The Curse of Pixel Peeping

You may have heard of a dreaded addiction in digital photography called 'Pixel Peeping', where the addict feels compelled to look at their digital images in high detail to see if their camera / lens is really as good as they hope. I am not talking about simply checking to see if the image is up to the basic standards of being in focus and free of camera shake, but looking at the pixel level at the edges and fine detail. Often the addict may look at the sharpness of road signs, car number plates, tv aerials, distant clock towers etc in the hope of being pleased with the excellence of his camera etc. On the few occasions I have dabbled in this way, I realise that pixel-peeping is rather like the pursuit of high fidelity audio: you can get better results by spending a great deal of money, but it is a law of diminishing returns. I think the pursuit of technical excellence in audio and photography are excellent goals in driving the technology forward, but for the user, it is easy to get bogged down in obsessing about imperfections. Personally, I try to avoid being pulled down this rabbit hole (not always successfully!) which can only end up with the photographer being dissatisfied with the equipment he has, rather than looking at the overall picture.

How true Edward. Pixel peeping is my enemy, spending more time worried about how sharp my pictures are rather than worrying about how good the overall shot is. I have also spent silly amounts on lenses that are very slightly better than those a quarter the cost. I am now going to concentrate on improving my photography and let the pixels take care of themselves!

For me, the overall visual quality of the image is vital. By that, I really couldn't give a jot about counting pixels. My old Nikon D70, a 6 megal pixel camera, coupled with any of my small battery of lenses, is well up to providing me with a print of A3 size. Most of my prints are A4. So, to sum up, my own personal challenge us to end up with a shot that is sharp when required, soft when required, verticals vertical and exposed correctly. It's all subjective, to a degree. However, you can't really make a silk purse from a sow's ear. 

It's far too easy to get over technical. Some must have first pressings of recordings, and others are more interested in pixel counts than a pleasing image. Some people find the number on the side of a locomotive more interesting than the engine itself. Each to his own.  

An unusual situation to say the least, Patrick. It is nice that you have acquired some professional-quality kit, but sad that it was in these circumstances. With the D800 (full frame 36 MP) you have a top-of-the-range professional DSLR, which will knock spots off the entry-level D5100. I appreciate the irony, of course, in that you were perfectly happy with the D5100 until you had the opportunity to trade up.

It illustrates the point of my post rather well. I would say though, having the professional camera will enable you to take pictures in more demading situations, and ultimately to be able to offer images for sale which should satisfy the most demanding client.

You should have fun exploring its capabilities,

Regards, Edward