Do I need more pixels?

[KevinCarter]

I have the 5D. Was not going to upgrade, but I am thinking of buying a wide format printer and was thinking images from a 22mil pixel camera might look much better than one from a 12 mil camera.

Am I right -- if printing very large?

I could upres in Photoshop, but what do others think? thanks.

[michaelnotar]

probably not. i think my 1d mark III 10MP is much better than the 5d at 12MP. i made a 24x30 from the 1d and it was great.

while i have not used the new 5d/1ds i believe that is too many MPs. i expect a soft image, like any DSLR, but just more of it, not amazing IQ just more res. nothing exciting in my book.

theres an article on the home page of this site talking about digital progression...i recall a part that says P/S cameras have reached a plateau, with more res than users need, they are now turning to smaller devices, ie cell phones with camera, thats where we will see many improvements.

[Johan_Elzenga]

As you have not used the 5DII or 1Ds Mk III, you do not know what you are talking about. Both cameras have amazing detail and they are not soft. I do own a 1DsIII and a 5D, so I can compare it. I can't say if the OP needs more pixels, but there is certainly a visible difference between the 5D and the 5DII/1DsIII. The 5DII is also much better in terms of noise.

[sjprg]

I agree, my 1DSIII produces much more detail than my 5D. If you are really serious about large prints, check out this printer service.

Calypso Imaging, Inc.

[David_Buzzard]

A lot of it depends on the size and type of printer you're using. Providing you have a clean, 12MP file, you should be able to get close to perfect ink jet prints from a 13 inch printer. I'm not sure that most ink jet printers are going to be able render the extra MP's and detail, at least at the 13 inch size.

That said, if you want a printer larger than 13 inches, or you're working in less than ideal conditions, the MKII is definitely going to start pulling away from the original 5D pretty quickly.

One other thing to keep in mind is that the quality of your lenses is going to have a greater effect on the day to day quality of your images. Getting a really nice 24-70 lens will run you about the same, or less money, and won't go obsolete every two years.

David Buzzard

[DougAxford]

I'd agree with David on spending $$ on good glass rather than the upgrade in this case. The only provision is if you are shooting lots of very low light or printing lots over 24x30 already.

Many of us have been printing larger than that from the ancient 10D & up. It's a bit of extra work in PS (gosh maybe 30 seconds) so if you're not printing huge all the time, I'd stay with the 5D. The caveat is what you are shooting. If it's portrait, extra pixels is not an issue, if it's commercial, yes it matters a lot more.

I expected to sell tons of large portraits when I bought my first 24" five years ago - just didn't happen as I had hoped. Easiest answer is to start printing from the 5D and see how happy you are.

I guess it all comes down to how much money you have and how much you want to spend. However, we love spending your money for you, thanks for asking, donations gratefully accepted.

[KevinCarter]

Thanks guys. I will rent the 5D2 and do some test. I'm thinking of getting the very wide format printer. Has anyone done test of huge prints with their Canons vs medium format?