Digital cameras have different megapixel numbers.
Megapixel rating is one of the most important features to consider when purchasing a digital camera. A digital camera can feature a megapixel rating of anywhere between 0.5 megapixels to 12 megapixels or more depending on the camera.
Understanding Megapixels
Pixels are picture elements, or small dots of color that create photo images. Megapixel refers to one million pixels. Pixels also contribute to the resolution, or the number of pixels in an image. More pixels mean a larger amount of information can be captured in a data file. Megapixels provide greater detail and the ability to create larger images.
Determine Your Megapixel Needs
Determining how many megapixels you need depends on how you plan to use your camera and the pictures you're going to take. For example, images taken with a six megapixel camera should enlarge up to 16 x 20 inches. Two megapixel cameras, on the other hand, will work best with smaller picture sizes, such as 4 x 6 inches or 5 x 7 inches.
Taking Photos for the Internet
If you're going to use your digital camera primarily to take photographs for online use, then megapixels are not a major consideration. In fact, cameras with large megapixel ratings may actually create images that are too large for your purposes in terms of resolution, forcing you to crop and reduce everything before using it online. Megapixels matter more when you want to create prints of your photos, or make them larger for print use.
Other Factors and Considerations
Megapixels are not the only thing to consider when buying or using a digital camera. You also want to consider photo and print quality.
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