Digital Cameras: How Many Pixels Do I Need?

With the bewildering number of digital cameras on the market, it's increasing difficult to know where to start for your first purchase. One of the major determining factors of the price of a digital camera is the number of pixels. Nowadays, even 5.0 megapixel cameras are affordable, even for casual snapshots.

But is bigger always better?

Higher megapixel cameras do have some drawback. The first, and most obvious, is price. A basic 5.0 megapixel camera currently runs between $200 and $300. A 1.2 megapixel camera can be had for less than $50. Storage for those large pictures will also cost you more. A 32 MByte memory card will hold around a hundred 1.2 megapixel pictures. This drops right down to around 60 pictures for 2.0 megapixels and to around 40 pictures for a 3.0 megapixel model. One other consideration, not often mentioned, is that a higher megapixel camera has to do more work to compress and store images, leading to longer waits between picture shots and viewing.

Before you rush off and spend $300 for a camera, consider what you will be doing with the pictures. Are you viewing them just on your computer? Sending them as email attachments? Printing them on an existing inkjet printer? Having them professionally printed?

The larger the number of pixels, the larger the file size. An important consideration if you are emailing them as attachments. The following chart shows sample file sizes, typical resolution and maximum print size for different pixel counts stored as high-quality JPEG files:

Pixels - - - File Size - - - Resolution - - - Print Size

1.2 - - - - - 480k - - - - - 1152 x 864 - - - - - 4 x 6 inches
2.0 - - - - - 980k - - - - - 1600 x 1200 - - - - 5 x 7 inches
3.0 - - - - - 1.2M - - - - - 2048 x 1536 - - - - 10 x 8 inches
5.0 - - - - - 2.3M - - - - - 2592 x 1944 - - - - 11 x 14 inches

Most computers will only display the 2.0 megapixel image (at most) without scrolling, so you may find yourself resizing all your pictures - or not using the maximum resolution of your camera - if you have a 5.0 megapixel camera.

Only ever print pictures at 5 x 7, or only view them on a computer? Then a 2 megapixel may be enough for now. The prices will be lower next year if you want to upgrade later.

Obviously, the higher pixel cameras do have some advantages, especially when it comes to cropping and editing - and you know the salesman will want to sell you the best camera in the store - but I hope this information will help in making an informed decision.

Marty is the editor of a number of websites including http://1PhotoProducts.com and http://discountgolfequipment.us

---

Google News Updated : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 02:07:34 GMT Dodgers overtake first place - MLB.com The Associated Press Dodgers overtake first place MLB.com - 2 hours ago By Michael Schwartz / MLB.com LOS ANGELES -- Manny Ramirez's five RBIs propelled the Dodgers into first place in the National League West for only the second day all season Saturday after a 7-2 win over the D-backs at Dodger Stadium. Ramirez, Billingsley lead streaking Dodgers into first place The Canadian Press Dodgers move into first place Los Angeles Times The Associated Press - Sports Network - AZ Sports Hub - National Post all 679 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 23:14:26 GMT Movies opening this week - San Jose Mercury News Canada.com Movies opening this week San Jose Mercury News - 5 hours ago By Mercury News "Burn After Reading" (R): The Coen brothers follow "No Country for Old Men" with a dark comedy about two inept gym employees who get hold of a CD-ROM containing a CIA operative's memoirs. Toronto Review: The Coen Brother's Burn After Reading First Showing Pitt Rocks to Madonna FOXNews Reuters - Newsweek - Entertainment Weekly - People Magazine all 213 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:56:32 GMT Jenkins: Murray willing to play the spoiler - San Francisco Chronicle BBC Sport Jenkins: Murray willing to play the spoiler San Francisco Chronicle - 23 minutes ago (09-06) 18:24 PDT New York -- Andy Murray must feel very alone just now. He's a long way from his native Scotland. He's carrying the hopes of British tennis, but the London press would really prefer him to be English. Federer beats Djokovic to reach US Open final The Associated Press Split stadiums for US Open semis ruffles crowd International Herald Tribune The Star-Ledger - NJ.com - Bloomberg - Independent - New York Times all 486 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:44:27 GMT Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future - CNET News Seattle Times Gates outacts Seinfeld in Back To The Future CNET News - 2 hours ago Which is why Crispin Porter Bogusky, the agency responsible for the otherworldly new Microsoft TV spot featuring the clowning Bill Gates and Jerry Seinfeld, is already happy. Microsoft's Renewed Vista Strategy PC World You Thought Vista Was Bad? InformationWeek Ars Technica - New York Times - CRN - Macworld all 514 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:01:52 GMT European space probe completes asteroid fly by - Reuters BBC News European space probe completes asteroid fly by Reuters - 11 hours ago BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Space Agency obtained on Saturday the first images of an asteroid 360 million km (224 million miles) from earth, part of a space mission which scientists hope will help them understand the origins of the planets. Rosetta spacecraft takes asteroid photos United Press International Spacecraft flies by remote asteroid, camera stops The Associated Press Taipei Times - Sky & Telescope - Detroit Free Press - Slashdot all 571 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:13:31 GMT Palin and McCain’s Shotgun Marriage - New York Times BBC News Palin and McCain’s Shotgun Marriage New York Times - 49 minutes ago By FRANK RICH SARAH PALIN makes John McCain look even older than he is. And he seemed more than willing to play that part on Thursday night. An Apostle of Alaska Newsweek 'Sarah Palin Is Wasilla': Town Stands Behind VP Pick ABC News Wall Street Journal - The Associated Press - Los Angeles Times - The Observer all 1,411 news articles Publ.Date : Sun, 07 Sep 2008 01:18:29 GMT Report: Samsung working to acquire SanDisk - San Jose Mercury News Report: Samsung working to acquire SanDisk San Jose Mercury News - 9 hours ago AP Samsung was reported Friday to be considering buying Milpitas-based SanDisk, whose revenue has diminished and stock has plummeted in recent months due to the saturated flash-memory market. SanDisk Shares Soar on Samsung Interest BusinessWeek SanDisk Shares Surge as Samsung Considers Acquisition (Update3) Bloomberg New York Times - Forbes - IntoMobile - Financial Times all 424 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 16:19:13 GMT Merchant Datafeeds Amazon Content

