All of the studies noted are interesting, though it is impossible to draw hard conclusions since they use different methodologies and each appears to have an agenda.
There is no question in my mind but that 12mp DSLR easily beats 35mm film when the scan is made with a prosumer scanner. With a drum scan and the right film, 35mm might hold up. And there is no question but that 12mp - 16mp DSLR is capable of outstanding professional results, and that there are many valid reasons why professionals prefer the DSLR work flow to scanning film.
However, if the question is whether 12mp DSLR beats 6X7 and 6X9 formats when the film is scanned with a prosumer scanner like the Epsons 4990 or V700, my experience is that the DSLR has an advantage in grain when compared at the same ASA, but film appears to win in detail.
Attached are two small jpeg images. They represent a small crop from a 12mp DSLR and a scan of a 6X7 film shot on Mamiya 7 with 65mm lens, both shot on a tripod. The field of view with the DSLR was adjusted to match that of the Mamiya 7 at the shooting location. The center of the image, which is about 16 feet away from the camera, contained a resolution target. The film was Fuji Across developed in Pyrocat-MC 1:1:100.
If you examine the film with a microscope it is possible to separate the resolution bars down to Group 0 - Element 3, which indicates resolution of about 85 lppm on the film. I am able to capture about 60 lppm of the potential 85 lppm with the EverSmart Pro scanner, but even this high end scanner still leaves on the table 25 lppm of resolution. To pull all the detail out of this negative would require a very high end scanner capable of at least *effective* 4500 ppi.
How does the 12mp DSLR compare to the scan of the film with the Epson 4990? Well, neither come anywhere close to the actual detail on the film, and nowhere close to the scan made with the EverSmart Pro.
As for the rest, judge for yourself from the attached images. Bear in mind that the crop represents a very small part of the original frame, and in practice it would be possible to make very nice looking 13X19" prints from either the DSLR or the prosumer scan of the 6X7cm negative.
Sandy
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