Friday, April 30, 2004
Looking Beyond The Megapixels
Posted by Suhit Gupta in "ARTICLE" @ 07:00 AM
"With spring has come the release of several new 8 megapixel "prosumer" digital cameras. These new "digicams" sport the latest optics, metering, focusing systems and of course, sensor resolution. I would contend, however that in many cases the limitations imposed by capturing 8 million pixels on a 2/3" size sensor negate the assumed advantages of increased pixel output. There just might be more to look for when selecting your next camera than the number of megapixels listed in the specifications.
Don’t get me wrong, I find that "8.0 megapixel" stamp on the front of the camera as enticing as any other high-tech craving camera connoisseur. The problem lies not in the number of pixels recorded, but in the quality of those pixels."
According to the article, this piece is the first in a three part series of articles that examines the current digital photography hardware, as well as the author’s views of what is to come. It analyzed the latest hig-res prosumer cameras as well as DSLRs and attempts to show the difference in quality of the two camera lines from the point of view of the CCD (APS film negative (22.7 x 15.1 mm) sensor in contrast to the 2/3" sensor size) and ultimately tries to dispense with some of the myths surrounding megapixels (i.e. does higher MP mean better quality?).
Don’t get me wrong, I find that "8.0 megapixel" stamp on the front of the camera as enticing as any other high-tech craving camera connoisseur. The problem lies not in the number of pixels recorded, but in the quality of those pixels."
According to the article, this piece is the first in a three part series of articles that examines the current digital photography hardware, as well as the author’s views of what is to come. It analyzed the latest hig-res prosumer cameras as well as DSLRs and attempts to show the difference in quality of the two camera lines from the point of view of the CCD (APS film negative (22.7 x 15.1 mm) sensor in contrast to the 2/3" sensor size) and ultimately tries to dispense with some of the myths surrounding megapixels (i.e. does higher MP mean better quality?).
