![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
How Many Megapixels Do We Need?
Are you having megapixel envy each time you walk by the camera section of your favorite electronics store? So do I. But, do we really need more and more pixels? The answer depends on what we intend to do with the images. First, a quick definition of megapixel: Megapixel is a technical term for "million pixels", where a single pixel is the smallest unit of color that a camera's sensor is able to capture. The more pixels in the sensor, the sharper the image a camera can reproduce. Note that some camera specifications abbreviate megapixel as "MP".
Now then, how many of those pixels do we need? The first task in answering this question is to determine how we intend to use the images. We are mainly concerned about uses that require a high resolution digital photo. Putting a photo on the computer's screen requires a low resolution image, so any camera is sufficient, if this is our only intention. The most common need for high resolution photos is to print or develop pictures. Let us then focus on putting pictures on paper to answer our megapixel question.
The second task is to determine the largest print size we would like of our photo. Sure, it would look cool to have poster-size images all over the house of our sweetheart, but are we really going to go through that expense? I assume for most of us, poster size prints fall into the "rarely or never" category. Having ruled out extreme sizes, we have the three most common photo sizes to consider. According to online photo labs, the following minimum resolutions are sufficient to produce high quality prints:
I know from personal experience that my 3 megapixel camera is as low as I want to go for an 8 x 10" print; any less would start showing pixilation at close examination. Based on this experience, I suggest doubling the above megapixel recommendations when buying a camera. This exercise has taught us that if we only want 4 x 6" prints, then 0.6 megapixels are sufficient. Most digital cameras start at 2 megapixels, which is sufficient to produce quality prints up to 5 x 7".
Now that we know the minimum megapixel requirements for our needs, we are free to focus on other important features of the camera such as lens quality, color reproduction, optical zoom, body size, etc. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MORE RESOURCES: See Stunning Feline Photography Revealing the Science of Cats Scientific American 'It was a dream come true': Vancouverite wins global photography prize with rare eclipse shot Vancouver Is Awesome 3 must-visit European exhibitions presenting photography and fashion South China Morning Post The Photographers’ Gallery : Paul Cupido : Kacho Fugestu loeildelaphotographie.com HUIANER Soft Warm Hat Leather Cap with Earmuffs for Baby Kids Photography Props The San Joaquin Valley Sun Florida photographer relocates to Allegany County, opens studio. Meet Victoria Slovak Hornell Evening Tribune White Feather Photography: Collins takes photography to the next level Lockhart Post Register A Question Every Senior Portrait Photographer Should Ask The Phoblographer Photographer Graham featured artist in Bay’s Besse Gallery ironmountaindailynews.com 100pcs Mini Doll Sunglasses Accessories Decorative Eyeglasses Props for Dolls for Childrens Photography and Costume Matching The San Joaquin Valley Sun 24 Pairs Kids Star Sunglasses, Retro Style Neon Star Sunglasses Funny Photography Props Star Shaped Glasses for Birthday Graduation Party Supplies Summer Beach Pool Favors The San Joaquin Valley Sun jojomis Elegant Wedding Veil Set for Brides - Bridal Accessories And Photography Props- White The San Joaquin Valley Sun QandSweet Baby Girl Headbands with Polygonal Flower Inlay Rhinestone for Photography (10 Pack) The San Joaquin Valley Sun BGFKS Newborn Baby Girls 1st Birthday Photography Outfit Sets Layered Rainbow Tutu Skirt with Hairbow and Crown Headband The San Joaquin Valley Sun BREVITE - The Jumper - Compact Camera Backpacks for Photographers - A Minimalist & Travel-friendly Photography Backpack Compatible With Both Laptop & DSLR Accessories 18L (Pine Green) The San Joaquin Valley Sun Retro Double Beam Square Glasses - Vintage Fashion Eyewear for Street Photography and Vacation The San Joaquin Valley Sun Hat Wear,Girls Painter French Berets Rabbits Ear for Holiday Photography Handmade Cartoon The San Joaquin Valley Sun 3 Pairs Dress Skirt Gloves for Party Supplies Elegant Princess Style in Pink White Blue for Wedding Flower Ballet Dance and Photography