High pixel digital V 6x9cm?
Discussion
With around a month left to decide on and purchase a 'proper' setup again, and still dithering, I wonder if any of you have direct personal experience of good quality digital and roll film cameras? The web seems to be awash with comparisons and opinions, but many get slated by others as soon as they appear so I haven't much faith in them.
My experience of digital is limited to APS sized sensors (24mega-pixel Sony) and iPad, either on screen or via some smallish prints. Yesterday I dug out some old slides taken on 4"x5", 6x12cm and 6x9cm and hadn't remembered how sharp they were, and detailed. Plus the colour and smoothness of transitions. True of the smaller 6x9 as well.
I won't go back to large format because iof the cost of film, processing and scanning etc., but am tempted by roll film again as an alternative to a DSLR or 645z. I realise what I'm looking at doesn't include scanning effects, but do any of you work with both and could confirm if a good digital camera really would match the quality of these slides?
My experience of digital is limited to APS sized sensors (24mega-pixel Sony) and iPad, either on screen or via some smallish prints. Yesterday I dug out some old slides taken on 4"x5", 6x12cm and 6x9cm and hadn't remembered how sharp they were, and detailed. Plus the colour and smoothness of transitions. True of the smaller 6x9 as well.
I won't go back to large format because iof the cost of film, processing and scanning etc., but am tempted by roll film again as an alternative to a DSLR or 645z. I realise what I'm looking at doesn't include scanning effects, but do any of you work with both and could confirm if a good digital camera really would match the quality of these slides?
I had a good number of 35mm slides scanned, sizes varying but around 20 to 40 mgbits when saved as TIFFS (due to availability of a borrowed PC) from the jpegs the scanners sent. They aren't too bad, but as with the originals nothing like the 120 film slides and probably no sharper on this iPad (mini with retina screen) than the APS sensor derived pictures from the Sony.
I'm guessing that well scanned roll film slides would better that? And, maybe, match something like a Nikon 810 or Pentax 645z? Or has digital got so good at the higher levels that it's surpassed film in more than 'dynamic range'?
I'm guessing that well scanned roll film slides would better that? And, maybe, match something like a Nikon 810 or Pentax 645z? Or has digital got so good at the higher levels that it's surpassed film in more than 'dynamic range'?
I do like the sound of the large print size possibilities, especially given that I like to muck around with images, so need files to have some leeway or resilience and often find new views (than anticipated at the taking dodge) with cropping. Thirty six by twenty four should be plenty, to be fair.
I haven't had any large prints from the Sony yet, but remember fondly what I could go (get away with!) with he large and medium format transparency film. The detail in some old slides is amazing, like transmitters on a hillside in the far distance - taking up a minute proportion of the picture - still clean and crisp. I'm just hoping that the is available with the better digital cameras?
I haven't had any large prints from the Sony yet, but remember fondly what I could go (get away with!) with he large and medium format transparency film. The detail in some old slides is amazing, like transmitters on a hillside in the far distance - taking up a minute proportion of the picture - still clean and crisp. I'm just hoping that the is available with the better digital cameras?
I've been doing a lot of thinking, reading and looking back at favourite pictures and think I'm going to go a little 'left field' on this and, in order not to lose the look of my favourite lenses (the dof and bokeh, mainly) am going to get a Leica Monochrom and a Sony.
The Monochrom might sound daft at 18 mp given the subject of the thread, but with pixels dedicated to luminance rather than only one colour each it should punch above its weight resolution wise and when 'processed' well (which is a skill I'll have to work hard to develop) gives BW images unlike any I've seen from other digital sources, more like film. And I'do like a dedicated bw camera to make me think more about what I take, when and how.
For colour I'm hoping Sony will have a second generation A7r soonish, that will address some of the issues people note, maybe with an even higher pixel count, though that wouldn't worry me I suspect, 36 on full frame should be fine? And will let me use the lenses I love. Who knows, Leica might even do a sorted update to the M240 at some point, though given how badly managed the company seems to be maybe they'll have bitten the dust first.
The Monochrom might sound daft at 18 mp given the subject of the thread, but with pixels dedicated to luminance rather than only one colour each it should punch above its weight resolution wise and when 'processed' well (which is a skill I'll have to work hard to develop) gives BW images unlike any I've seen from other digital sources, more like film. And I'do like a dedicated bw camera to make me think more about what I take, when and how.
For colour I'm hoping Sony will have a second generation A7r soonish, that will address some of the issues people note, maybe with an even higher pixel count, though that wouldn't worry me I suspect, 36 on full frame should be fine? And will let me use the lenses I love. Who knows, Leica might even do a sorted update to the M240 at some point, though given how badly managed the company seems to be maybe they'll have bitten the dust first.
Edited by LastLight on Thursday 2nd April 12:08
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