Taxacom: RES: digital camera question

[Paulo Buckup]

Hi John,
	To achieve 300 dpi, each square inch in the final page requires
90,000 pixels. So, a full letter size page (or equivalent in PDF) requires
over 8 megapixels. Allowing for some loss caused by cropping blank space
around your specimen, you need at least a 10 megapixel camera for a full
page image. 
	Keep in mind that if you do any resizing or rotation of the final
image, the relationship between the pixels in the original camera sensor and
the final image is lost, and the quality is severely reduced. So, if you do
rotating or resizing in photoshop you will need a 40 megapixel camera to
avoid individual pixel blurring.
	In my experience the "cheap" microscope cameras do not meet
traditional publication requirements (but will be accepted for publication
in open access journals by careless editors, mostly because PDFs are only
evaluated using monitors that have a resolution way below the 300 dpi
standard).

Cheers,

Paulo Buckup
Museu Nacional, UFRJ
Brazil 
-----Mensagem original-----
De: Taxacom [mailto:taxacom-bounces at lists.ku.edu] Em nome de John Grehan via
Taxacom
Enviada em: quarta-feira, 14 de agosto de 2024 11:45
Para: taxacom <taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
Assunto: Taxacom: digital camera question

Hope someone on Taxacome has microscope camera expertise that can help me
with a question concerning digital camera capability meeting publication
needs. I am looking at buying a 'cheap' (less than $1,000 US) dissecting
microscope and digital camera through Amscope. They have cameras ranging
from 1 to 20 megapixels, but I have no idea how that relates to dpi where
publications usually require at least 300 dpi. Can anyone clue me in on how
to know what megapixel size will likely work to give me a sharp enough image
for publication? Currently looking at a 5 megapixel camera which brings the
setup well within my limits whereas 10 megapixel goes just over.
Any enlightenment much appreciated. I am a total moron when it comes to
digital camera tech.

Thanks.

John Grehan

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