Digital Camcorders Optical Resolution and Megapixels Information
Digital camcorders have become the standard in the consumer camcorder market, replacing analog tapes of the past. Digital Video, or DV, offers better quality than its predecessor, and is also far more compact, with media being stored on either small tapes, DVDs, memory cards or internal hard drives. Along with recording video, many digital camcorders are also capable of taking still pictures. There are two important specs you must consider when weighing the imaging capabilities of a digital camcorder: optical resolution and megapixels, both of which play important roles in the camera's two aforementioned functions.
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Basics
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Optical resolution and megapixels both deal with the clarity or amount of detail in an image. Optical resolution is primarily concerned with video performance, measuring the "lines of resolution" in a frame of video, while megapixels (megapixel equals one million pixels) measure the amount of colored dots, or pixels, that make up a still image.
Optical Resolution
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Optical resolution in digital video cameras is essentially a measure of the amount of detail in a video frame the camera can capture. The lines of resolution also measure how large the image will be, which directly pertains to the amount of detail it can contain. Most modern SD (standard definition) digital camcorders record in 720x480, which is 720 horizontal lines of resolution and 480 vertical lines of resolution.
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High-Definition Camcorders
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High-Definition camcorders, or HD cameras, are quickly becoming standardized. Though more expensive than a traditional SD camcorder, they are capable of capturing clearer and larger video images. Currently, there are two levels of high-definition video images. 1280x720 is the less extravagent of the two, with 1280 horizontal lines of resolution and 720 vertical lines of resolution. 1920x1080 camcorders, also known as Full HD cameras, capture video at 1920 horizontal lines of resolution with 1080 vertical lines of resolution.
4K Camcorders
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4K camcorders, like the Red One camera which was used for feature films such as "District 9," are capable of capturing video at resolution with over 4,000 lines of horizontal resolution, over twice as many lines as consumer HD camcorders. These digital camcorders are also capable of using interchangeable lenses, mimicking the look of 35mm film. Other companies, like Arriflex, are currently experimenting with 4K camera technology.
Megapixels
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Megapixels deal with the still image capabilities of camcorders. Megapixels are the total number of dots, or pixels, that make up an image. For example, if an image is 2,000 pixels wide and 3,000 pixels high, then that would be a six megapixel (6MP) image. Megapixels affect the size of an image, however, more than simply the quality. A 6MP image, while large, may also be blurry or grainy if there isn't enough light or if the shutter speed is too fast or too slow.
Misconceptions
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Though the optical resolution of a camcorder and the megapixel count of its still images are enormous factors in determining the quality of a device, they should not be the only factors involved. For example, a camcorder may have the ability to shoot Full HD video and take 8MP still pictures, but it may only have an imaging sensor (the sensor behind the lens that captures the images) about 1/6 of an inch, meaning it can take in far less light and achieve only blurry images. While megapixels and optical resolution are good measuring sticks, they're not the only specs that matter.
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References
- Photo Credit Camcorder image by Edward Stephens from Fotolia.com
