Below are two microscopic images showing output from new, top of the line dye-sub.The print area was 25% and 50% saturated blue respectively. The pixelisation and dot gain is clearly seen. Taken with Panasonic F-15 video-camera, acquired with Snappy 2 (best quality setting) from Photoshop, unsharp mask at 100%, and crop'd to smaller size.
Note 1: Images are linear, if your monitor is not calibrated for Gamma = 1.0 then the images as you see them are much too dark.
Note 2: It is a bit difficult to take microscopic images of a dye-sub printout. Here cross-polarisation was employed, it does various things to the image including dimming of the highlights, so the paper white is not showing properly. The image of 50% saturation seems to be more shiny, this is due to different amout of cross-polarisation between the images. Cross-polarisation was adjusted to show the intensity changes and pixelisation well for both images.
25 % saturation.
50% saturation.