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The more megapixels a digital camera has the better pictures it will take, right? WRONG! This is probably the biggest misconception in digital photography. The quality of an image is dependent on multiple things: the cameras sensor size and quality, the internal processor, the quality of glass within the lens, the amount of light available in the scene and most importantly, the photographer!

The most important component to capturing a great image is ALWAYS the photographer. A photographer who knows their camera well can take a photo with a 3MP camera that will outshine a similar photo taken from a 10MP camera and an inexperienced photographer. A person who knows photography well can generally pick up any camera and pull off great shots. For those that don’t know a lot about photography don’t worry, get to know your camera you’ll be happy – take lots of photos!

The number of megapixels (MP) does not affect the quality of the image in the sense that the more pixels you have the better quality photo you get, it really only affects the size of the image you can print while still maintaining the highest quality. Almost all cameras on the market today have at least 5 to 6 megapixels which is more than enough for most people. I’ve printed excellent 8×10 photos from a 3MP Kodak camera purchased back in 2000 (see above image). If your not looking to make poster size prints then you’ll be more than satisfied with a 5 or 6 megapixel camera.

Even large prints don’t necessarily need lots of megapixels. Unless the giant photo will be viewed at close range the details will not be noticeable so don’t waste your money.

For those that do require large prints with extremely sharp details consider a professional or ‘prosumer” DLSR. Both will have image sensors larger than most point-and-shoot cameras and are therefore better suited for the high megapixels. Lots of megapixels on a small sensor means smaller pixels, smaller pixels means less light, less light can mean lower quality.

Purchase a camera that fits your shooting style and requirements. Don’t let the megapixel count sway you from the camera you like in your price range. Odds are, if you purchase a camera from the major manufactures (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc) you’ll be happy.

Shop in a retail store to get a hands-on feel (comfort goes a long way in my opinion), price compare online to find the best price. When talking to a salesperson remember their job is to sell you A camera, not necessarily the RIGHT camera, do your own research to verify.

The Amazon bestsellers list can be a good indicator of which cameras have a good price-to-quality and price-to-feature ratio.

Further Reading:

• “The Megapixel Myth” – by Ken Rockwell
• “Breaking the Myth of Megapixels” – NYTimes David Pogue
• While writing and preparing this article Gizmodo wrote an excellent article with a detailed explanation of how the number of megapixels and image sensor size can effect image quality: “Why More Megapixels Isn’t Always More Better“.

Definitions: Pixel, Megapixel, DSLR, Point-and-Shoot, Prosumer