Digital Photography ?

[RudyRockvilleMD]

What is the minimum resolution for a photo taken with a digital camera to be published in a magazine?

[M636C]

My magazine contacts tell me that they require a minimum of 300 dots per inch in the finished photo as printed. So. if you assume a finished size of 3 inch by 5 inch, that is 900 dots by 1500 dots, or 1.35 million dots. Again assuming a pixel can be equated to a printed dot, your picture would have to be at least 1.35 megapixels resolution.

Full page photos would of course need more. I'm told that a Canon 6.3 megapixel image saved at "Large Fine", which works out at about 2 megabytes file size, is generally acceptable.

Try asking this question on the Trains.com forum, where Mike or Erik might help!

Peter

[RudyRockvilleMD]

Thanks for the reply; I will repost this question in the Trains.com forum. I understand most publications require photos (not slides) to be at least 5" x 7" which works out to approximately 3.2 mega pixels assuming 300 dots per inch.

I presently have two Pentax ZX 50 cameras, and I shoot slides. But, If one of those cameras goes in the next 2 -3 years I am going to have to think seriously about whether I should replace it with another Pentax film camera, or buy a new digital camera, preferably > 6.3 megapixels or greater..

[M636C]

Pentax make a digital camera called an "*ist" which has a 6.1 megapixel sensor. If you have a number of extra lenses, it's worth staying with the same type. I'd expect the cost and performance to improve as time goes on.

Peter