PostHeaderIcon Resolution Without Performance

One should never base a camera purchase decision on imager native resolution alone. The resolution perceived by an audience is influenced by many factors beyond a camera’s imager size and native pixel count. High compression, choice of codec, quality of optics, dynamic range, even the use or non-use of a matte box, can seriously impact contrast, which in turn can negatively affect the perceived resolution of an image. A more relevant measure when considering a new camera is performance, that is, how well the camera behaves under the most difficult conditions you’re likely to encounter in the course of your shooting day. A  camera able to perform well in a wide range of conditions  is going to be far more useful to most users than a camera system with merely more pixels jammed into the face of an imager. In fact those cameras with very high resolution imagers should in general be avoided in order to preserve the best low light sensibility and dynamic range.

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