Digital Enhancement

[fuller]

My mate got a new camera that says "Enhances to 6.6 mp" what does this mean ? obviosly its not 6.6 mp but how does it get 6.6pm by enhancement ? is it a wise buy ? and will it be the same quality as 6.6mp ? or poor ?

cheers

[speaklightly]

fuller-

The process is called interpolation. Fuji used it for a good while, but now is dropping it. Here is how it works: The photo is taken in the camera's native resolution, perhaps 3.2 or 3.3mp. Then on command or automatically, it depends how the camera is programed, the camera inserts a twin or cloned next to every pixel in the photo. The result is now instead of a 3.3mp image, you now have a 6.6mp image.

Sarah Joyce

[John_Reed]

A slight correction to Sarah Joyce's analysis. Rather than being "cloned," the new (interpolated) pixels are averaged between their legitimate neighbors. Comparisons between cameras should be based on the basic sensor count, NOT on "enhanced" concoctions. A camera that sells itself on this basis in a market where "pixels are everything" should be avoided, in my opinion.

[fuller]

so basicly its skipping steps in the digital process and estimating, (if you will), what pixels WOULD be their, but not what pixels are their. So it is a 'fake' pixel ?

but in the end will this be the same quality as a 6.6mp camera ? eg/ if i was to blow up the photo to A3 size from this 'enhaneced' picture and then i was to do the same for a camera that advertises "6.6mp" would their be a noticable diffrence ?

thanks guys.

by the way, this is an american forum isnt it ? just looking at the diffrent spelling and times that people are posting. im from australia :D

[propwash]

Yeah, we Yanks talk differently than you do, and we drive on the other side of the road, also!

[speaklightly]

Thank you, John Reed-

And welcome back. As always you have come to my aid. Iwas attempting to make things simple and erred in the process. Thanks for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Just for you, John, I offer you a great digital photo from not the Fuji F-10, but the Olympus Stylus 800!

Sarah Joyce

[fuller]

shara, dont you think we are getting a little off topic hear ;) i still would like to know the answers to the artical i wrote today :D thanks guys

[ReF]

threads get off subject all the time, and this example is hardly "off topic" anyways. no, interpolated pictures are not the same quality. a 6mp image interpolated from 3mp is going to lack the details that a real 6mp image has you can interpolate images pretty nicely in free software anyways so i'd consider in-camera interpolation features pretty worthless.

[fuller]

alright thanks guys, so basicly its a no buy :( oh well, thanks for your help and advice :D

cheers from down under :cool: