Pixels are the stuff digital photos are made of. Each pixel is like a dot, and each dot has a specific color that are put together to form an image that we can recognize. The more dots you got, the bigger the image becomes. So, exactly how many pixels or megapixels do you really need?
The answer depends on how or where you will use the photo. If you post pictures on social websites then a 1 megapixel (MP) photo is probably enough. A 1MP photo is about 1,280 x 960 pixels and that covers a large part or the entire computer screen.
If you print 3r to 5r photos for albums, a 3-4MP image will do the trick for you. But if you're maybe a budding photographer who wants to have a printed portfolio or an enthusiast who wants to print 8r photos, then a 5MP image will work just fine.
source: blog.rightbuy.com
What about higher megapixels? Here are some practical pros and cons of using higher megapixels.
| More data | Big file size |
| Sharpness cheat | Less mobile |
| Review more details | More obvious blurred photo |
| Print larger | Typically pricey |
So what do these things mean?
More data
At the top of the list, you will save more data or more information of a scene with a higher megapixel image, which allows more room for image editing. One editing process that clearly benefits from larger megapixels is cropping an image. Cropping a large images allows you some space to re-compose the image without making the image size too small.
Big file size/Less mobile
Consequently, shooting photos at high megapixels will eat up a lot of storage space due to its larger file size. Moreover, you won't be able to carry around too much high megapixel photos on your mobile devices. Having bigger file sizes also slows down file transfers and will take much more time if you're transferring a lot of images.
Sharpness cheat/More obvious blurred photo
Due to the inherent larger image size of a high megapixel image, zooming out while viewing an image will make a slightly blurry photo look sharp. This is what I refer to as a sharpness cheat. How many times were we surprised to learn that the image is actually blurry when viewed on the computer even if it looked sharp on a camera's small LCD?
On the flip side, viewing images at larger zoom ranges will make a blurry photo stand out.
Review more details
Another bonus related to having a larger image is having the chance to see more details in the scene as you zoom in specific areas of a photo. Try zooming in a 1MP photo and you'll quickly see the pixels that don't make much sense. Here's a nice visual aid that really captures and exaggerates this point. The red box represents the zoomed in area of the original image and the succeeding samples show how it will look like zoomed in at different megapixels. Again, this sample is exaggerated to make it more obvious to the naked eye.
source: bestbuy
Print larger
Another advantage of course is being able to print bigger. I've mentioned how big we can print 5MP photo; a 36mp photo can be printed as big as 24.53" x 16.37". I personally do not know why I'd need to print that big, but printing big is something more common for professional photographers and graphic artists in the advertising industry.
source: dpictures.com
Typically pricey
In the advertising industry, it won't be surprising to find photographers using 50MP or 60MP cameras to fill the need of the industry to print larger than life photos. Some cameras even go as far as capturing 200MP images. Please don't ask how big we can print those :) Those cameras can easily be as expensive as cars. Also, if you've noticed, new and expensive camera models always have the highest megapixel count.
source: hassleblad
Conclusion
Now that you've read this far into the article (thanks), megapixels essentially determine the size of an image. It doesn't provide a significant impact to image quality compared to other key factors like the lens or the type of sensor in your camera. With the lifestyle I have and as a photography enthusiast, I'm contented with 5MP. But with the way camera companies are, I can't hope for new 5MP camera anymore.
Now instead of asking how much megapixels do you really need, ask yourself: How large do I need my photos? The answer will ultimately point you to your megapixel need.
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