Poster (24" x 36") prints with Canon XSi + EF 50mm f1.4 USM

[walls99]

I've had my XSi/450D with the kit 18-55 lens so far. I just bought a Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens from Amazon yesterday. I'm no expert at taking pictures and am hoping to learn to take good portrait shots with the new lens.

A few years ago, when our son was 6 months old we had some pics taken at Picture People and had a poster printed of him. This was before we bought the XSi.

We are wondering if the XSi + 50mm f1.4 is a good combo to take a good enough quality picture that we can get a poster sized (24" x 36") ordered ourselves, instead of using Picture People again. They are damn expensive.

If there are sites out there that would printer Poster size pics, can someone recommend a good site that we can order them from ?

Thanks in advance

Walls

 

[kevindar]

I've had my XSi/450D with the kit 18-55 lens so far. I just bought a Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens from Amazon yesterday. I'm no expert at taking pictures and am hoping to learn to take good portrait shots with the new lens.

A few years ago, when our son was 6 months old we had some pics taken at Picture People and had a poster printed of him. This was before we bought the XSi.

We are wondering if the XSi + 50mm f1.4 is a good combo to take a good enough quality picture that we can get a poster sized (24" x 36") ordered ourselves, instead of using Picture People again. They are damn expensive.

Short answer is yes. From the proper viewing distance, 12.2 Mp is enough. strictly speaking, you wont have enough resolution for a prints which will hold up to close scrutiny. you have 4272 pixels on the long end, which gives 118 pixels per inch print output, if you do no cropping. Ideal is 300, and what most people say is very acceptable is 150. below 100 things fall apart. However with proper upsizing, it should give you very good prints.

Now, the resolution will be the least of your problems. A DSLR does not a photographer make. I would rather have a g10, proper light, and proper know how (most importantly) than a 1ds3, 24-70L, no lights, and no knowledge. a huge part of a good portrait is proper lighting and posing, and even props for a young child. Not to say that Picture People shop in the Mall is any more artistic than you are, but at least the have the proper lights and background and such.

Of course it is great fun to learn and do your own family photography, just be prepared for a steep learning curve to learn how to do it.

If there are sites out there that would printer Poster size pics, can someone recommend a good site that we can order them from ?

Thanks in advance

Walls

I am fairly sure costco now does 24x36 prints, as does adorama, B@H, and all pro labs, Like Mpix. If you are going cheap look at artcow.com.
good luck.
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http://razzi.me/kevindar/photos

 

[CityLights]

You should have no problem making 24x36 prints from full resolution pictures. I have done quite a few from that same camera even up to 30x40 prints that look spectacular. Careful camera technique to get umber sharp shots, good post processing, up-resolution, and sharpening make all the difference.

A DSLR does not a photographer make. I would rather have a g10, proper light, and proper know how (most importantly) than a 1ds3, 24-70L, no lights, and no knowledge. a huge part of a good portrait is proper lighting and posing, and even props for a young child.

Spot on.

Of course it is great fun to learn and do your own family photography, just be prepared for a steep learning curve to learn how to do it.

Exactly. I totally agree!

--
CityLights
http://www.pbase.com/citylights
.

 

[walls99]

Thanks Kevindar and Citylights for the responses. Looks like I have a lot to learn.

 

[seri_art]

How do you do your up-resolution? I assume your final sharpening comes after that, right?

You should have no problem making 24x36 prints from full resolution pictures. I have done quite a few from that same camera even up to 30x40 prints that look spectacular. Careful camera technique to get umber sharp shots, good post processing, up-resolution, and sharpening make all the difference.

 

[CityLights]

How do you do your up-resolution? I assume your final sharpening comes after that, right?

Need to up res to the native resolution of the printer otherwise you trust the printer driver to do it for you. Once I custom process, I want the printer to do as little as possible. I resize by 10% per step until at the size I need. Then sharpen for print.

--
CityLights
http://www.pbase.com/citylights
.

 

[seri_art]

Thanks. I've never printed larger than 12"x18" from my XSi and have had great results from letting the printer driver (printing services using Noritsu printers) do the up res. Of course 24x36 is very much larger than 12x18.

Need to up res to the native resolution of the printer otherwise you trust the printer driver to do it for you. Once I custom process, I want the printer to do as little as possible. I resize by 10% per step until at the size I need. Then sharpen for print.

--
CityLights
http://www.pbase.com/citylights
.

 

[seri_art]

Have you compared that method to using Bicubic smoother in Photoshop?

CityLights wrote:
Then sharpen for print.

 

[CityLights]

I just us bicubic at 10% per step. Smoother results in loss of detail and softness. Sharper gets too Sharp and introduces artifacts. The key is custom, so you can watch what is happening and control it. Some printer drivers do a good job, but every subject is different and it may not work all the time.

Bigger prints show more flaws and require more care for good results. I have printed one 6 foot by 4 foot pano. It was 51 megapixels when I started. I don't know what it was after I up resed. I have done about fifteen 30x40's too.

Have you compared that method to using Bicubic smoother in Photoshop?

CityLights wrote:

Then sharpen for print.

--
CityLights
http://www.pbase.com/citylights
.

 

[seri_art]

Thanks!

I just us bicubic at 10% per step. Smoother results in loss of detail and softness. Sharper gets too Sharp and introduces artifacts. The key is custom, so you can watch what is happening and control it. Some printer drivers do a good job, but every subject is different and it may not work all the time.

Bigger prints show more flaws and require more care for good results. I have printed one 6 foot by 4 foot pano. It was 51 megapixels when I started. I don't know what it was after I up resed. I have done about fifteen 30x40's too.