Reading mode: Light Dark

future of ef-s lenses

Go to last post
C

czaharop

Member
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
Location
US
Hello,

Any thoughts on how the current generation of higher quality ef-s lenses (like 17-55, 15-85, 10-22) might do on the next generation of APS-C DSLRs if these cameras have sensors in the 25MP range? Will they be able to handle the higher resolution and pixel density?

czaharop
 
Is there evidence that canons new APC-C sensors will be 20+mp?

I thought Canon learnt their lesson during the G10 to G11 transition.

In my opinion even 15mp is enough. I have a 10mp at the moment and that is borderline I would say. I could do with a bit of extra cropping power.
 
--
Unapologetic Canon Apologist ;)
 
No need to worry. They will be at least as good on future 20MP+ sensor as on current 18MP sensor as print quality goes. It may be different if you pixel peep but that does not matter much for most practical purposes.
 
I am not sure that there would be much of a practical benefit to increasing sensor sizes much more than 18 megapixels.

The 7D sensor has a pixel pitch of 4.3 micrometers. A hypothetical 24 megapixel APS-C sensor would have a pixel pitch of 3.7 micrometers (6000x4000 pixels on a 22.3x14.9mm sensor). The 7D's 18 megapixel sensor begins to experience diffraction at about f/6.8 and a sensor with 3.7 micrometer pixel pitch would begin to "see" diffraction effects at even wider apertures. Of course, diffraction results in a gradual loss of sharpness so narrower apertures can still be used.

I wonder if Canon will continue to up the megapixel ante or will they do what Panasonic has done with the LX-5 and improve the sensors without increasing the number of pixels.

I don't think the EF-S lenses themselves would be much of an issue.
 
It's funny to hear how the previous generation of something so insanely transient as the MP status quo was either "good enough" or "getting out of hand." I can tell you with absolute certainty in just a few short years some yahoo is going to be complaining about 35MP cameras and pining away for his old school 25MP body. This has been the same silly conversation about what has been adequate and what has been overkill since the digital camera was invented.

The irony is that in all of these chatterbox discussions, 99% of users' largest final output is a web-sized 8-bit JPG usually no more than 1MP.

--
http://andymcelroy.smugmug.com
 
I said in the post above "They will be at least as good on future 20MP+ sensor as on current 18MP sensor as print quality goes. It may be different if you pixel peep but that does not matter much for most practical purposes. "

This applies to final output resolution with consideration of both lens optics and diffraction effect. You will not loose anything due to diffraction as far as (same sized) print quality is concerned.
biochemiker said:
I am not sure that there would be much of a practical benefit to increasing sensor sizes much more than 18 megapixels.

The 7D sensor has a pixel pitch of 4.3 micrometers. A hypothetical 24 megapixel APS-C sensor would have a pixel pitch of 3.7 micrometers (6000x4000 pixels on a 22.3x14.9mm sensor). The 7D's 18 megapixel sensor begins to experience diffraction at about f/6.8 and a sensor with 3.7 micrometer pixel pitch would begin to "see" diffraction effects at even wider apertures. Of course, diffraction results in a gradual loss of sharpness so narrower apertures can still be used.

I wonder if Canon will continue to up the megapixel ante or will they do what Panasonic has done with the LX-5 and improve the sensors without increasing the number of pixels.

I don't think the EF-S lenses themselves would be much of an issue.
Click to expand...
 
I trimmed a lot pictures from a birthday party tonight, mostly 10-15% of the full frame.
I wish I had a 30MP camera :)
--
Not Signed- no signature I mean.
 
biochemiker said:
I wonder if Canon will continue to up the megapixel ante or will they do what Panasonic has done with the LX-5 and improve the sensors without increasing the number of pixels.
Click to expand...
I hope they will follow Sony/Pentax/Nikon, and will do both.
 
czaharop said:
Hello,

Any thoughts on how the current generation of higher quality ef-s lenses (like 17-55, 15-85, 10-22) might do on the next generation of APS-C DSLRs if these cameras have sensors in the 25MP range? Will they be able to handle the higher resolution and pixel density?

czaharop
Click to expand...
No-one seemed to bother answering the thread-starters question: Are the best current EF-S lenses capable of resolving much more than the equivalent of 18 megapixels?

