Phone cameras: How large a shot can you tack sharp print using a phone camera? And which ones are best?

petego4it Loc: NY

How large a shot can you tack sharp print using a phone camera? And which ones are best?

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

petego4it wrote:

How large a shot can you tack sharp print using a phone camera? And which ones are best?

2" X 2"

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The question of 'how large' for a pixel-based image is always and only a matter of how many pixels you will print for each inch of printed output. The smaller the physical print in inches, the more important it is to achieve a ratio of 300 pixels per inch aka ppi. Using this 300 ppi gold standard, your 4x6in print needs 1200x1800 pixels in the image, a relatively minor 2.2MP image.

If you want that same amazing detail you hold in your hand a few inches from your nose, seek 300 ppi for any / every candidate print size. So, 20x30in printed needs 54MP, as in a file that is 6000x9000pixels. You can 'upsize' a 24MP image or just spread the pixels from your 24MP file thinner than 300 ppi, since who really needs to stand 6 inches from a 20x30inch print?

A tack sharp image is involves a whole lot more than how many pixels are in the image file. How sharp was the image from the camera? How sharp is the camera lens? What are the processing options of the image file? How competent is the photographer with their phone and their computer?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Architect1776 wrote:

2" X 2"

Depends on the pixel count on the phone used.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'll give the universal answer to almost any question: It depends. I don't take many cell phone pictures because I don't get good results. Other people do extremely well. As for which is the best cell phone camera, that changes regularly. You have to decide if you're willing to spend $1,000 on a phone/camera, rather than buying a "real" camera.

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-camera-phone
https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-phone-cameras,review-2272.html

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"And which ones are best?"

It is a moving target. But today the lead contenders are iPhones, Samsung Galaxys and Google Pixels. The higher the model number for each, the better the camera system and price.

MrMophoto Loc: Rhode Island "The biggest little"

Most, if not all, smartphone cameras record images at 72 PPI, but the actual image size may be larger than you think. If you have photoshop, bring a smartphone image in to Photoshop and check out Image > Size. I've seen iPnone images as large as 18" x 24", but again only 72 PPI. I have printed a few of my iPhone 6s images by a professional printer, usually around the 4" x 6" range and they look great.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

MrMophoto wrote:

Most, if not all, smartphone cameras record images at 72 PPI, but the actual image size may be larger than you think. If you have photoshop, bring a smartphone image in to Photoshop and check out Image > Size. I've seen iPnone images as large as 18" x 24", but again only 72 PPI. I have printed a few of my iPhone 6s images by a professional printer, usually around the 4" x 6" range and they look great.

Is there someplace in your phone to change this 72ppi setting? Is this 72 ppi phone setting different than your DSLR? Where in your DSLR can you change this ppi setting?

BTW: how many pixels fit in a dot? Curious minds are always asking and never seem to find someone that knows.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

MrMophoto wrote:

Most, if not all, smartphone cameras record images at 72 PPI, but the actual image size may be larger than you think. If you have photoshop, bring a smartphone image in to Photoshop and check out Image > Size. I've seen iPnone images as large as 18" x 24", but again only 72 PPI. I have printed a few of my iPhone 6s images by a professional printer, usually around the 4" x 6" range and they look great.

Are there any devices that will not have a 4x6 print look great (not enlarged)?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

MrMophoto wrote:

Most, if not all, smartphone cameras record images at 72 PPI, but the actual image size may be larger than you think. If you have photoshop, bring a smartphone image in to Photoshop and check out Image > Size. I've seen iPnone images as large as 18" x 24", but again only 72 PPI. I have printed a few of my iPhone 6s images by a professional printer, usually around the 4" x 6" range and they look great.

Wiki says the rear camera of the iPhone 6s features a 12MP sensor. Nikon's top-tier DSLR didn't reach 12MP until the Sept-2004 release of the D2X. Was that pro-grade Nikon camera also limited to 4x6in printed images? Or, how did Nikon (but not Apple) overcome this 72ppi limit?

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

petego4it wrote:

How large a shot can you tack sharp print using a phone camera? And which ones are best?

https://www.dxomark.com/category/smartphone-reviews/

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Keep in mind that "tack sharp" is not always the goal. I have seen comments on UHH that prints up to 8x12 can be achieved, depending on subject matter and depending on your printing expertise. For me, "phone camera" is a pejorative. It’s a camera, period. It has its pluses and its minuses just like every other camera. Know what they are and work within those parameters and you’ll get good photos.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

MrMophoto wrote:

Most, if not all, smartphone cameras record images at 72 PPI, but the actual image size may be larger than you think. If you have photoshop, bring a smartphone image in to Photoshop and check out Image > Size. I've seen iPnone images as large as 18" x 24", but again only 72 PPI. I have printed a few of my iPhone 6s images by a professional printer, usually around the 4" x 6" range and they look great.

This is an inaccurate representation of what phone cameras do.

Please understand that the EXIF ‘72 dpi’ value in JPEG files is irrelevant.

Pixels are just numbers in a file. They have no physical size until displayed on a monitor or printed to paper.

A typical 12 megapixel phone camera image is 4032 by 3024 pixels. At 300 PPI (original, uninterpolated, uncropped pixels spread over each inch of viewable surface), that’s 13.44” by 10.08”.

At 72 PPI, the SAME EXACT FILE would make a print about 56” by 42”. Either print would be fine to look at from its diagonal dimension from the surface. That would be 16.8” for the 300 PPI print and 70” for the 72 PPI print. At those viewing distances, the prints would appear identical.

And yes, I once tested this same scenario in a photo lab…

Where many folks get tripped up is that phone email and text/messaging apps tend to downsize images (by default!) before sending them. They receive tiny files from people and want to make prints… with disappointing results.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

gvarner wrote:

Keep in mind that "tack sharp" is not always the goal. I have seen comments on UHH that prints up to 8x12 can be achieved, depending on subject matter and depending on your printing expertise. For me, "phone camera" is a pejorative. It’s a camera, period. It has its pluses and its minuses just like every other camera. Know what they are and work within those parameters and you’ll get good photos.

BebuLamar

MrMophoto wrote:

Most, if not all, smartphone cameras record images at 72 PPI, but the actual image size may be larger than you think. If you have photoshop, bring a smartphone image in to Photoshop and check out Image > Size. I've seen iPnone images as large as 18" x 24", but again only 72 PPI. I have printed a few of my iPhone 6s images by a professional printer, usually around the 4" x 6" range and they look great.

An Iphone 11 image is 4032x3024 pixels so it's about 12.2MP. Printing at 18"x24" it's 168 PPI. If you print at 72 ppi you have a very large 56"x42" print.