Props The San Joaquin Valley Sun Toddler Kids Shoes Trench Cargo Photography Ballet Shoes Kids First Walkers Non Slip Prewalker Socks Shoes Shoes The San Joaquin Valley Sun Adjustable Beach Hat Protective Bucket Hat for Boys Lightweight Compact for Summer Fun and Photography Purple The San Joaquin Valley Sun Rowing, research and a Fenway sunrise: award-winning images from our campus photographers Northeastern Global News In Focus: 5 Photography Shows to See in New York Artnet News MOMOJIA Sunglasses Eyewear, Fashion for Children Boys Girls for Sun Glasses Vintage Kids Photography Props Sun-Shading Beach The San Joaquin Valley Sun Photography exhibition by New York-based Punjabi architectural designer Kirat Singh Pandher Tribune India Tennessee Top 25 | Titans at Cardinals Photography Tennessee Titans Leica Q3 vs Fujifilm GFX 100RF: A Photographer’s Inner Monologue The Phoblographer Ophthalmic Photography University of Michigan Health How I took beautiful photos at the beach, despite the awful weather Digital Camera World The Best Communities for Photographers Who Hate Social Media in 2025 The Phoblographer Christie’s : Photographs loeildelaphotographie.com Photography: Samia Live in Nashville with Renny Conti The Alternative Timeless moments captured in 1921 photograph Bonner County Daily Bee Bob E. Person Obituary The Ames Tribune FAA drone ban grounds Chicago real estate photographers Chicago Agent Magazine Starting a photography business? Here are 10 practical things you need to get up and running Digital Camera World photographer suzanne jongmans recreates renaissance portraits using packaging materials - Designboom The 2025 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners National Audubon Society From children to politics: Photographer Dagmar Hochová’s retrospective opens in Prague Radio Prague International This museum at 100 proves art never goes out of style Northeastern Global News The good, the bad and the beautiful: how the great photographer Richard Avedon captured ageing The Guardian Southport photographer Patricia Niland honoured on world stage at Siena International Photo Awards Stand Up For Southport Anaconda wildlife photographer Carly Moodry Montana Standard Review: Sony 400-800mm f/6.3-8 G OSS lens Australian Photography magazine Amazon Prime Day closes today: as a photographer here are my top accessory deals Amateur Photographer The next thing I knew I was being chased down the street - has social media killed the art of street photography? Amateur Photographer The Bird Photography Guide Everyone Needs The Phoblographer When Photography Is No Longer Enough Fstoppers Floating pitch, star-studded streets, lonesome sheep World Photography Organisation Club News: Sandhills Photography Club thepilot.com The Low Light Photography Trick Every Pro Knows DIYPhotography Chris Steele-Perkins obituary The Guardian A Massive Art Installation by the ‘Humans of New York’ Creator Has Taken Over Grand Central Terminal Smithsonian Magazine How Maximalism Can Shape Photography Today The Phoblographer Photography Ideas to Break Your Creative Rut in 2025 DIYPhotography Ultimate Photography Accessories Buyer's Guide (2025) Imaging Resource Remembering Wildlife launches 10th book to help save pangolins Australian Photography magazine What our photographers saw on Tuesday, October 7 Inquirer.com ‘A Camera and a Boy’: A posthumous exhibition by the first soldier to die in the Gaza war The Jerusalem Post |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Easily Start Up Your Own New Photography Business From Home With modern technology in the form of SLR digital cameras, you do not even need the room for a dark room. You need only to have a personal computer and a photo-editing program. Photography Poses - The Missing Ingredient You've read all the "best digital camera" articles, got the best price on your first digital camera, and even glanced at its owner's manual. Are you itching to take some shots of your family, or what?Slow down, soldier. Why 1.5 Megapixels is Enough Dots Per Inch is a useful measure of relative resolution. But if you don't know the image size in inches or some other measure of size, then the amount of dots per inch doesn't mean much. How to Take Great Photos of Your Child Children are naturally photogenic. Ive worked in studios and children are so easy to photograph. How a Digital Camera Works The digital camera is not something of a magic box that came out of the blue and made wonders! The digital camera is very much like the conventional analog camera, but the