How many megapixels?
With the holidays soon here a lot of people will be wishing for and getting a new digital camera. A question we get often in our classes is: How many megapixels do I need?
The answer might surprise you - not as many as you think.
When we talk about megapixels we are talking about the resolution of the camera - how fine a detail a camera can capture. A lot more goes into getting a good, clear picture for your layouts than just the resolution. Things like how good the lens is, proper exposure, no camera shake, being in focus - all help or hurt getting a good clear picture. Strangely enough, the more you enlarge a picture (go from an 8×10 print to a 16×20) the less resolution you need. As you look at bigger size prints you move further away - so you actually are too far away to see a lot of detail.
Here’s an eye opener: Have you admired those great plasma HDTV’s that every one raves looks so good? A 720i display is a one-megapixel display; a 1080i is about a two megapixel.
So you don’t need to spend the money on a high megapixel camera. In our experience a six megapixel model from a good manufacturer like Canon, Nikon, Fuji, or Kodak is great. Look instead for other features - how big a optical zoom, does it have image stabilization, different shooting modes, battery life - and you’ll keep a little more money in your pocket this holiday season!
Happy shopping and have a great Holiday!
Stan White is the DaddyKitty at ScrapKitty Design. He is a 27 year veteran of the photo industry and teaches digital imaging and Photoshop to our customers. Have a question? Contact Stan here or post a comment.
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December 11th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Thanks, hunny! I didn’t know that about the TV’s that’s amazing. I do know that I did FINE with a 3.2MP camera for years, and now my 5MP camera lets me crop the HECK out of the photos with no loss of quality.
That said, I say SPEND for the optical zoom!! We just got a 12x optical zoom camera, and it’s amazing!!!
December 11th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Thanks for the info! I’m sort of camera shopping, but not seriously yet. But a question - why does my 1.3mp camera only take 640×480 max images, while my 7.1mp camera will go up to 3072×2304? Is that the megapixels or something else?
December 11th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Very very interesting, I have an old 3.2 BUT have problems with the energy consomation… I am dreaming of a good reflex…. but after several years in the scrap industry, may be….
Thanks for Sharing with us.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Thank you DadKitty! Wish I read this before I bought my last camera. I wouldn’t have spent as much time learning from the clerk. That said, its great to know I was given good information (and thus good customer service). I second what Jenn said about the optical zoom. Go for the best optical zoom you can afford. It is well worth it. Also don’t confuse digital zoom with optical zoom - they are two very different things.
December 11th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
thanks for the terrific info!! I’ll be marking this blog as another favorite!!
December 11th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Wow! I am so glad that somebody finally explained that. So more isn’t always necessary and I love the 6.0 megapixel Sony DSC-H2 with the 12x optical zoom that I have. Now if I just learn how to use the darn thing, I’ll be in great shape!
December 11th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
My husband purchased my last camera and I love it! I’m not sure about my optical zoom. I’ll have to check that out.
You’re right about the dpi. I used to do billboards and large format banners and I only needed 300 or 180 dpi respectively. Thanks so much for sharing!
December 11th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Ok, I so did not know that…at all. I agree with patty, I am soooooooooooooo glad someone FINALLY explained all that to me..gees.
YEA DADKITTY!
December 11th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Awesome input Stan “The Man” thanks so much!
December 12th, 2007 at 8:07 am
Great input Stan.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Good info to share, DaddyKitty! Thank you for taking the time to help us with this - something I’ve always wondered about myself!