The Truth About Megapixels: Is Software the Ultimate Equalizer?

[@QuantzPhoto]

This started out as a somewhat simple file comparison but results from upscaling files in Topaz Photo AI really surprised me!

[@TooGood79]

Thanks James. I just had a client request a banner yesterday and this really gives a few options for me since I shoot on the R6mkII Depending on the size he would like, I may need to give this software a shot. 👍🏾

[@thatphotoguy719]

I’ve got my old 20D that’s 8MP and it still produces enough resolution for a 11x14. 24MP is fine for most applications. IMHO

[@hartgetzen7867]

Very helpful. I’ve been wondering about this exact issue and you answered my questions. Thanks for another excellent video.

[@alexg0742]

Great job, great video and always enjoy watching. I am always wanting someone to take these comparisons a step further and not judge the image on a monitor but have the test images printed out large to judge the ultimate final output. Thanks for the video.

[@QuantzPhoto]

I’ll have to get a new printer first! 🤣

[@picklebird1261]

Man--anything that can lighten your bag or cut down on the expensive gear you need to buy is a win-win! Thanks for doing the on screen comparisons. Catherine D

[@QuantzPhoto]

Thanks Catherine!

[@pbziegler]

I went out with a friend and he had his micro 4/3rds and three lenses in a fanny pack. I had my Sony a7riii and three lenses in a huge backpack. I came home frm that exhausting three days of hiking and shooting and sold my Sony and lenses and bought an Om-1. Took it to Spain with three lenses and man was I happy I made that trade.

[@infrequentgamer_greg]

Thanks James...eye opening video. Have you compared Gigapixel AI to Topaz Photo AI? I wonder if one upscales better?

[@QuantzPhoto]

Without shilling out another $100 it looks to be very similar with Photo AI maybe having a few more options.

[@HarryGreen333]

Appreciate you sharing! I'd love to go back and forth after registered the upscaled vs the Fuji photos (using lightroom to compare and go back and forth). Any chance you'd upload your 4 source files (for the Live Oaks canopy) to allow us to do more detailed/selective comparisons on our own computers? thanks again!

[@GRANT-W-NEALE]

Beautiful presentation and explication of "camera megapixel size" and software upscale. Very impressive and a great solution. Thank you for sharing ... and you should have been sponsored :)

[@QuantzPhoto]

Ha, thanks Grant!

[@RogerZoul]

Great video! I think if you start with a good photo, the upscaling software can work very well. I would not want to be making and working with 100MP files on the daily. I really appreciate you making the case for the need to be able to walk up next to a large printed image and have it look sharp! A lot of people always assume that such images will be viewed at distance so that you can’t see the pics up close. You proved otherwise right there with that, er, whatever that was (or is called) poster-like thing with the guy printed on it. Great job!

[@QuantzPhoto]

Thanks Roger! It's a fabric banner in this case.

[@weableman]

James, I was looking at the new Fuji and have been tempted! You likely saved me a lot of money! Thank you

[@QuantzPhoto]

The GFX is a fantastic system though if you need it!

[@MsOnce4all]

Excellent comparison! Thank you for taking the time to do that.

[@psrosemary]

I just found some awesome photos I took with a flip phone, who knows how long ago. Maybe one megapixel? It’s all about the eye, the mood, and the experience of the photographer. .

[@framednsnapped]

Great work. Thanks for doing the comparison. I too have AI Topaz and am amazed on how well my micro 4/3 photos come out.

[@QuantzPhoto]

Thanks for watching!

[@bryanthomas007]

James good video. I usually use Giga Pixel al AI which is another great Topaz software to upscale.

[@anthonyklam7549]

Which one should I get on Topaz? Photo AI and Gigapixel Or Photo AI only I want to buy a package which has sharpen, upscale and Denoise. Gigapixel is throwing me off. Please help

[@QuantzPhoto]

I just picked up Photo AI myself.

[@lelandfitz1762]

Do those rectangle comparisons even make sense? I always knew that sensor sizes can be compared like that. But Pixels?

[@QuantzPhoto]

It shows the file size difference in output based on the MP count of the sensor(not sensor size) so yeah I'd say it makes sense...

[@juans5308]

Thanks for the explanation James. What is the difference between upscaling and high resolution. I was asked to provide some hi res photos, and wasn't sure what to do about that. I shoot with an R5 and export as jpgs. I ended up using Topaz Gigapixel AI to upscale them, but I'm not sure what effect that had to the resolution.