technology has been altered. It also contains most of the associated components that the conventional camera contains, like lens and a shutter for letting in light, however instead of reaching a photosensitive film, the light is made to fall upon array of image sensors or photosensitive cells. CCTV Camera Tip: Apply Simple Common Sense when Picking CCTV Cameras and Lenses Get a good face shot: Use Higher quality cameras at entry areas.Doors, gates and other entry areas need a good quality, high resolution camera to record a good 'face shot. Four Unique Ways for the Pet Portrait Artist to Stand Out The warm feelings are flowing all around when the pet lover sees her commissioned portrait of her beloved dog or cat for the first time. Would you like the love to last even longer and reward you above the standard commission fee? If so, consider these ideas:When contracting with the pet lover for the commission, offer extras for a set additional fee. Is Film Better than Digital for Weddings? As a professional wedding photographer I get this question asked more than anything else. Rarely will somebody ask me about my wedding photography education, awards, or professional memberships. Getting The Right Digital Camera For You There are really great advantages in digital photography:You can shoot till you dropTaking digital images on your camera has no implication other then you have captured the image. Then you can review each image on the small screen on the back of your camera. Removing a Textured Pattern from a Scanned Photo - 5 Minute Digital Fix One of the most common problems when dealing with scanned photographs as part of a digital restoration activity is that after scanning, the digital image appears to have a textured pattern to it.This is often caused by the fact that the photograph in question has been printed on textured photographic paper. 8 Simple Tips for Taking Great Baby Photos Taking pictures of your new baby is a great way to preserve life long memories. Baby pictures can also make great postcards, keepsakes, or baby shower gifts. Traveling to Europe with Your Digital Camera? The Vacation Season is fast approaching and naturally you will be taking your digital camera along for the journey. After all your vacations are far and few between and it is nice to look back on those memories as you slave away at your job. Underwater Digital Cameras Underwater photography's is primarily focused towards entertaining and informing the people and the users themselves about what is happening in the world of under water with the aid of photography. The advent of digital cameras has opened up new horizons for such ventures. How To Avoid Or Reduce Red-Eye Photography with the aid of a digital camera is beyond doubt very fascinating. However, it also has many a nooks that the users of the digital camera must be aware of and also must be well educated to deal with in order to produce good photographs worth the most prized digital camera. Take Spectacular Nighttime Photos with Your Digital Camera - Part II Night photos can take on a somewhat magical quality you may find lacking in normal daytime photography. Amazing night pictures certainly can attract attention. Easy Tips for Digital Photo Touchups Using a digital camera to take pictures is great. It's easy and quick. Entering the World of Digital Video Cameras Gone are the days when you would need to employ a professional to take a video for your business projects. Whether you need it to provide training to your employees or students, you can do it yourself with the help of a digital video camera. Who Had The Better Brushes Leonardo or Michelangelo? Ordinary photos of dull subjects do actually sell, but the dramatic shots generally have an unusual element that makes them stand out from the crowd. They are well-composed and they carry no excess baggage. Hyperfocal Focusing: What Is It And Why Should You Use It? When should you use hyperfocal focusing? Well, sometimes when shooting a landscape, you want everything sharp from the front to the back of the scene. Setting a small aperture such as f/16, f/22 or even f/32 can help, but if you really want to maximize depth of field, hyperfocal focusing is the technique you need to use. Digital Camera Memory Cards A digital camera accessory you should purchase is a spare memory card. Most cameras are sold with a 'starter' memory card that is usually a low capacity card that's enough to take a few sample photos on, but not enough for day-to-day use. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 KeralaClick.com |