Video: Is multi-shot high resolution a gimmick?

More and more modern cameras support their own versions of Multi-Shot / Pixel Shift High-Resolution modes, but what exactly is it, and is it worth the trouble?

Well, this great and insightful video looks to answer all your questions about this often confusing technology.

Produced by New Zealand-based photographer Richard Wong, this video takes a deep dive into high-resolution multi-shot mode images created with pixel-shift technology, with a particular focus on the Panasonic Lumix S5 II, Lumix G9 II, and Fujifilm XH2.

The video also looks at how different brands optimise the technology and (importantly) which brands offer the best results.

A quick spoiler alert on that clickbait title: yes, there is a boost in quality with high-res modes, so it's definitely not a gimmick, but what's interesting is how different shooting situations and how brands use the technology greatly affect how useful it actually is. 

What's also great about Richard's video is he dives deep and looks at some of the questions you've probably always wondered but never actually got to the bottom of: Can you shoot handheld? What happens if your image is overexposed or underexposed? What about storage space? When should you use an AI image-upscaler instead of multi-shot, and are AI-upscalers better? Plus a bunch of other useful questions.

The result is a great video we encourage you to watch.

Cover image: Panasonic