Megapixels Explained
When shopping for a digital camera, it is likely that you will see each camera rated in terms of its number of "megapixels" and might assume---as many do---that more megapixels must make for a better camera. In fact, this isn't necessarily the case. Learning about megapixels and how they affect the quality of a camera can help you buy the best camera for your needs and possibly save money in the process.
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Definition
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Digital images consist of tiny dots called pixels, each containing information about its color. The prefix "mega-" indicates "million," so a three megapixel camera uses up to three million pixels to store each image that it captures.
History
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The Sony Mavica, released in 1981, was the first digital camera of sorts. It could store up to 25 images on a single floppy disk and stored images in an analog format, rather than digital, for display on a television. The Mavica captured images at just 0.3 megapixels. Today, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a digital camera that shoots images with less than 10 megapixels.
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Benefits
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The greatest benefit in having a camera with a high-megapixel rating is that images can be captured in greater detail. At higher resolutions, larger prints can be made from images while retaining acceptable image quality, up to a certain point where it becomes difficult to perceive a difference. Additionally, higher resolutions allow greater flexibility in cropping images. With a high-resolution image, it is possible to completely change the focal point of a picture while retaining a high level of detail.
Misconceptions
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Much like the megahertz ratings of computer processors, many consumers attach more importance than they should to the megapixel ratings of cameras. Studies have shown that the vast majority of people are unable to tell the difference between images shot at five megapixels and greater, even in poster-sized prints. Virtually every camera produced today has a resolution that is far greater than what is actually necessary.
Expert Insight
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For best image quality, it is far more important to select a digital camera with a high-quality image sensor than one with a high megapixel count. In general, larger image sensors produce better images, which in turn translates to the best images being produced by large cameras. Although pocket-sized cameras are capable of producing excellent images, they cannot compete with a professional quality digital SLR camera, regardless of the megapixel rating.
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