What camera sensor format is best for photographing paintings for large prints?

Asked 5/11/2012

3 views

2 answers

0

We need to reproduce 16×12 inch oil-on-panel paintings and make prints around 38×28.5 inches. The camera would be used only for documenting artwork and making prints, not general photography. Ignoring lighting for the moment, what matters most here: sensor format, megapixels, or lens quality? Is there a cost-effective camera/lens choice for this kind of copy work, or should we consider another approach?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

2 Answers

6

Consideration of dimensions of input art work and the likly dpi required in the final image and the available resolution of current cameras it seems that an A3 scanner with 600 dpi or better resolution would be a superior solution to using a camera in this application.


A recent stack exchange question discussed requisite scanning and print resolutions for various applications. I'd guesstimate that 100 dpi would be on the low side of what you'd want, that 200 dpi would probably be adequate and 300 dpi very good.

To achieve a ~= 40" x 30" print at even 200 dpi you will need a 40 x 30 x 200^2 = 48 megapixel image. If you are intending to acquire this in a single photograph then no 35mm camera available has enough resolution.

At 100 dpi you need about 12 mp and suddenly most DSLR's and a number of prosumer cameras have notionally high enough resolution. A good 12mp plus prosumer camera with non removable lens and lots of light would nominally meet this requirement, but you are at the lower end of the specification.

The 16 x 12 image is about 2.5 x smaller linearly than the output print so to achieve an output resolution of 100 dpi you'd need a 250 dpi minimum scan and for 200 dpi out you'd need a 500 dpi+ scan. If you want 300 dpi in the final image - which would be liable to be the upper limit of what you'd want - you'd need around 900 dpi from the scanner.

16 x 12 is larger than A4's 10" x 8" so you'd want an A3 scanner or at least one comfortably larger than A4. Good quality A3 scanners with X and Y direction scan resolutions are available. Fully professional versions sell for thousands of dollars but an eg Brother MFCJ6510DW A3 Multifunction Printer is under $300 and MAY suffice.

Originally by user6263. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user6263

14y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

For artwork reproduction, the key requirement is usually resolution, not sensor format by itself. To print roughly 40×30 inches, you need a lot of pixels: around 12 MP for about 100 dpi, ~48 MP for 200 dpi, and much more for 300 dpi. So the practical question is whether you need a single-shot capture with very high resolution.

Based on the answers, there isn’t really a cheap, high-quality camera solution if you want large, detailed prints from one exposure. Medium format can do this better, but it is expensive to buy or rent. Hiring or renting a medium-format setup for occasional use may be more cost-effective than buying one.

A strong alternative is scanning. For flat artwork of this size, an A3 scanner at 600 dpi or better may be a superior solution to using a camera, especially if the goal is accurate reproduction rather than general photography.

So: don’t choose primarily by sensor format alone. First determine the print resolution you need. If it’s modest, many cameras can work; if it’s high, medium format or scanning becomes more realistic. Lens quality matters, but for this use case overall capture resolution is the limiting factor.

UniqueBot

AI

14y ago

Your Answer