[@QuantzPhoto]

The resolution will stay the same but the size of the file will be increased. I would probably consider files 240dpi or higher as high resolution.

[@whamni]

Why would you want to Export as Jpegs ! !

[@craigmeyer5777]

Very interesting video and well done. Thank you for taking the time to do it. Don’t listen to the snarky comments. Keep doing what you are doing. Much appreciated.

[@QuantzPhoto]

Thanks Craig!

[@timothylatour4977]

I've been using the original Topaz Gigapixel AI for several years now, and I is nothing short of amazing. I'm sure the version that's in the newer Topaz Photo AI is even better. You are describing the upscaled images in terms of increased pixels, which of course is correct. But I think of it more as having a better lens. The increase in quality is evident because of a finer mesh of pixels lying on edges where colors change and where we sense the sharpness of an image. So to me, a soft image resulting from a consumer lens (even on a high MPixel camera) can be made to be non-soft using the AI technology. On the other hand, a truly blurry image will not be improved very much, at least in my experience. One last point, the sharpening does not appear phony. In other words, the image is not over sharpened, so it looks more natural.

[@QuantzPhoto]

Thanks for sharing!

[@stevenbamford5245]

99% of images end up on social media...it really doesn't matter, but if you are shooting a specific job then hire what you need. When I see folks walking around on vacation with Z8s and Sony A7RVs etc I just smile and think that's another marketing dept that's done their job.

[@QuantzPhoto]

So true!! 🤣

[@denisbellerose273]

Lorsque j'ai réalisé la photo d'équipe du club de hockey professionnel de la ECHL dont je suis le photographe, je l'ai prise avec mon Canon R5 et psr curiosité j'avais fait un test avec lightroom pour augmenter la taille du fichier et j'ai été surpris de voir comment le résultat était très bon.

[@paulng3913]

Thank you!

[@QuantzPhoto]

You're welcome!

[@Karanja59]

Wow big eye opener 👌

[@timothykieper]

Seems the more interesting discussion would be with cameras offering between 16 and 24 MP. Just guessing, that is about 90% of the market? Or, at least include the 16MP as a discusion point ?

[@QuantzPhoto]

I believe most "pro" cameras have at least 20-24mp these days...

[@timothykieper]

@@QuantzPhoto I am currently trying Lumix cameras which seem to be quite popular. But, I am not a believer in the MFT 16 MP sensor, yet?

[@MartinV.]

Great Video

[@TechnikMeister2]

So what do you do when your new beaut 60mp $4000 camera takes pictures like a colour photocopier, or when your ad agency or fashion magazine editor says your files have to be under 30mp? Fewer, bigger, fatter pixel sites produce nicer images. The camera has less work to do to combine them into an image. Its why Australia's top fashion photographer ditched his 100mp Hassy and bought a 24mp Leica SL/2. Unless you shoot birds and do heavy cropping, or shoot landscapes, a low MP camera will be superior. It why the Nikon D700, D800 and Canon 5D are becoming in demand again as photographers realise this reality. It's all in the colour and micro contrast these days.

[@QuantzPhoto]

Thanks for sharing Steve!

[@cdavey7654]

The “ai” up-sizing works sort of ok for some things but from what I’ve seen not near as good as native higher resolution images shot with good lenses. Nice to have options though.

[@QuantzPhoto]

I would imagine the better the resolution of the starting image would have a large impact as well.

[@cdavey7654]

@@QuantzPhoto Yes, I would agree there for sure. I likely in another 5-10 years the "ai" will get even better, but I think there will always be a place for fairly high resolution cameras, at least for those wanting to print large and/or gives more options to crop etc.. Pretty interesting stuff though, and well done video! Thank you 🙂

[@rumporridge1]

@@cdavey7654probably more like 3-5 yrs. Tech is full steam ahead.

[@trevorfentiman5283]

I have kept saying software has advanced so fast that megapixels has not become so important

[@QuantzPhoto]

I guess we'll have to see how consistent the software can be!

[@AbcDino843]

More, always more.

[@sonofoneintheuniverse]

Guess 100MP is a bare minimum for internet images viewed on a pad or a phone... 😊

[@QuantzPhoto]

Definitely not the main application for files from that camera!

[@natureredux1957]

It is never how much We, but YOU. Everyone can be vastly different.

[@QuantzPhoto]

If you watch the video I say “I” in the first sentence. 🤷‍♂️