The top measurement you might find when getting a digital camera is the megapixel. A megapixel, or one million pixels, is a measure of how much detail will go into your image.
More megapixels will produce a sharper image. You'll enjoy the realistic look of the images you produce here. But does that mean you need as many megapixels as you might wish?
A camera with more megapixels isn't always going to give you the best results. You might need to stick with something lighter if you prefer. The key should be to look at how well your camera works and that you make a sensible choice every time.
The General Rule
The basic rule for megapixels in a digital camera is to consider the number of pixels per inch or PPI in your photos. A high-quality camera may feature a shot that produces 300 PPI.
The 300 PPI standard is the best on that you can use for your camera. A camera with a lower PPI will not produce images as crisp as you wish to take.
The 8×10 Point
One idea to think about involves how you can produce 8×10 images. The 8×10 standard is the most common one that people use when taking photos.
You can figure out the ideal number of megapixels for your camera by taking the inches per side and multiplying each side by 300. The total refers to the ideal pixels per inch.
In this case, multiply 8 by 300 and then 10 by 300 to get 2400 and 300. You would then multiply 2400 and 300 to get 7.2 million. The total is the number of megapixels you should have in your camera for a crisp 8×10 image.
The Print Size Is Critical
You can use more megapixels in your camera if you need to produce larger images. While you need a 7.2-megapixel camera for 8×10 images, you would require a 13.9-megapixel model for 11×14 images. A camera for 16×20 shots would require 28.8 megapixels.
What About Cropping Images?
It is fine to have more megapixels if you are planning on shooting large images and planning to crop them. You might only need a small bit of an image, thus facilitating the need to crop the content. But that doesn't mean the content is going to going to be any sharper.
You still need to use the 300 PPI rule of thumb when finding a camera. Having a 16-megapixel camera should be fine at this point.
The overall rule is to watch for what you're getting out of a digital camera. You must also think about the sizes of the images you wish to take. A smaller camera is good for many traditional shots, but a more powerful model is useful when you want to shoot larger images. Be careful when finding something suitable for use and that you don't go overboard in your work. You won't need to use the most powerful camera if you think about what is suitable for use.
