Picture Elements
A pixel, short for picture element, is a single point in a digital photo. Usually represented as a dot or square, a pixel is the smallest single component of an image, and has its own color and brightness. A large number of these pixels make up the digital photo, and the more pixels that make up the image, the sharper it normally is. The resolution of a digital photo is a measure of the number of pixels that make it up. A megapixel is equal to one million pixels. More pixels allows a digital photo to be enlarged for viewing or printing without becoming grainy.
Megapixel War
In the world of digital photography, pixels are probably the most important specification for digital cameras, with manufacturers vying to produce higher resolution digital cameras. The first digital cameras had less than 1 megapixel resolution. Most of the digital cameras available today have at least 5 megapixels, while many of the latest digital cameras have 10 megapixel resolutions.
But whether or not you really need these high resolutions is questionable, with a 3 megapixel digital photo being enough to print a good quality 8" x 10" photo. Taking digital photos at higher resolutions also increases their storage size, thereby reducing the number of shots that can be stored on your memory card.
Digital Photo Printing Guide
The table below shows the quality of prints you can expect from a digital photo with a given resolution.
| Megapixels | Good quality photos | Best quality photos |
|---|---|---|
| 1 MP | 5" x 7" | Wallet |
| 2 MP | 8" x 10" | 4" x 6" |
| 3 MP | 8" x 10" | 5" x 7" |
| 4 MP | 11" x 14" | 5" x 7" |
| 5 MP | 11" x 14" | 5" x 7" |
| 6-7 MP | 16" x 20" | 8" x 10" |
| 8 MP | 17" x 22" | 8" x 10" |
| 10 MP | 20" x 30" | 11" x 14" |
Digital Photo Storage Guide
The table below shows the typical storage size of a digital photo with a given resolution.
| Megapixels | Typical Image Size |
|---|---|
| 4 MP | ~1.35 MB |
| 5 MP | ~1.73 MB |
| 6 MP | ~2.13 MB |
| 8 MP | ~3.20 MB |
Therefore, it is important to understand the digital photo resolution you really need, and optimize it for your needs. Unless you are planning to enlarge an image above 8" x 10", a 3 megapixel resolution should be more than sufficient. But having a camera for situations where you will need a high resolution image is handy. The best time to decide on the image resolution is when taking the photo, and digital cameras today allow for easily changing the photo resolution.
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