A7S or SII maximum print size?

[oneand0]

I'm just wondering from all of you who own a Sony A7S, what is the largest print you have produced, that you are satisfied with the detail in the image? Also, if there is a large size you tried to have printed and realized it wasn't to your liking, in other words a cut off for maximum size of where you would take your prints, by learning first hand.

 

My background with shooting and printing large was with the Canon 6D and I believe its just over 20MP, and the largest print I had done was 30x40. I don't think I would take it any farther than that, unless I learned how to upscale an image. I purchased the A7SII for mainly video, but wondering if I should go for it with photos too?

 

Thank you in advanced.

[Golem]

The math is simple. You liked the 40inch prints

from 20MP so you should equally like 24inch from

12MP .... IOW the long dimension in inches is 2X

the pixel density in MPs .... based on you own

previous results.

 

Seems safer to extrapolate from your own results

than to ask for subjective impressions from many

other users whose standards and aesthetics are

theirs but maybe different from yours. Frinstintz

if you asked me, I'd say it depends on the zoning

regulations in your target area, rather than the

resolution of the sensor !

 

`

[oneand0]

Golem,

 

I did the math already. But it's a different camera and still would like to hear from someone who owns it and maybe went through what I asked above. 

 

In my case I was happy with the 30x40, but not too thrilled. Where as someone else might have been thrilled with it? I know I  might get different answers, but that is what I am looking for. Real people who put their heart into shooting a scene or subject and then seeing the end result printed large and being happy, or not so. Not looking for math at this point.

 

Thank you for your input. Do you own one?

[pilsburypie]

15" x 10" for 300dpi. That is excellent quality for a print.

 

Go bigger and the quality will degrade, hardly noticeable at first but then becoming worse. I've heard 200dpi is acceptable and will look decent hang on a wall.

[madara]

15" x 10" for 300dpi. That is excellent quality for a print.

 

Go bigger and the quality will degrade, hardly noticeable at first but then becoming worse. I've heard 200dpi is acceptable and will look decent hang on a wall.

 

I'd suggest using Photoshop to upscale beyond 300 dpi, You'll get better results than letting the printer scale it for you.

 

https://blogs.adobe.com/richardcurtis/2013/08/16/creativefriday-how-to-increase-your-photos-size-using-photoshop-cc/

[oneand0]

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I just took some shots this weekend with it along the coast. I will print out some of my own shots up to 12x18, which I am guessing won't be pushing it. Anything bigger and I will have to send out, then I will see what I think the real limits are with that camera for fine prints.

 

Madara, Thanks for the link. I will experiment with larger prints using that method. Curious to see how it compares when doing my own up scaling before sending it to a lab.

[gavinseim]

I regulary print 40-50 inches. We talk math and DPI numbers, but theres so much more. For example you can get more on canvas because of texture. High gloss shows everything. Whethe ryou used a tripod can make all the diffence.

 

I have a stunning 46 inch from an old 8MP canon in my gallery that people love and buy. I've also printed 70+ from a 5D MK2. I had to work for it though.

 

There's a newly revised and extive article and resilutsion and print size on my blog. You may find it useful... http://seimeffects.com/2015/10/25/how-large-can-you-print-photos/

 

Gav

[RRRoger]

I used Qimage with my D1 (2.1MP) to print nice posters.

That was years ago and I am sure there is better software available today.

 

What's critical is to start with a good/clean image for best results and the A7s is certainly capable of that.

[Buzzard]

15" x 10" for 300dpi. That is excellent quality for a print.

 

Go bigger and the quality will degrade, hardly noticeable at first but then becoming worse. I've heard 200dpi is acceptable and will look decent hang on a wall.

I have printed at 200 and 250. If you put a 200 print in a place people cannot stick their nose in it like above your bed, its hard to see a difference between 200 and 250. But up close for my taste, 250 is the magic number for bigger but still respectable prints.