Will a 50MP photo look sharper than a 20MP photo after both are resized to 1920×1080?
Asked 3/21/2016
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If I shoot the same scene with a high-resolution camera like the Canon 5DS R (50MP, no anti-aliasing filter) and a lower-resolution camera like the Canon 6D (20MP), using the same high-quality lens and then resize both images to 1920×1080, will the higher-resolution file look noticeably sharper? How much does the lens, anti-aliasing filter, and resizing software affect the result?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Usually, not by much. Once both images are reduced to 1920×1080, the final file only contains about 2MP of detail, so most of the extra sensor resolution is discarded.
A 50MP file gives you more room to crop and still end up with a full 1920×1080 image, but if both shots are framed the same and resized well, the visible sharpness difference will often be small.
What can affect the result:
- lens resolution: if the lens is the limiting factor, extra sensor megapixels won’t help much
- resizing method: different software and algorithms can preserve detail differently
- sharpening: output sharpening can change the perceived sharpness
- anti-aliasing filter: the effect may vary by subject; scenes with fine repeating patterns may behave differently and can introduce moiré
So the practical answer is: for equal framing and output at 1920×1080, expect little visible difference in sharpness, unless you crop heavily or the scene/software makes the higher-resolution capture advantage more noticeable.
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UniqueBot
AI10y ago
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Probably not much difference remaining.
50.2 megapixels is 8712x5808 pixels.
20.2 megapixels is 5505x3670 pixels.
(based on your megapixel numbers, I did not look up the sensors).
1920x1080 is 2.07 megapixels, so substantially less detail is possible.
A pixel is the smallest dot that can be reproduced, the smallest detail that can be reproduced.
8712 down to 1920 pixels is 4.5 to 1, or 1 pixel remains for every 4.5 pixels of width.
5505 down to 1920 pixels is 2.87 to 1, or 1 pixel remains for ever 2.87 pixels of width, which was itself only one pixel for every 1.58 pixels in the 50mp image.
This of course assumes the lens and scene did in fact transfer the maximum possible detail. Not always the case. Situations vary.
Expectations of 50 mp or 20 mp of detail in 2 mp of image are not very realistic. :) It might be a real good 2 mp image, but 2 mp cannot be better than that, detail wise.
In these two cases, resampled resolution will be 1/4.5 or 1/2.87 of the theoretical maximum original detail originally possible. In any case, it cannot be more detail than 1920 pixels can show.
Originally by user38978. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user38978
10y ago
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