Mega Pixel Number and Truth Behind it!

The Excitement Around Resolution

Hi again. By now, you have probably heard about the launch of the Canon 5Ds and 5Dsr. Cameras crossing the 50 megapixel mark almost feel like a dream realised for many. For some, that excitement has already translated into pre-orders and purchases.

I have not bought one, and honestly, I do not feel the need to.

Camera manufacturers have always found ways to attract attention, and resolution has become one of the most powerful tools to do so. But somewhere in this excitement, an important question quietly disappears. Do most photographers really need this level of resolution?

 

A Personal Memory

I still remember working with scanned negatives nearly ten years ago. The images came from my Nikon N75, and even after scanning, the resolution barely crossed 1.6 megapixels. That was the limit the photo lab could offer.

Yet, I was making prints of 8 by 12 inches, sometimes even larger. The colour reproduction varied from lab to lab, but overall, the results were satisfying. There was no sense of limitation. The photographs still felt complete.

Today, we are surrounded by cameras offering anywhere between 16 to over 50 megapixels. At the same time, some medium format systems operate at comparatively lower megapixel counts, yet deliver exceptional quality. This contrast makes the conversation more interesting.

 

Understanding Pixels and Light

To understand what is really happening, we need to look beyond the numbers.

When megapixels increase on a sensor of the same size, each individual pixel becomes smaller. A full frame sensor, measuring 36mm by 24mm, captures the same amount of light regardless of how many pixels are packed into it. The difference lies in how that light is distributed.

More pixels mean the same light is divided into smaller units. Each pixel receives less information. This is where the trade-off begins.

 

A Practical Comparison

Consider the Nikon D4 and the Nikon D800. The D800 offers significantly higher resolution, but its pixel size is around 4.88 microns. The D4, on the other hand, has larger pixels at about 7.3 microns.

Larger pixels gather more light, which directly improves performance in low light conditions. This is why the D4 produces cleaner images at higher ISO settings. The D800, despite its resolution, struggles more with noise in similar situations.

Interestingly, when you compare the D800’s pixel size to that of a crop sensor camera like the Nikon D7000, the numbers are quite close. This suggests that the sensor behaviour may not be as different as one might assume, despite the jump in megapixels.

 

What Really Matters

The primary advantage of higher resolution is the ability to produce larger prints. Beyond that, the benefits are not always as impactful as they are made out to be.

As pixel size shrinks, the amount of light each pixel captures decreases. This can lead to increased noise, especially in low light photography. It is a trade-off that is often overlooked in the excitement of higher numbers.

So before choosing a camera purely based on megapixels, it is worth pausing for a moment. Think about what you actually need. In many cases, a camera with fewer megapixels but larger pixels may serve you far better.

Sometimes, the answer is not more. It is better.