1080p with P&S

[rscam]

Hey everybody, I'm new to DPS and love it. I have a question about 1080p vs 720p in small sensor compacts. I suspect that you get a real benefit to shooting in 1080 with a large sensor but with the smaller sensor cameras maybe it's more a marketing thing than a real benefit? I may be way off base and would like to know opinions of others more informed than me. I'm asking because I've been strongly considering buying the Canon sd4000 due to it's very reasonable price, but part of me wants to go for the 500 hs for the 1080p. i plan to use it as a carry with me when I don't want the bulk of my XSi and plan to also take full advantage of the video capability. Again, I thought maybe since the sensor's so small that it may not take full advantage of the 1080 anyway?? I'd really appreciate any input you can

Thanks

[OsmosisStudios]

Resolution is resolution: going from 720p to 1080p is an increase in resolution regardless of the size of the sensor. a large-sensor camera, however, will generally offer better video QUALITY (not just size).

[rscam]

Thanks OsmosisStudios for your reply. I think you did a better job pinpointing the root of my question. I relate it in my mind to the pixel race. Manufacturer's wanted to Jam 14 MP into cameras with sensors too small to produce "Quality" 14 MP images. But the typical consumer sees 14 MP and thinks it must be better than 10 MP. Sure they'll be able to print larger pictures due to the resolution, but the quality of those images may be sub-par compared to what they's get from a 10 mp version with the same sensor.

I apologize if I'm off a bit on my understanding (just starting out and learning what I can from this site) but I think I have a good sense (the above) regarding this with still shots and am wondering if it may be the same thing going on here with video (i.e. 1080p with a 1/2.3 sensor may degrade the image enough to outweigh the benefit of the higher resolution image.

I suspect I may be way off base here (maybe because the 1080p isn't that large anyway - 2 mp??) But I know even less about the video side of things than the stills so I thought some insight from the forum would help alot

Thanks again

[OsmosisStudios]

Here's the trick.

When youre printing something, more megapixels IS better. To a point. The idea is to get 300 pixels per inch (or better). Depending on the size of your prints, 10mp may in fact be inferior.

That being said, better pixels are always better than MORE pixels, so in a sense, on compacts, especially when printing small, the lower res isnt an issue.

As youve indicated, 1080p isnt huge (1920x1080 = just under 2.1mp). In this case, it doesnt matter if you've got a 1/1.7", 1/2.3" or APS: 2mp fits on just about anything (even cell phones). In these cases, the better lenses, processing, etc are more of a factor.

Hell, broadcast sports cameras use TINY sensors (about the same as most compacts) and are designed to shoot just 1080p. That's why they can be so good at what they do.

In your case, get the compact with 1080p if youre serious about video. If youre MORE serious about video, look at a dedicated video camera.

[rscam]

Thanks for the 2nd response OsmosisStudios

I was leaning toward the 500hs but mainly for the 1080p and was a bit confused about the benefit (or potential lack of) and your response really helped clarify it for me. I'll go with the 500hs

Thanks again