# A good resolution for 6x6 120 photos



## Vautrin (Jan 11, 2010)

Hi,

So I'm thinking about getting a 120 camera just to fool around with.  Doing some research, a local lab can scan a 6x6 film into 5000x5000 pixels files.

Is that good for 6x6?  An online calculator said that's approx 25 MP but I had thought that scanned 6x6 would be closer to 50MP (since that's what the hasselblad backs currently clock in at)..

Thanks,

Dan


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## Garbz (Jan 12, 2010)

Here's a thought: What lens? If your lens cost more than most of my camera gear combined then yes I'm sure it would be good. Also what film? If you're shooting sheets of Ilford Delta3200 then a 25MP image would be an incredible waste.

There are too many variables involved here and film resolution does not easily convert to digital resolution, so comparing a Hassy back to a 6x6 film will give you different results depending on who you talk to, for different developing techniques.

By the way 5000x5000 = exactly 25000000. Not approx 25megapixels  and a 50mpx image is only 1.4x wider in every direction (approx 7000x7000). You may find a lab that scans at that resolution, and quite possibly higher, but ask yourself to what end? Is it worth the cost?


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## Torus34 (Jan 12, 2010)

Methinks you're concerning yourself with a meaningless concept.  Just how big an enlargement are you working toward -- 5' x 5'?  If your goal is a crisp 16"x20", you've already achieved significant overkill.


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## Mike_E (Jan 12, 2010)

Just get the camera and enjoy the prints.  It's unlikely that you will be bothered under 40 inches in any direction so long as you have a quality camera and good technique.


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## djacobox372 (Jan 15, 2010)

Are you archiving or printing?  If you're archiving then 5000x5000 may not contain all the detail of a 6x6 photo taken on low-iso film with a quality lens.

If you're just printing, then it's hard to think of why you'd ever need more then 25mp. 

As for the 50mp digital medium format, that's bayer interpolated 50mp--which may not even match the resolving power of a 25mp film scan.


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