Cropping in PP to zoom an image: With a 24MP APS-C sensor, how far can you crop in PP to "zoom in" and not lose noticeable detail? Looking for your experience with this and maybe a...

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

With a 24MP APS-C sensor, how far can you crop in PP to "zoom in" and not lose noticeable detail? Looking for your experience with this and maybe a rule of thumb to apply. I know that it depends a lot on the quality of the original image, sharp focus, etc. I have an 18-200 and just upgraded my D7000 to a D7200. 50% more pixels to play with. Your comments would be appreciated.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Cropping by definition is surrendering pixels. If your lenses are sharp, the pixel loss can be considerable, but with a 24 mp sensor you can lose up to half of them and still have a very good image. I doubt that the 18-200 has enough acuity at the long end for you to be satisfied with the result. I wasn't when I had one, and I was using a 10 and later a 12 mp camera. Images were soft at that resolution, I can't imagine they would get better at 24mp.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

gvarner wrote:

With a 24MP APS-C sensor, how far can you crop in PP to "zoom in" and not lose noticeable detail? Looking for your experience with this and maybe a rule of thumb to apply. I know that it depends a lot on the quality of the original image, sharp focus, etc. I have an 18-200 and just upgraded my D7000 to a D7200. 50% more pixels to play with. Your comments would be appreciated.

It depends. With your fixed focal length lenses without using your extenders you will get your best results.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Wouldn't the results depend on what size print you would be making?
A 4x6 print would be more forgiving than an 8x12.
Have you cropped and printed anything?

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Longshadow wrote:

Wouldn't the results depend on what size print you would be making?
A 4x6 print would be more forgiving than an 8x12.
Have you cropped and printed anything?

Not printed anything yet. I’m mostly a monitor or TV viewer.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

gvarner wrote:

Not printed anything yet. I’m mostly a monitor or TV viewer.

That's even simpler.
Crop away and save, see what it looks like full screen.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

gvarner wrote:

With a 24MP APS-C sensor, how far can you crop in PP to "zoom in" and not lose noticeable detail? Looking for your experience with this and maybe a rule of thumb to apply. I know that it depends a lot on the quality of the original image, sharp focus, etc. I have an 18-200 and just upgraded my D7000 to a D7200. 50% more pixels to play with. Your comments would be appreciated.

Yes, more pixels are better when cropping ! - more specificly, pixel density. And, you certainly want to maximize the image IQ of your lens when doing this. Depending on how sever the crop and the viewing size, you may want to add pixels later using specialized pixel enlargement software or the default "Bicubic smoother" in Adobe applications. IMO, increasing the pixel count by 1.4-1.7X is very satisfying - for me.

Maximizing your IQ includes but is not limited to : proper exposure for the lighting, low ISO, proper (high) shutter speed, proper support/stabilization, proper/accurate AF and "clean" air between you and the subject.

When I am shooting on Sony, I use the proprietary in camera Clear Image Zoom - to great advantage - IMO.

..

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

If your concerned about loss of resolution when your "Crop to the story" you should investigate Benvista's Photozoom. While the up-to-date is expensive, but Ashmpoo sells the yesterday edition as low as $21.

" To cut a long story short, both the customer and myself were more than pleased with the large poster-sized print, and my first batch of images were accepted by the image library. ShortCut PhotoZoom Pro allowed me to quickly and easily resize my photos and achieve excellent end results - exactly what it is intended to do."
https://www.photographyblog.com/pages/reviews/reviews_shortcut_photozoom_pro.php

This program using complex math will up the resolution to an amazing multiple.
https://www.ashampoo.com/en/usd/pin/partner0106/partner-software/photozoom-6

morkie1891

Topaz labs AI Gigapixel will upsize your crops (up to 600%) by adding pixels. They have a 30 day free trial. See if you like it and if your graphics meets requirements.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

gvarner wrote:

With a 24MP APS-C sensor, how far can you crop in PP to "zoom in" and not lose noticeable detail? Looking for your experience with this and maybe a rule of thumb to apply. I know that it depends a lot on the quality of the original image, sharp focus, etc. I have an 18-200 and just upgraded my D7000 to a D7200. 50% more pixels to play with. Your comments would be appreciated.

Do what I do. Go to Image, then drop down to Image Size. It will tell you what size you can print at 300 as you zoom in. Try it, it is easy to use.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

You can crop an image to where YOU are comfortable with the results. There is a BIG difference in the requirements for something posted on the web and printed 30 x 40. Best of luck.

User ID

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If you keep the print size to less than 30x40,
8MP would be more than enuf, except for pix
loaded with many straight edges, such as an
architectural image, where you can easily get
a "stair step" effect even in smaller prints. A
reasonably safe limit for that would be a very
minor crop, like down to APSC [12MP if you
start out with 24MP].

It really has more to do with what type of
subject detail is involved than with size of
final print. Print size is truly unlimited, any
modern camera and modern lens, no need
for "state of the art" to make excellent big
prints. But some scenes will hide pixelation
while other scenes will exaggerate it even
in small prints.

.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Just cropping down by a DX factor (1.5) you lose more than 1/2 the pixels, 3936 X 2624 = 10.3MP (see table for large). 10.3 MP still makes a decent print up to 12 X 8" or 10 X 8".

CamB Loc: Juneau, Alaska

gvarner wrote:

With a 24MP APS-C sensor, how far can you crop in PP to "zoom in" and not lose noticeable detail? Looking for your experience with this and maybe a rule of thumb to apply. I know that it depends a lot on the quality of the original image, sharp focus, etc. I have an 18-200 and just upgraded my D7000 to a D7200. 50% more pixels to play with. Your comments would be appreciated.

Ultimate cropping and image size has way more to do with the quality of the original file than pixels and file size. If you can get the shot in focus and nail the exposure then you will be able to do just about anything you want with it.
Picture One is a 24mp shot. I tuned it up in LR, imported it to PS, enlarged it to eight feet by ten feet at 240dpi and cropped out a 8x10 inch section of it.
Picture two is what that area would look like as part of an 8 foot by 10 foot picture on the wall. You can read the guys watch and many of the words on the bottles. 12/24 Nikon lens, hand held. If your pictures fall apart when you crop and enlarge you need to work on your technique. Good files mean lots of choices. Of course you will have to do some noise clean up and other work, but so what.
...Cam

(Download)

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

CamB wrote:

Ultimate cropping and image size has way more to do with the quality of the original file than pixels and file size.