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Question:

What camera resolution (i.e. mega pixels) will yield a 20 inch by 30 inch (poster sized) high res photograph?

I just wanna know how many mega pixels my camera should have (that I'm currently shopping for) if I plan to blow up huge high resolution posters sized pictures.


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Just about any digital SLR (about 6 MP or higher) can produce 20 x 30 inch prints. I've owned and operated 3 DSLR (Canon 10D, Nikon D70, Fuji S2 pro) and I've made many 20x30 from them (wedding pics mostly). They are all 6 MP cameras.

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Contrary to popular notion, it is NOT about the mega pixel count. DSLR has much larger CCD and so they have much lower digital NOISE. So when enlarged, it looks higher resolution. But just about any camera (even P&S) at approx 6 MP can be used for large enlargements if properly exposed (at the lowest ISO setting).

I hate to contradict FotoAce above, but JPG is just as good as RAW when properly exposed. For most people RAW is just another stumbling block (it's like asking my sister - mother of 3 - to drive my manual transmission Civic). If you know how to use RAW it is little bit better, but for the most part it can screw things up easier than help.
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The problem with 10 MP type camera (or any high MP camera) is the the CCD is crowded with pixel and so they are prone to more digital noise. And the higher the digital noise the lower the PERCEIVED resolution.

The only real NEXT step is going with medium format digital cameras with about 4 times 6 MP (at least 24 MP). But now you are talking about $10,000 to $20,000. These cameras have CCD area that's significantly larger and so the actual pixels per sq inch is low.


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