For Better Digital Photography
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It can be a challenge to sift through all the advertising hype, salesperson preferences, sales promotions, camera features, etc.
Megapixels is one of the most talked about and misunderstood terms in the world of digital cameras.
Let's sort through some facts and misperceptions, so you can make a more informed buying decision.
Let's begin at the end...
When it comes to buying a digital camera,
MEGAPIXELS are not everything
Better digital photography involves more than just having a camera with a bunch of megapixels, although you wouldn't know that listening to digital camera salespeople.It doesn't matter whether you're looking at a Canon or Nikon digital SLR, a Panasonic, Fuji, or Sony prosumer, or any of the hundred compact models. The principles on megapixels hold true for all of them.
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Do any of these statements sound familiar?- If you want the best digital camera, you need to get the one with the most megapixels. (Not true. The quality of the lens and camera are often more important.)
- Since this Nikon has more megapixels than that Canon, it will take sharper photographs. (Again, not true. The clarity of the final photograph has more to do with shutter speed and using a tripod.)
- All megapixels are the same. It doesn't matter if you're looking at a Canon or a "Pete's Digital Camera & Toaster" made in Cuba. (All pixels result from the level of technology of the manufacturer's image sensor produced in the digital camera. If all the technology is identical, ask the salesperson why each company has their own patents. The company's goals are creating better digital photography too.)
Fact and Fiction of Better Digital Photography
More megapixels do not automatically equate to sharper or better photographs. In addition to the number of megapixels, the quality of the megapixels matter as well.One or two colors may be more accurately reproduced than the third. That's why certain cameras and photo-editing software provide the ability to adjust different factors, such as the warmth of a photo.
Megapixels is just one factor in creating better digital photography. And, you shouldn't look at it in isolation; but rather consider it along with other digital camera features.
How fast or slow the camera's shutter speed can be set is key. Using a tripod, being able to manually set the white-balance control, and having pre-programmed modes to aid in tricky lighting situations are all important factors in achieving better digital photography.
Don't get the idea that megapixels are bad, or irrelevant. That is NOT TRUE. There is one specific area where more megapixels will create better digital photography results.
If everything else is the same, more megapixels will provide greater flexibility to crop a photograph and still wind up with a sharp clear photo.
Cropping photographs can make a world of difference. Besides producing more striking photographs, it's the eraser on your digital pencil.
Many photos will have something showing that you don't want to print. If it's in the key part of the subject, usually most photo-editing software can take care of it.
However, what if you take a priceless picture of your child taking their first steps in a beautiful garden... while a German Sheppard is going to the bathroom 3 feet away? If you have a digital camera with at least 6-7 megapixels, you should be able to crop out the dog and still be able to make a clear sharp enlargement.
That is the main advantage a large megapixel camera provides, over their smaller-megapixel competition. If you take the original photograph with 7 megapixels and crop out 1/3, there will be plenty left to make a quality enlargement.
If, however, you begin with a 3 megapixel camera, you will barely have enough for a 4x6 print, after losing 1/3 of the megapixels to cropping. The result of printing a photograph having too few pixels is a low-quality rough looking pixelated image... definitely NOT what you're going for when creating better digital photography!
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