It became upgrade, upgrade, upgrade.

Seth


On 3/12/2012 9:41 PM, Stephen Petegorsky wrote:
>
> I have been shooting with a D700 for the last few years, and also use
> a Hasselblad H3D 39. One thing that seems to be missing from this
> discussion is the issue of pixel size, not pixel count. My Canon s100
> point and shoot has nominally the same number of megapixels as the
> D700, but since the Canon's sensor is so small, those pixels are
> tiny. You wouldn't want to compare the files in any serious way.
>
> In my experience, the size and quality of the pixels has as much (if
> not more) to do with the ultimate quality of the digital image. The
> Hasselblad's pixels are 6.7 microns across; the D800's are 4.7 or 4.8
> microns. I'm not sure that the D800 sensor will match the image .... 
> ~-|**|PrettyHtmlEnd|**|-~ end group email -->
>
>


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