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

Flash Your nVidia Video Cards BIOS

You will need the following:1. 1.44MB FDD (floppy)2. NVFLASH utility... Read More

Can Movie Theatres Compete with Home HD TV in the Future?

The battle is heating up for market share, home movie... Read More

404 Error Pages: What Are They And How Do You Create One?

We've all seen them, you've been browsing a website and... Read More

Cut Through the Hype and Make the Right Digital Camera Comparisons

There are soooo many choices. With all the styles and... Read More

Bluetooth Technology: Tips for Buying Headsets or Headphones

The technological horizon has always got something new to offer,... Read More

iPod users get the picture

iPod users start to get the picture and it's turning... Read More

Improve PC Performance - 6 Tips You Must Know

Are you frustrated with your PC?Is it feeling sluggish or... Read More

Spyware Remover

Your first step in removing dangerous infections from your computer... Read More

Gain Control Over Your Screensavers With These Simple Steps

We all enjoy our favorite screensavers but in the same... Read More

Protect Your PC from Viruses, Worms & Trojans

Each of the items in the checklist below is part... Read More

Back Up, Back Up, Back Up!

This is not your typical lost data story. I was... Read More

Choosing a Portable MP3 Player: Part 1

MP3 players are everywhere! It seems that the number of... Read More

Compare MP3 Players for the Coolest Features and Sweetest Deals

How can you compare mp3 players to be sure you're... Read More

How To Remove One Operating System from a Dual Boot Windows XP Computer

In Windows Xp, you can install two operating systems on... Read More

Portable DVD Players - Things To Know

In my humble opinion nothing makes a long trip easier... Read More

Apache, MySQL & PHP for Windows

Apache, MysQL and PHP for Windows could be a nice... Read More

More Cool Web Tricks

If you ask most people what frustrates them most about... Read More

Computer Viruses are Bad Luck

OK, so you caught a computer virus and your system... Read More

Help, I Need a New HDTV! (Part 1 of 5)

Feeling overwhelmed in selecting a new TV? With all the... Read More

How To Recognize The Telltale Signs Of Spyware

Spyware is the software that collects information about your online... Read More

Cache In Your Chips And Get A Bus!

Computer related terminology could sometimes be daunting to newcomers. These... Read More

10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer - Without Upgrading

1. Empty the Temp directory regularly. To do this, make... Read More

Your Computer Cant Keep Time

A computer needs a certain amount of information to operate;... Read More

HTML Explained: Part 1

Want to save money while promoting your web-based business? Of... Read More

Web Standards

HTTP ProtocolThe web is run on port 80. You are... Read More