• Content Library
  • Membership
  • Pricing
  • Store
  • Blog
  • Login
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
Cinematography, Film Theory

Resolution is Not Sharpness! Which Is More Important?

Digital lofi gif

Resolution Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

One of the comments I hear all too often is, “4K is too sharp, it’s too much resolution.” Well, here’s the thing… resolution and sharpness are not a 1:1. Instead of thinking of higher resolution images as “sharper,” try thinking of them as smoother.

The higher resolution circle is NOT sharper, it is smootherResolution Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Resolution and sharpness are two different beasts.

Sharpness can be subjective and the perception of sharpness is influenced by a handful of factors like aperture, depth of field, shutter speed, lens resolution, and camera sensors. It has a lot to do with contrast too, especially along the edges of objects in a frame. For instance, by enhancing the contrast along edges in an image, a lower resolution image can actually appear “sharper” than a higher resolution image.

It’s easiest to see this in black and white so check out this image below.

Resolution Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Notice how the top image seems sharpest, while the other two are actually higher resolution and…smoother? Higher resolution actually helps fine detail appear smoother.

This edge enhancement thing is something that Sony and Panasonic do in many of their cameras to make their inferior sensors look “sharper,” but I think it looks terrible. One of the reasons I love RED cameras so much is their ability to tweak and customize. The image processing is all up to me, not some guy in a lab across the ocean that’s never been on a film set before.

So my point, to state it clearly, is that resolution is NOT sharpness.

Resolution helps to make images smoother.

But I don’t want you to take my word for it. I want you to hear it from some people that have been in the high resolution post-production game from the beginning: Light Iron

Resolution Cinematography filmmaker film movies tv shooting DP lights

Light Iron has not only blazed the trail for file-based capture and management, they’re an active educator – participating in panels, writing articles, helping to teach classes like REDucation, creating webinars, and writing some very insightful blog posts. Hurlbut Visuals was lucky enough to host one of those panels.

While at Camerimage 2017, Michael Cioni, Dan Sasaki, and Ian Vertovec showed off a presentation to help dispel all those nasty myths about resolution, and how the pursuit of cinematic smoothness actually goes hand in hand with the race for resolution.

The Beauty of Large Format 8K from DXL Channel on Vimeo.

With all this said, the best camera is the camera at your disposal. Not every story requires dozens of megapixels and frame rates in the triple digits, but it’s good to know the ins and outs of the tools available to you.

     
     
   

Get started to access your FREE LESSON

March 30, 2018/by Shane Hurlbut, ASC
Tags: Blackmagic Design, Blueshape, red, Resolution, Rokinon, XEEN
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Share on Vk
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
https://www.filmmakersacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1487082900_giphy-49.gif 510 450 Shane Hurlbut, ASC https://www.filmmakersacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Filmmakers-Academy-Filmmaking-Courses.svg Shane Hurlbut, ASC2018-03-30 14:47:592022-04-08 12:19:37Resolution is Not Sharpness! Which Is More Important?
You might also like
BLUESHAPE 2022: Powering the Film IndustryBLUESHAPE 2022: Powering the Film Industry
Blackmagic cameras outside productionTurning the Blackmagic Cinema Camera into a Movie Making Machine
Shane Hurlbut ASC observing Flanders monitorsExtensive RED Dragon Sensor Tests: Part 2 – Basic
Filmmakers work camera lens testXEEN 135mm Lens Review
Camera Test ChartCinematographer: The Importance of Camera Tests
Tiffen NDs for filmmaking - Need for SpeedTiffen ND – Creating a Look Part 1: Rules of Engagement
1 reply
  1. Seán Ó Cearrúlláin
    Seán Ó Cearrúlláin says:
    March 30, 2018 at 4:13 PM

    had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Michael Cioni at this year’s BSC Expo in London and attended is seminars, was a great wealth of information and very informative with regards to 8K.

    Was a real pleasure to get to use the new DXL2 with the same lens used on Laurence of Arabia and to see it working at 1600 ISO and zero noise with just a candle lighting a wee room – super fun day.

Comments are closed.

Blog Catagories

  • Announcements
  • Cinematography
  • Film Theory
  • Lighting
  • Pre Production
  • Production
  • Post Production
  • Finding the Frame
  • The Look Of
  • Wellness
  • Sponsored
  • Off Topic

Newsletter Signup

Trustpilot

Ready to join?

BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN
Store

Membership
Courses
Private Coaching

Content

Blog
Podcast
Content Library
Shane’s Kit
Glossary

About Us

Our Story
Our Mentors
FAQs
Contact Us

DOWNLOAD

Filmmakers Academy, Los Angeles, CA Born in Los Angeles, CA.

Terms Of Use         Cookie Policy         Privacy Policy

2023 © Hurlbut Visuals, All Rights Reserved.

Scroll to top