Previous post on the High Resolution mode -
The Panasonic High Resolution Mode, which uses stacked images to create huge high resolution files is a key feature of the Lumix G9. And both Panasonic and Olympus have introduced this as a way of overcoming the 20MP limit that their sensors offer. However since any kind of movement in the image or with the camera affects the image to a greater or lesser extent, it's not ideal for landscape and / or outdoor photographers. Though in the above link it can be worked on in Photoshop, it's still pretty much restricted to still days and of course requires a tripod. This has been discussed a lot and I'm not going to add to that, but I am going to suggest an alternative for creating large high-res files using m4/3, that for me, offers something more practical and indeed a slightly higher level of sharpness.
In the latest version of Photoshop CC under Preferences > Technology Previews there is an item called - Enable Preserve Details 2.0 Upscale, which can be turned on by ticking the box. So when you click on the pull down Image menu and choose Image Size in Photoshop you see this.
This is a new way to upsize or interpolate images. Adobe have this as a Beta version at the moment, as they claim it doesn't always work. However, I've been using it since it appeared and I've yet to see anything other than perfect results. If you are used to upsizing in Photoshop using Bicubic etc. you will know that this happens instantly. Using Preserve Details 2.0 however takes a few seconds. But it's well worth the wait. Because this is simply the best way ever created to upsize images. For me it's the best new feature in Photoshop for years, because it's seriously good for me in creating high resolution stock images. In the screen grab above you can see what resolution I upsize all my m4/3 files to. So I take a 20MP files and turn it into approx. 36MP. And there is virtually no loss of quality. The sharpness is still there and there is no increase in noise and while Adobe offer a Reduce Noise slider, I never use it. Of course this works on any file from any camera and what it does to my iPhone pictures has to be seen to be believed.
Pushing G9 files to the 80MP of the highest option offered in High Resolution Mode is possible and as you can see in the following example a 100% blow up is incredibly sharp considering this is after all a 7776 x 10368 px image crested from a 3888 x 5184 original.
Now since the G9 High Resolution Mode lets me shoot an 'original 'at the 20MP size as well as the 80MP high resolution one I can do a direct comparison.
Both files were processed identically in Photoshop Camera Raw. The 20MP was then upsized to 80MP, exactly the same size as the high resolution image created by stacking images in the G9. As you can see they are very similar at a 100% blow up, in fact the upsized image is actually very slightly sharper. Now I've always thought that both the G9 and Olympus high resolution results are slightly soft anyway and for both the above images I would add some more sharpening in Photoshop.
In the real world I don't need 80MP resolution. In fact a lot of the picture libraries I use to sell my work put an upper limit on the files that are submitted, which ranges from 36 to 50MP. So for me the 36MP upsizing is fine.
My recommendation is obviously that, if you are a G9 owner, you try this for yourself. If you don't have Photoshop CC then you can download it from Adobe on a months trial.
The advantages of Preserve Details 2.0 are clear. No need to use a tripod, particularly with the G9's dual IS, no need to avoid movement and no need to take up storage space as the High Res files are huge. I firmly believe that Preserve Details 2.0 is actually a game changer. It makes the increases in pixel count somewhat irrelevant. And I've gone back and upsized images taken years ago with amazing results. I can't actually believe why it's not more widely discussed, as it's so useful for both photographers and designers alike. Huge prints can be made using it, and the ability to produce the ultra large high resolution files from smaller originals is obviously beneficial to professional photographers. For example I upsize all my Leica SL (Typ 601) files to 50MP and they are sharper that the native files on my Canon 5DS R, even using the same Canon lenses. As I indicated above, if you have one of the current top of the range smartphones, the results can be astonishing. I upsize my iPhone 12MP images to 24MP and even the libraries that say they don't take phone camera files are happy to accept them at this size.
Finally, to repeat, if you are interested in the G9's High Resolution mode then do try the Photoshop alternative for yourself. Plus of course you can use it to upsize any camera file you want. It's always been the case that processing an image file can have a greater impact on final IQ than the camera and lenses used and this is a classic example of that. The Panasonic Lumix G9 produces very good images anyway and that amazing dual IS means it's actually quite difficult not to get a sharp image out of it. Plus it's also another way that m4/3 'punches above it's weight' and is one of the most innovative camera systems out there.
Stock photography by david martyn hughes at Alamy
Soundimageplus Website
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Facebook
Follow me on Tumblr
Follow me on Pinterest
Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Google+
Follow me on Blogger
