What is equivilant Megapixels in a digital camera to my regular 35mm Pentax with 200 speed color film?
I want to make big (16×20 or 30×40) prints
Currently I use 200 speed Fuji
I will break from the pack on this one. Properly done, a 10 to 12 megapixel camera is capable of making prints certainly at the 16 x 20 size and even 30″ x 40″. It’s all about the software interpolation of the digital file. Thus, your answer has two parts: 1) the megapixels available and 2) the skill of the printer operator, and quality of his equipment/software.
Even 200 speed film has grain in it, which can detract form the overall image. By comparison, digital cameras when shoot at low to moderate ISOs do not exhibit this grain pattern, as long as the images are properly exposed. Digital cameras show image noise at high ISOs and typically if underexposed.
I was playing around this week with my scanner and my Fujifilm Provia slides, both in 35mm and 120 format. The 120 format is just remarkable when used with ISO 100 slide film, and when scanned I get the quivalent of about 25 megapixels. The thing is, at 100%, I can see that the image is soft and not as detailed compared to a digital SLR with a lower megapixel rating.
I suggest approaching the local facility where you will be making these prints to determine their quality and image requirements. They can probably tell you a minimum # of megagpixels you need to have in your SLR.
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