For those looking to buy a new digital camera one of the easiest to follow guides to get a rough idea of a digital cameras overall quality is the megapixel count.
The megapixel count is the number of pixel sensor points that receive photons and register their impact to create a digital image. One megapixel is a million pixels with the maximum resolution of images created by the camera being limited by their sensor size. Digital images are made up of small squares created with the information received by each pixel with each having colour and light level information. Having too few pixels will leave images with visible blockiness and fail to preserve fine detail.
The megapixel count for a given camera can be calculated by multiplying the height by the width of the maximum size image the camera can take and alternatively a rough idea of the maximum resolution can be gained by doing the reverse.
Very high megapixel counts have positive and negative features, in low light conditions too few photons hit each individual pixel as they are very small leading to noisy and unclear images. It also means the photos created contain more information resulting in longer processing time and needing more storage so it may be harder to take as many photos in a limited time and fewer will be stored on a given memory card. Noisy is a variable problem with high megapixel sensors, this is when adjacent pixels interfere with each other leading to the creation of image pixels with the wrong colours, usually very visible as speckles on dark areas of photographs.
Noise will vary from camera to camera so it is a good idea for a buyer to look at sample images or try the camera for themselves to see how it deals with noise.
On the positive side higher megapixel numbers will give better detail in images as well as avoid any blockiness. The greater image area and detail also means that images can successfully be cropped, that is reduced in size, a significant benefit for less experienced photographers who may want to reframe an image to more accurately frame the subject. Higher numbers of pixels are also better if a photograph is intended to be displayed in a larger size such as a large print or a poster as they have more detail so when expanded do not immediately display blockiness.
Manufacturers are well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of higher megapixel counts as well as their customers' perception that more is always better which leads them to match the higher pixel counts with higher end hardware and better cameras making the pixel count a good indication of the overall quality of the camera.
A high megapixel count is a good specification for a buyer of digital cameras to look at, though it should not be the only thing looked at as all features should be compared between models. It will give a good idea of where a camera stacks up relative to its competition.
Higher megapixel cameras are becoming an increasingly popular inclusion on most mobile phones. This can be seen on many new smartphones releases like the LG Optimus 2X.
The megapixel count is the number of pixel sensor points that receive photons and register their impact to create a digital image. One megapixel is a million pixels with the maximum resolution of images created by the camera being limited by their sensor size. Digital images are made up of small squares created with the information received by each pixel with each having colour and light level information. Having too few pixels will leave images with visible blockiness and fail to preserve fine detail.
The megapixel count for a given camera can be calculated by multiplying the height by the width of the maximum size image the camera can take and alternatively a rough idea of the maximum resolution can be gained by doing the reverse.
Very high megapixel counts have positive and negative features, in low light conditions too few photons hit each individual pixel as they are very small leading to noisy and unclear images. It also means the photos created contain more information resulting in longer processing time and needing more storage so it may be harder to take as many photos in a limited time and fewer will be stored on a given memory card. Noisy is a variable problem with high megapixel sensors, this is when adjacent pixels interfere with each other leading to the creation of image pixels with the wrong colours, usually very visible as speckles on dark areas of photographs.
Noise will vary from camera to camera so it is a good idea for a buyer to look at sample images or try the camera for themselves to see how it deals with noise.
On the positive side higher megapixel numbers will give better detail in images as well as avoid any blockiness. The greater image area and detail also means that images can successfully be cropped, that is reduced in size, a significant benefit for less experienced photographers who may want to reframe an image to more accurately frame the subject. Higher numbers of pixels are also better if a photograph is intended to be displayed in a larger size such as a large print or a poster as they have more detail so when expanded do not immediately display blockiness.
Manufacturers are well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of higher megapixel counts as well as their customers' perception that more is always better which leads them to match the higher pixel counts with higher end hardware and better cameras making the pixel count a good indication of the overall quality of the camera.
A high megapixel count is a good specification for a buyer of digital cameras to look at, though it should not be the only thing looked at as all features should be compared between models. It will give a good idea of where a camera stacks up relative to its competition.
Higher megapixel cameras are becoming an increasingly popular inclusion on most mobile phones. This can be seen on many new smartphones releases like the LG Optimus 2X.
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