help for midterm

The image size. 4x5 is 4 inches by 5 inches (20 sq inches) while a 35mm frame is 1.5 inches by 1 inch, or 1.5 sq inches. With 16 times the area, a frame covering the same subject requires much less enlargement and therefore can retain detail and colour far easier than a 35mm frame (at the same enlargement it loses the same amount of detail, but it never needs the same amount of enlargement). That simplifies lens design, too, because lenses can project a larger image at a similar resolution and get the same result without distortion - remember that only the central part of the circular image projected by a lens is actually used for the picture. Larger frames are easier to handle, easier to examine without special equipment (a contact print is nearly as big as a postcard print) and easier to show to clints - they look very impressive! Are they better, or do they have disadvantages compared with 35mm? Absolutely, and the disadvantages probably outweigh the benefits...but that isn't what you were asking about, was it?!?

It has been estimated that it would take 4 to 5 times the current pixel count to match the resolution capabilities of 35mm film. While a digital image from a 6 MegaPixel camera will give you a very good print, it will look good, but not great if you enlarge it over 8 x 10 inches. On the other hand a 35mm negative can give you large prints of higher quality. But digital may never match the resolution of larger format film as it would take about 500 MegaPixels to match a 4x5 negative and there may never be a large enough market to justify the production of such a camera.Hope this information is useful for your midterm, good luck