Q&A: Are 8 Megapixels Really Better Than 6?
I'm shopping for a camera. How big is the difference in quality between 6.3 and 8.0 megapixels?
--Kit Inciong, Ogden, Utah
Actually, not all that much. Going from 6.3 to 8 megapixels is a fairly small jump in the total number of pixels in an image; it doesn't allow you to print billboard-sized photos, or anything stupendous like that.
Consider this: A standard 6.3-megapixel image measures 3072 by 2000, while an 8-megapixel image is 3264 by 2468. That's only an extra 300 or 400 pixels along each side of the picture, which translates into perhaps an extra inch--that's right, 1 inch--of printed picture.
And then there's the fact that manufacturers usually pack those extra pixels into the same-size camera sensor. Since all the pixels are closer together on the CCD, that means each pixel can't gather as much light and the whole sensor is potentially noisier.
Bottom line: Don't buy a camera based on megapixels alone. Read the reviews, and keep an eye out for the image quality ratings. That's what matters most.
Ad Choices