higher pixel camera

[richardansley]

I want to know when (or if) Canon will be releasing a higher pixel count camera. I shoot a 5D Mark 2 now for my landscapes and I don't feel that the Mark 3 offers enough improvement over the Mark 2 to justify the cost.....I need more resolution and less noise!

Since Nikon's release of the D800, with it's MUCH higher resolution factor compared to any full-frame Canon product, I have been greatly disappointed that Canon has not been able to answer to such a competitive model with something of their own. I have been shooting Canon for almost 10 years and they have always stayed competitive...why not now!

I have already purchased a Nikon 14-24mm lens that I use with an adapter for my Canon body, because it is the sharpest wide angle variable lens on the market and KILLS the 17-40 OR the 16-35 Canon versions, that both fail miserably in their sharpness factor and have especially soft edges.

If Canon can't produce a better landscape camera, I'll have no choice but to follow in the footsteps of other professionals like Tom Till and Marc Adamus and switch to the Nikon system.

Wake up Canon, pull your head out and make it happen, I'm tired of waiting!

Frustrated and ready to switch, Richard Ansley

[hsbn]

As always, people who have information cannot tell. And users like us have no clue. But unless they're releasing another model on top or on par with the 1DX, you'll not likely to see another full frame camera for at least 2 more years. And even if they release something like 1D series camera for high megapixel then it is going to cost a bunch too. So it makes more sense in your case to go with Nikon since you already like it so much. And when Canon finally release some high mega pixel camera for 5DMIV, Nikon may release D900 something even better like 60Mpx or something. Then you'll feel the frustration all over again. So it's better to switch.

[TCampbell]

The Nikon D800 resolution wont really help with landscape photography.  

Due to the physics of how light works, the "Airy disk" at f/16 focuses to just about 21 microns.  But a single pixel on the D800 is just slightly under 5 microns.    This means a single point spills over onto many adjacent pixels.  The D800 begins to suffer from diffraction effects at f/7.4 and has the full effect by f/11.  

That means if you want to avoid diffraction effects on a D800, you'd need to shoot at f/7.1 or lower -- not good for landscapes.

 If you REALLY want better landscapes with higher resolution and extremely sharp images then you'll need to switch to a medium format camera or stick with sheet film and use large format cameras.  The diffraction limit is not a manufacturing problem... it's a law of physics and the math is based on an assumption of 'perfect' optics.