Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/12/15

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Subject: [Leica] Sensor Size visual chart
From: jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj)
Date: Sat Dec 15 18:21:04 2007
References: <2134075410-1197730955-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-178659550-@bxe137.bisx.prod.on.blackberry> <C3898707.7BAD6%mark@rabinergroup.com>

If you say Mush once more, your Govt will send you to Pakistan....:-)
Cheers
Jayanand

On Dec 15, 2007 11:58 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com> wrote:

> > The question should not be, "what are the dimensions of the sensor?"
> Rather,
> > it should be "what is the qualilty of the image?"
> >
> > Somehow there seems to be general amnesia about the literally decades of
> > scoffing at the 'tiny,' 'toy' 35 mm negative.
> > Now, in an era when there are 35 mm digital sensors matching higher
> speed 2
> > 1/4 films, the only important question is whether a particular sensor
> size can
> > produce the image quality YOU - or your client - requires.
> > Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
> >
>
>
> Yes 35 seemed impossibly small in the days of the Speed Graphic 4x5 and
> Rolleiflex square medium format.
> But proved to be the format which could.
> Against all odds.
> Speed Graphic and Rolleiflex odds.
> Brownie film and sheet film odds.
>
> But in those  terms of film what I had in mind was what people a  little
> bit further down the road than that could get with the new Minox and half
> frame camera formats.
> If like most serious or pro photographers they had an 11x14 portfolio
> those
> shots stood out in the stack as being a step or two down.
> Mush! I say Mush!
> Hence perhaps the history of those formats.
> If you were into snapshot output; which were smaller than 4x6's those days
> I
> forgot what they were: you'd  not see or care.
> But even 8x10s are a strain for Minox format.
> A "blow up" from that format was a mighty 5x7".
> So it could but  a strain on  your serious photography endeavour.
>
> They're selling a lot of inkjet paper nowadays.
> First thing you see when you walk into Calumet or Adorama or  K&M and lots
> of other cameras stores. Stacked up to the ceiling.
> Mostly letter sized sheets.
> How well do prints look like from those point and shoots with a sensor
> smaller than the size of your pinky fingernail?
> They make GREAT Uploads to web galleries or websites!
> But your short stack of prints had better be pocket sized.
>
> When these cameras are marketed they don't come with a normal lens.
> Its always some outlandish zoom.
> If there was cute little normal 7 millimeter lens on the camera it might
> make one or two people who used to work in the darkroom pause before the
> bought the thing. They are realizing just how small a format they are
> getting themselves into.
>
> All they look it is the megapixels. Which is funnily called "resolution".
>
> Which is like saying "This Minox can make 16x20 prints!"
> Does not say what they look like.
> -its like a comparison between shooting regular TRI X WITH your Rolleiflex
> and Pan F ISO 50 with your half frame or Minox then matching up your
>  16x20
> prints side to side.
> And there IS NO comparison.
>
> The results from the tiny neg even with information packed tightly
> together
> with slow  high rez film does not even come close to what you get from the
> breathing room of the 2.25 cubed inch large neg on regular 400 rez film.
>
> But they BOTH MAKE 16x20 prints. So you could say they had the same
> resolution.
>
> Cramming your pixies together tightly on a small service does not true
> high
> rez output make just like with film.
> The pixels on MY head of a pin need to BREATH!
>
> I'm a wishing and a wanting 24x36 format digital in my stocking this year.
> Trouble is I have a radiator instead of a fireplace!
>
> I wonder if there are any people who spent 5 grand on an m8 but which
> they'd
> spent it on a D3. I have no idea how I'd feel about it.
>
> Mark William Rabiner
> markrabiner.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
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>

Replies: Reply from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Sensor Size visual chart)
In reply to: Message from bd at bdcolenphoto.com (bd@bdcolenphoto.com) ([Leica] Sensor Size visual chart)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Sensor Size visual chart)