Timeline for With all other things equal, in a DSLR, will a larger sensor produce a sharper image?
Current License: CC BY-SA 2.5
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| Sep 20, 2010 at 17:23 | comment | added | Matt Grum | @stevenh noise has an effect on both perceived and measured sharpness, but it's small in comparison with the fact that a larger sensor uses much more of the lens' imaging circle. It is not true that if the number of pixels is the same then corresponding pixels in both sensors see the same colour, since corresponding pixels are viewing different parts of the image projected by the lens! The image projected by the lens has a limited resolution. If you just take the middle part of this image and blow it up (effectively what the smaller sensor does) then you will lose sharpness. | |
| Sep 20, 2010 at 14:30 | comment | added | stevenvh | @Matt: couldn't it be that less noise is perceived as being sharper? After all, if the number of pixels remains the same corresponding pixels in both sensors see the same color. | |
| Sep 20, 2010 at 13:55 | comment | added | stevenvh | @Rowland: sharpness and noise are two different things. You van have a noisier and less noisy picture while both being as sharp as the other. Noise causes deviation from the real color in individual pixels. | |
| Sep 20, 2010 at 12:46 | comment | added | AJ Finch | Good answer for "all other things being equal". Pithy. I like it, and I would have said the same. +1 | |
| Sep 19, 2010 at 16:24 | comment | added | Rowland Shaw | Q higher pixel density does note always equate to more noise. It can, but not always. For example, a Canon 5D mk II is going to be a lot sharper than a Canon 20D, even with the same lens etc. | |
| Sep 19, 2010 at 15:12 | comment | added | Matt Grum | I disagree with point 1, if you use the same lens, and keep the same final output size then sharpness is not the same. The larger sensor will produce a sharper image (in terms of absolute resolving power) in addition to greater sensitivity - see the comparison between the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 on a full frame and APS-C size sensor I posted: dpreview.com/lensreviews/nikon_50_1p4g_n15/page3.asp | |
| Sep 19, 2010 at 10:55 | history | edited | stevenvh | CC BY-SA 2.5 |
added 23 characters in body
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| Sep 19, 2010 at 10:49 | history | answered | stevenvh | CC BY-SA 2.5 |