[Leica] Erwin telling it like it may be

[mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)]

> Some many years ago (in digital photo time - geologic time) I
> subscribed to an email list called 'pro-rental.' They catered to the
> medium-format-digital-back folks. They would not allow any discussion
> of digital cameras under 6 megapixel. When they began the highest end
> 35/digital couldn't come close. Now that the size of the sensors,
> megapixel count, dynamic range, bit depth, etc has narrowed between
> the medium format backs and the so called full frame cameras - not a
> whole lot left to talk about - the list has become virtually a ghost
> town - even though they now can and do talk about the the 22 - 39 mp
> gear - their/our world has changed
> 
> Fond regards,
> George
> george@imagist.com
> www.imagist.com
> http://www.imagist.com/blog
> Picture A Week - www.imagist.com/paw_07
> 
> 
The confusion between Megapixels and physical size of the sensor never ends.
Its not a confusion really its like a pervasive mental block which never
ends..

You can shoot 10 megapixels with a point and shoot with a sensor the size of
a pinky fingernail or one which is full 24x36 frame or or various cropping
but the results, especially prints are not going to look remotely similar.
Same applies when you compare the next two formats up why not?

No one sells a Minox and says "you can make a 16x20 print with it!"
As its obvious you can make a 16x20 print with it not that you'd care to
look at it closer than across the street.

12 or 16 megapixels from a medium format back looks a world away from one
from a 24x36 DSLR of any format.

That's why they call it medium format.
Because its medium format.
Not 35.

The physical size of the medium format backs get bigger:
Less and less crop circle factors:
Even as they become available in lower megapixel ranges.
Why?

Because the bottom line time and time again turns out to be much lower
megapixel than you'd think.

But Clarity is always more and more the issue.
We don't need more megapixel grabbers;
We need each grabber being bigger. With more space between them.
That's acreage.

You gotta buy the whole farm.


Mark William Rabiner
markrabiner.com