Megapixels determine how many details a digital camera can capture.
The megapixels on a digital camera are very important in the final outcome of a photograph. The rating determines how much detail a camera can capture on every shot taken. It is also related to the image size and the image resolution. If there are enough megapixels in an image, a larger print can be made without losing image sharpness.
Unit of Measurement
A megapixel (MP) is equivalent to 1 million picture elements or pixels. It is used as a unit of measurement in photographic images. It also tells how many image sensor elements a digital camera has. For instance, a camera with a 2,400 by 1,700 sensor contains 4 megapixels (2,400 x 1,700 = 4,080,000). Imagine a photo as a collection of dots. The more dots are joined together, the better the image will look better.
Image Resolution
The main effect of megapixels is in the overall resolution of an image. If a photo is taken with a high-megapixel camera, a high-quality print enlargement can be successfully made. If there are not enough megapixels, then the resulting prints will be "fuzzy" and will contain image "noise" or speckles. A 3 megapixel camera is recommended to make 4- by 6-inch prints and 6 megapixels to come up with a clear 8- by 10-inch print. However, to produce an 11- by 14-inch enlargement, 10 megapixels is needed.
Image Size
Digital cameras with high megapixels require high-capacity image storage in the form of different memory cards. As an illustration, a 3 megapixel camera with a 256 megabyte card can contain more than 300 images, but a 10 megapixel camera with the same card can only store about 30 photos. High-resolution photos have large image sizes that also take more space than those with low resolutions when transferred to a computer hard drive.
Price Factor
Megapixel size mainly determines the price of a digital camera. The higher the megapixel rating, the more expensive is the price of a camera. In the late 1990s, during the early days of digital photography, the price of a compact 3-megapixel camera could cost around $500. As of 2010, prices have gone relatively cheaper and that same kind of camera can be bought for less than $99. A basic digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera costs around $600.
Megapixel Advancements
Digital camera manufacturers today compete toe-to-toe in launching more and more digital cameras with higher megapixels. As of 2010, SLR cameras targeted to professional consumers, commonly referred to as "prosumers," can take 24.5 megapixel photos. On the other hand, more advanced medium format cameras, used in advertising and high-end wedding photography, can take up to 60 megapixel shots.
Tags: camera with, digital camera, megapixel camera, camera capture, cameras with, enough megapixels
