MEGAPIXELS: What really matters and what not? Let me tell you step by step

THE IMPORTANCE OF MEGAPIXELS

One big part of the digital camera will be the number of megapixels it has and whether or not it will be enough for the type of photos you want to print.

Basically, megapixels are a unit of measurement in an image. If you think of your picture as a series of dots – which it is - the more densely the dots are put together, the better your picture will look.

The number of megapixels will determine the quality of your final photo. If you choose too few, your pictures won’t be what you want them to be. If you choose too many, you’re probably going to spending more money than you need to.

The higher the number of pixels, the better the resolution. The higher the resolution, the larger and higher quality prints you can make. Higher quality photos take up more space on your media card, but they will give you the best prints.

For many people, this is the most difficult part of buying a digital camera. How much is enough and how much is too much? Here are a few pointers to help you along the way.

2 megapixels or less

• This is typically found on smaller, inexpensive cameras or cameras in combination with other devices (such as cell phones or PDAs).
• It will be hard to make a high-quality print of any size, but these are just fine for e-mailing photos or posting photos for a personal web site.
• Cameras with this range are not recommend for family portraits or if you really need a nice-looking print.
• You can make some nice 4 x 6 prints and as large as 5 x 7 with good quality. Anything larger than that will appear blurry or distorted.
• Expect to pay $100 to $150 for the camera alone, more for a combo unit.

3 megapixels

• This is actually a good compromise between picture quality and low price for most casual photographers.
• You can print lovely 4x6 images, decent 5x7s and, depending on the camera, might even knock out a good 6x9 or 8x10.
• You will pay around $150 to $250.

4 megapixels

• You're getting nicer. These images make practically photo-lab quality 4x6s, and great 5x7s and 6x9s.
• You can print a nice 8x10 and even an 11 x 14.
• You'll typically pay about $250 to $350.

5 megapixels

• This will produce beautiful 8x10s, and even a nice 11x14. You may even be able to get even larger to a 16 x 20.
• With this camera, you are getting closer to professional photographer levels, and the quality shows it.
• And you'll pay the price, around $350 to $450.

6 megapixels and up

• Wonderful image quality, but high price tags. You can print large photos, even 11x14 or perhaps more, with satisfying results.
• There are some high-megapixel cameras coming out with lower price tags than most, but they usually have very few features.
• Unless megapixels are the only thing you care about (it shouldn't be), don't get a camera that sounds outrageously inexpensive for its megapixel range.
• In this category, expect to pay $450 and up, up, up.

Yes, I know it would be really cool to get that hot new 6 megapixel camera. If you have unlimited funds, that’s great. If you're like the rest of us working stiffs, you don't want to waste money on extras you don't need. And I can tell you right now, if you're just e-mailing pictures to your buddies, you don't need it.

There are a couple of other things to keep in mind. People get nuts about megapixels, but more isn't always better. Higher megapixels means larger image sizes, which in turn means more expensive memory cards and more space devoured on your computer's hard drive.

So now that I’ve got you completely confused, let’s make a few suggestions. Please keep in mind that these are just suggestions and not written in stone. You have to make your own decision; we’re just trying to guide you a little bit!