One can split hairs all day long, and of course a 17-55 wont suddenly be less sharp when mounted on a 30 megapixel APS-C sized sensor. I take it that most people asking such questions wants to know if a hypothetic 30-megapixel "9D" could produce images with significantly more detail than the curent 18-megapixel 7D using the same e.g. 17-55 mm.

-h
 
Peter 13 said:
hjulenissen said:
No-one seemed to bother answering the thread-starters question: Are the best current EF-S lenses capable of resolving much more than the equivalent of 18 megapixels?
Click to expand...
Tha was not the original question.
Click to expand...
In case you are confused, I am pasting his question below:
czaharop said:
Hello,

Any thoughts on how the current generation of higher quality ef-s lenses (like 17-55, 15-85, 10-22) might do on the next generation of APS-C DSLRs if these cameras have sensors in the 25MP range? Will they be able to handle the higher resolution and pixel density?

czaharop
Click to expand...
Short version, my interpretation:

Will the best current EF-S lenses be sharp enough so as not to overly limit total performance of 25 MP APS-C sensors?

I dont know the answer, but I think it is interesting to know what the pixel-count progression will be on crop-sensors, and how long my 17-55 will be able to deliver more details as the number of pixels increase.

-h
 
hjulenissen said:
Peter 13 said:
hjulenissen said:
No-one seemed to bother answering the thread-starters question: Are the best current EF-S lenses capable of resolving much more than the equivalent of 18 megapixels?
Click to expand...
Tha was not the original question.
Click to expand...
In case you are confused, I am pasting his question below:
czaharop said:
Hello,

Any thoughts on how the current generation of higher quality ef-s lenses (like 17-55, 15-85, 10-22) might do on the next generation of APS-C DSLRs if these cameras have sensors in the 25MP range? Will they be able to handle the higher resolution and pixel density?

czaharop
Click to expand...
Short version, my interpretation:

Will the best current EF-S lenses be sharp enough so as not to overly limit total performance of 25 MP APS-C sensors?
Click to expand...
This attempt to understand the OP questuon is better than your frst one but still not close. The OP seemed to be concerned that the current lenses will do worse on newer cameras than on the old ones, and carlk responded that they will produce images at least as good. The thread should have ended here. But this is DPR, and giving a good answer to the OP is not a reason for the thread to end. :(
 
Resolution hasn’t been a major issue for most people since sensors passed 10MP, and I think many would agree that increases past 18MP will add very little additional detail to our prints. However, what we’ve seen historically is that increased sensor resolution also brings images that respond better to NR, resulting in improved high-ISO performance.

That said, it’s my personal belief that actual sensor resolution will always provide at least slightly better detail than interpolation when huge prints are made. Lenses are analog devices that don’t abruptly cease being useful at a particular resolution.
 
Peter 13 said:
Steve Ives said:
Peter 13 said:
hjulenissen said:
No-one seemed to bother answering the thread-starters question: Are the best current EF-S lenses capable of resolving much more than the equivalent of 18 megapixels?
Click to expand...
Tha was not the original question.
Click to expand...
Actually, it was.
Click to expand...
Actually, it was not.
Click to expand...
Then it seems to me that you are here to argue, not to provide help for other members. It must be ok to apply social skills in interpreting questions the way they are most likely thought, not trying to make some irrelevant point for nit-pickings sake.

-h
 
Phil Hill said:
Resolution hasn’t been a major issue for most people since sensors passed 10MP, and I think many would agree that increases past 18MP will add very little additional detail to our prints. However, what we’ve seen historically is that increased sensor resolution also brings images that respond better to NR, resulting in improved high-ISO performance.

That said, it’s my personal belief that actual sensor resolution will always provide at least slightly better detail than interpolation when huge prints are made. Lenses are analog devices that don’t abruptly cease being useful at a particular resolution.
Click to expand...
What people do with all of this information is perhaps a question it itself. Do they crop or print wall-sized prints? But that is perhaps besides the point.

I believe that the question could be "given an ideal sensor, perhaps no AA filtering, and megapixel count increasing with every model. At what point will I see a near 1:1 increase in real end-to-end resolution, and at what point will I see a near 0 increase, using e.g. the 17-55 lense"

-h
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top