What kind of camera (and what resolution) do you need to make a movie theater standee size/quality print?
Question by Cheshire Dragon: What kind of camera (and what resolution) do you need to make a movie theater standee size/quality print?
The printing itself won’t be a problem for me; I have several options withing walking distance. I’m just wondering how feasible it would be for me to rent/buy such a camera to make a portfolio presentation.
Best answer:
Answer by Bryan L
You don’t necessarily need something monstrous with a ton of megapixels – photographers have been creating photos for up to billboard-size with cameras like the Canon 1Ds Mark I, the Nikon D1X and other, relatively low-megapixel cameras for years now.
There are a couple keys: you need a great original image that doesn’t require much, if any cropping (RAW would be great, but JPEG is fine).
The biggest thing is figuring out what the final resolution needs to be – a movie standee that’s six or eight feet tall is designed to be viewed at a much greater distance than an 8×10 print hanging on the wall, so it doesn’t need to printed at 200 or 300 dpi; it may need something more like 75-100 dpi, or possibly even lower.
Obviously, if there’s something with fine detail in the picture that needs to be reproduced, you’ll need a finer resolution, but check with your printer first.
Also, you can always interpolate up your images – if you shoot RAW, the RAW converter that came with your camera frequently allows you to import the file at a larger file size, but there are plenty of software options for interpolation. Genuine Fractals is probably the best of them.
If you already have a DSLR with 8-10 megapixels, you’re totally set; if you really want a ton of extra detail, rent yourself a 1Ds or 1Ds Mark II or a 5D.
Add your own answer in the comments!
