Megapixel Saturation Is Coming?

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mexican_equivalent@yahoo.com - 27 Aug 2006 02:49 GMT

There's consumer level, there's prosumer level, and there's
professional level. At what point will the consumer level be saturated
with over megapixelization?

It was 3 megapixels in 2002, 6 megapixels in 2004, 8 megapixels in
2005, 10 megapixels in 2006. At the rate we're going, we'll be seeing
20-megapixel cameras for entry level DSLRs before 2010. 10 megapixels
is already overkill for non professionals. But 20 megapixels? What
sort of insane father would regularly print crystal clear 24X16 baby
pictures for inspection/scrutiny at a 12-inch viewing distance?

What's even more relevant is that printer technology is seriously
lagging behind the camera megapixels. We're at a point now where
consumer-level DSLRs are churning out pictures bigger than
consuer-level printers can possibly handle.

At some point, I think entry-level DSLRs will reach a glass ceiling for
megapixels the way consumer level cars have reached a glass ceiling for
speed. Sure, we now have the technology to mass produce 160 mph cars
for retail... but why make 'em if nobody needs 'em?

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Charlie Self - 28 Aug 2006 11:11 GMT

> There's consumer level, there's prosumer level, and there's
> professional level. At what point will the consumer level be saturated
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> sort of insane father would regularly print crystal clear 24X16 baby
> pictures for inspection/scrutiny at a 12-inch viewing distance?

Not all amateurs take baby photos. I don't understand why you think
10MP is overkill for amateurs, though. What about the person who wants
detailed shots of car or motorcycle races, wants landscapes that can
easily be blow up to 20 x 30 for use on walls, that sort of thing?

The same person might well prefer the detail available in a 20MP
sensor, assuming it doesn't create too much more noise.

> What's even more relevant is that printer technology is seriously
> lagging behind the camera megapixels. We're at a point now where
> consumer-level DSLRs are churning out pictures bigger than
> consuer-level printers can possibly handle.

Yeah, but uploads to places like MPIX get easier all the time. I just
sent out a pro shot for a 20 x 30 because my printer won't handle it.

> At some point, I think entry-level DSLRs will reach a glass ceiling for
> megapixels the way consumer level cars have reached a glass ceiling for
> speed. Sure, we now have the technology to mass produce 160 mph cars
> for retail... but why make 'em if nobody needs 'em?

I doubt we do have the technology to produce affordable 160mph cars. If
we do have, it's an impractical idea for a wide variety of
reasons--safety of other motorists being clearly foremost, gas
consumption being right up there. Actually, the Corvette may come
close, though. At the same time, a camera fills a totally different
niche. It's unsafe to use only if you walk off a cliff or stand in the
way of a tank while using it. Any increase in fuel consumption--flash
memory and batteries--can be easily met at ever lower cost. Any
bragging rights the camera's MP provides is on facets easily proved, or
disproved without endangering anyone.

I'm reasonably sure the MP race, such as it is, will end in time,
though smaller advances will continue to be made. When sensor MP count
moves by the ability of lenses to pass the information on to the flash
memory, the race is over. So far, that hasn't happened, though by some
claims, it's getting closer.

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Marc Sabatella - 28 Aug 2006 22:25 GMT

>> There's consumer level, there's prosumer level, and there's
>> professional level. At what point will the consumer level be
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> detailed shots of car or motorcycle races, wants landscapes that can
> easily be blow up to 20 x 30 for use on walls, that sort of thing?

OK, that's not a "professional" versus "amateur" distinction, but I
would say that the set of people who would even *consider* making 20x30
prints are in the "prosumer" class referred to above. So I'd agree
*some* "prosumers" would have legimitate reason to want 10 MP or better.
But hardly all or even most.

---------------
Marc Sabatella
marc@outsideshore.com

Music, art, & educational materials
Featuring "A Jazz Improvisation Primer"
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