Whats the right resolution ?

Question

whats the right resolution(in MPs) for
1) viewing the photos on monitor.
2) getting a postcard size print.
3) printing a poster

(whats the point in buying a high resolution camera - 5MP upwards )

ignore the last point. just want to know the right resolutions(neither too small nor too big) for all three

Answer 1

(1) for a monitor, a 2 to 3mp picture will do
(2) for a postcard size print, 2 to 3mp will work but it will look crisper at 4-5mp (assuming you use a professional service, not your own printer)
(3) for a letter format poster it may just work with 5-6mp. So for anything of a respectable size you will need 20mp (for best quality).

Now the highest resolution cameras today at more or less affodable prices peak at 10mp. You can go higher with some much more expensive professional models.

hope this helps

a

Answer 2

1) viewing the photos on monitor.

No more than 3megapixels

2) getting a postcard size print.

1600x1200 resolution, so about 1-2megapixels

3) printing a poster

20" x 30" requires a 6megapixel camera or above, but the higher you go the better results.

Good luck!

Answer 3

1. 72 dpi should be sufficient for viewing on the monitor.
2. 5 Mega Pixels for 5*8 inch size.

Answer 4

For a monitor set to 1600*1200 lines: 2 mega-pixels. (1600*1200)
For a post card of 5x7 inches: 3.1 megapixels (300dpi*300dpi*5*7)
For a poster, as much as you can get.

Answer 5

Higher than required resolution cameras can use digital zoom without loss of quality