My concern is, if I were to capture a spectacular shot at 600 mm with the Sony RX10 4, and decided it deserved a 24"x36" print, would the image quality be close enough to the quality I would have got if I'd shot the same scene with a Nikon D7200 using my Nikkor 80-400 zoom at 400mm, also equivalent to 600 mm full-frame?
There is no doubt in my mind that the D7200 with a Nikkor 80-400 @ 400 would provide a superior image on screen, given the larger pixels of the D7200, but that kit will also set you back TWICE as much in cost and TWICE as heavy in weight (or more), plus an additional lens to cover down to 24mm.
HOWEVER...
- would you get twice the quality? No.
- would you get a noticeably superior print viewed from arms length (which is closer than normal for a large print)? Probably not.
- would you be as comfortable carrying it around all day? Probably not.
- would you be able to hand hold it and get the same results as the superb OIS in the Sony? Perhaps, but my guess is no.
- would you spend more time cleaning the sensor and dust spots? Definitely yes.
- would the photos from the Sony be more than useful for 99% of the shots you take? Yes, after all, how many 24x36” prints are you really making use of? of course, if you are a pro, regularly selling 24x36” prints, then perhaps the Nikkor system is the way to go, but I have my doubts.
The point I’m making is two-fold:
- equipment available to the average photo consumer (even for the ardent enthusiast who is not a pro) has far more quality than they would ever need to be completely successful at what they are doing, unless their goal in life is to produce a large number of very large prints;
- I have visually engaging, highly successful 16x20” prints on my wall made with a 2002 Minolta Dimage 7 that had a 5mp sensor.
I’m going to throw out a controversial statement which some might find offensive, but, frankly I am tired of the “bigger is better attitude” so prevalent in pixel-peeping world of modern photography...
“Bigger” may make a great number of photographers feel better about themselves, but it is no guarantee of higher quality.
Use what you like, but the vast majority of DSLR camera sales are being made to people who will never make use of the quality inherent in the system and many, I would suggest, would do just as well with a dual lens phone camera. I would even suggest that many do not continue to photograph with the DSLR they bought exactly because they are unable to get the quality from it they were promised or find it too inconvenient to use.
We are no longer comparing Instamatics to SLRs. The gap between perceived need and quality is continuing to shrink as I prove to myself almost everyday with my iPhone.
But I’ll shut up now.