Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/07/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Megapixel Overkill!! Dpreview has announced a thing where they will be telling you the thing they are calling "Pixel Density" * for all new digital cameras and backs coming out. Because even with these guys all you see easily up front is the MG megapixel number - as if that's what defines a device. Which is like saying in the film world my Olympus Pen F half frame is better than your Leica M full frame became mine comes packed with a pro pack of Plus X and you're shooting Tri X. Nope. Cramming pixel grabbers or slow film rez together is great in a pinch but in the end what's going to have more effect is acreage acreage acreage. The next format up. The combination of these two things combined in digital could be called PD. The Heartbreak of PD; Pixel Density. Which is what DP Dpreview is calling it. So mind your PD's on your DP. And expect the same with the LL Luminous Landscape and all similar pretenders. In the past year we've heard tell on DP & LL of many a pocket pixel grabber which has upped its MP count on its latest incarnation and downed its quality. Noise! I say with a capital N!!. MUSH! I say to you! BIGGER NUMBERS! Says their marketing departments. So if the medium format backs are 40 or 50 or 60 MPs I'm not sweating it. I have prints I carry around which are printed at such low resolutions that I've had to resolve not to tell anyone what those numbers are. Not even myself. If I remembered I'd have to kill myself. I'll need a side by side billboard to billboard comparison with Leitz binoculars to see in the real world what these numbers might really mean. By the side of the road. With birds tweeting. What they may mean is SHOOT LARGE FORMAT. Larger than medium format. You know; swings and tilts. Dark cloth. In the end what applies to film seems to also apply to digital. For any job the best camera is the heaviest camera you can carry. When you get home: Tiger Balm. They same dumbness which makes people think a 12mp point and shoot compares with a 12mp DSLR with a sensor size 6 times physically bigger also applies to high end medium format work. That fact that a sensor is out now which really is about the same size as 645 is the big news. A shame those PR people blew it by blurring it a bit too much as its not quite the same. And when something is not the same. Its not the same. So you'd NOT say "finally a true 645 sensor" You'd say' Finally a sensors which is virtually 645! Then you are not lying. And you're covering your but. "darned close to 645!" today only! For you only! * Pixel Density: when Moore is less http://www.dpreview.com/news/0807/08070301pixeldensity.asp mark@rabinergroup.com Mark William Rabiner > From: Sonny Carter <sonc.hegr@gmail.com> > Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:17:45 -0500 > To: Leica Users Group <lug@leica-users.org> > Subject: Re: [Leica] 50 Meg Kodak sensor - maybe this is what's happening > behind the doors at Solms: > >> From British Journal Of Photography: > > Title: *Phase One announces full-frame medium format back* > Feature: *Daily News* > Date: *14 July 2008* > > One week after the first 50 million pixel medium format camera was > announced > by Hasselblad, Phase One has topped it with the launch of a 60.5 million > pixel resolution digital back. > > Phase One has announced the P 65+ digital back and the P 65+ camera system, > which are based on Sensor+ CCD technology co-developed with Dalsa > Semiconductor. > > The systems are the first to reach the 60.5 million pixel resolution mark. > > The chip platform offers photographers upgradeable CCD functions, ensuring > a > longer lifespan for their digital back investments. > > 'Photographers need real reasons to upgrade past 39 million pixel digital > backs,' said Henrik H?konsson, CEO of Phase One. 'Real value includes > higher > resolution but also requires new functions, faster operation, higher > quality > through expanded sensitivity, increased dynamic range, better results in > the > studio or on location and a better longer-term investment. I believe we are > able to achieve this and more with our Sensor+ technology.' > > The Phase One P 65+ is the first digital back and camera system to take > advantage of the new Sensor+ design and is claimed to be the world's first > full-frame capture system based on actual 645 film format. The P 65+ > provides the largest live capture area available with coverage of 53.9mm x > 40.4mm ? enabling full viewfinder coverage thus no need for lens > magnification. > > The P 65+ sensor format provides 20 percent more live area compared to 39 > or > 50 Megapixel, 48mm x 36mm chips currently delivering or announced. Sensor > resolution is 60.5 million pixel with 8984x6732 active pixels achieving 180 > MB, 8 bit RGB files. > > The P 65+ also offers captures at 1fps, reduction of Moir? artifacts, next > generation Lens+ and Focus+ technologies and a 12.5 f-stops of dynamic > range. > > More technical details of Sensor+ technology will be available at the > Photokina trade show in September 2008. Camera shipments with P 65+ digital > back are expected to begin before the end of the year. > > The P 65+ digital back will retail at $39,900, while the P 65+ camera > system > will start at $41,990. Advance orders are available now. For more > information, visit www.phaseone.com. > > > > -- > Regards, > > Sonny > http://www.sonc.com > Natchitoches, Louisiana > USA > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information