Question Choose Camera Balance of Three Ease of Use, Cost, Quality for Macro

[PatW]

For a 16 x 20 print (inches, mm on request) you need something like 7200 x 5760 (41 MP more or less) to print at 360 DPI native. That being said, all the new software will up-res almost perfectly. For the OM-1 this means about a 30% up resolution.
Bill

I have read up on the number of megapixels needed for enlargements. For small enlargements like 8 by 10 , you might need 320 dpi. But as you go larger, the viewing distance gets farther out. So you can get by with a much lower dpi. 24 megapixels is enough to print any but the largest enlargements according to my reading. I have made big enlargements from the old film days and 35 mm film is effectively around 20 mega pixels, if you believe the sources. You can easily find discussions of this on you tube.

 

[justinthedeeps]

Simple answer to the MP/dpi/ppi question for prints:

A 27" 4K monitor is about 8 megapixels, and 170 dpi/ppi.

Our photos look beautiful on the monitor, at this resolution, right in front of our faces!

So this is plenty of resolution for prints up to 24" wide, or an ~A2 size. Same size as our editing monitor!

Even the TG6/7 is 12 megapixels, higher resolution than a 27" 4K monitor. Go have fun and enjoy your beautiful prints.

Even at only 12 MP, You can print even bigger prints, if the viewing distance is more than 2 feet away.

People saying you need 300+ dpi for prints are confused. 300+ dpi is only required for magazines.

 

[tursiops]

Simple answer to the MP/dpi/ppi question for prints:

A 27" 4K monitor is about 8 megapixels, and 170 dpi/ppi.

Our photos look beautiful on the monitor, at this resolution, right in front of our faces!

So this is plenty of resolution for prints up to 24" wide, or an ~A2 size. Same size as our editing monitor!

Even the TG6/7 is 12 megapixels, higher resolution than a 27" 4K monitor. Go have fun and enjoy your beautiful prints.

Even at only 12 MP, You can print even bigger prints, if the viewing distance is more than 2 feet away.

People saying you need 300+ dpi for prints are confused. 300+ dpi is only required for magazines.

170 dpi might be fine, depending on the image and the print medium and size. If my picture is a high-resolution macro shot (as the OP desires) then I want every whisker on the fireworm to be a straight-line, not jagged due to pixelation, or fuzzy. A print is more demanding than a monitor; the comparison is not compelling. See, for example, https://posterprintshop.com/how-many-dpi-for-large-format-printing/#:~:text=For large format prints, a,distance and the print size.

 

[bvanant]

I have printed (many, many) underwater photos. 170 DPI for some pics is fine, but for things with lots of of detail it simply doesn't look as good (to me) as the same shot printed at 360 DPI. I think the difference between an LED screen and even the most glossy paper is quite large.
Bill

 

[justinthedeeps]

I have printed (many, many) underwater photos. 170 DPI for some pics is fine, but for things with lots of of detail it simply doesn't look as good (to me) as the same shot printed at 360 DPI. I think the difference between an LED screen and even the most glossy paper is quite large.

Fair enough, but what is the target viewing distance?

Of course when we print our own stuff, we get right up to it and want to be satisfied with detail at fairly close range--even for large prints.

Certainly the magazine folks chose 300 or 600dpi because it matters when someone is reading relatively small things at close range.

But at or beyond arm's length, it ceases to matter.

I guess we want to believe our prints will draw people in from afar, and then offer yet even more detail when the viewer gets in very close. Certainly we are likely to do that as macro (micro) fanatics.

But I don't think 200 dpi will ruin many people's appreciation of a good print in typical viewing contexts.

Summarizing, the OP should not really be concerned about a 12MP resolution on a good 'budget' camera. There are other things like subjects, skill and lighting that make more of difference at that level.