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We have enough megapixels now
September 16, 2007

Canon announced last month the latest in their line of professional digital SLR cameras. It’s called the 1ds Mark III. It has a sensor that collects 21.1 megapixels of photographic information. After processing, that results in an image that is just over 60 MB in size, and that’s quite impressive for an SLR camera. The highest-resolution digital camera back on the market today is an attachment to the Hasselblad camera that delivers 39 megapixels, or about 115 MB for each image. The Hasselblad digital back is used primarily in fashion and product photography, while the Canons are used for all types of photography, including sports and nature.


Canon’s high-end pro cameras are the talk of the dugout, with news and sports photographers clamoring for the latest from the Japanese camera maker. Canon’s domination of the professional market for SLR-style cameras is notable, with most pro and news photographers now using Canon, many converting after decades with Canon’s rival Nikon. Nikon hasn't been idle, though. Their new 3Dx camera is a work of fine art in electronic and optical synthesis.

Two-page spreads with every click
The 21.1 Mp (megapixel) Canon Mark III camera is the latest in a series of very-high-resolution cameras that Canon has brought to market in recent years. Two years back they released the Mark II, which was the first hand-held digital camera to offer adequate resolution for graphic arts quality reproduction in every frame. To bleed a letter-size sheet requires roughly 18 MB in RGB (24 when converted to CMYK), and this camera did that with ease. The new Mark III camera will deliver enough resolution for a two-page spread on sheet-fed litho at 150 lpi (and have a modest amount of cropping capacity left over). That’s quite an accomplishment for a hand-held camera.

Thinking about sticking to film?
Some still treat digital cameras with skepticism, though these skeptics are becoming scarce. The new Canon should cure all but the most curmugeonly.

It is now possible for the professional photographer to deliver graphic arts resolution digital images without any fuzzy interpolation being applied, without stretching the limits of our reproduction processes. Graphic arts application of digital photography contines to get better and better, and we no longer have to wait for an improvement in technology to deliver the best possible images for print.

Even “consumer” digital cameras have risen to the call, delivering high-resolution images adequate for print. Cameras offered in the discount aisles of Costco offer 10 and 12 megapixel sensors, which will result in 30-36 MB images, many of them more than adequate for print.

Everybody is a photographer
I'm excited by the explosion of digital photography. There is not a subject that is not well-documented, illustrated and offered online today as a result of the vast number of digital cameras in the hands of talented individuals.ake a few minutes to explore the photo library offered by iStockPhoto, and you'll be amazed by what the digital photography revolution has wrought. The selection is magnificent, the quality of nothing short of amazing, and the price is low enough that nearly anyone can afford to buy good images for their print projects.

I'd like to write more, but there is a beautiful photo I have to go get at the beach. I'll report in later in the week!

Posted by Brian Lawler on September 16, 2007 | Comments (1)