On the left, a $5000 Nikon D3. On the right, my now-ancient-by-today’s-standards Olympus D-480. Besides the five years and $4800 that separates them, the Nikon is a 12.1 megapixel camera, while the Olympus weighs in at a paltry 2.1 megapixels.
This being the season of the Big Belly Red-Suited Guy (aka Santa), chances are a sizeable number of you elves are shopping for a shiny new digital camera. I’ll also bet that while perusing the ads and talking up cameras at your local Best Buy, both you and sales person are focusing on among other things the number of megapixels available. Nikon and Canon both recently released their newest pro DSLRs capable of capturing images at over 25+ megapixels each. Truth is that for the average mom, dad, or college student megapixels are relatively meaningless…but a great way for a sales person on commission to rackup a bigger sale.
So what’s a camera-buyer to do? First and foremost ask yourself this: What do I plan to do with the photos I take? If you’ll be displaying them online, putting them on a digital picture frame (another big seller this holiday season) or printing them 8×10 or smaller then you don’t need a digital camera with 10, 8, or even 6 megapixels. My trusty little Olympus and its 2.1 megapixels will be just fine. Here’s why:
You see, camera manufacturers and sales-type folks in turn, began using megapixels as a measure of quality. But it doesn’t translate in the real world. Megapixels (or MP for short) is simply an expression of the number of pixels available and is calculated by multiplying the horizontal and vertical pixel counts…just like calculating the number of square feet in a room. I’ll spare you the math — besides, there are lots of other more knowledgable types online with websites that explain the numbers much better — but a well-composed photo taken with good technique using a 3-5 MP camera will always be better than a poorly focused and lit photo taken with a $5000 camera. Sharpness and print quality depend more on your photographic skills than the number of megapixels.
So if you’re shopping for a new point-and-shoot digital camera don’t look at the number of megapixels. Rather, look at the optical zoom capabilities. Spend a few bucks more for a 5x optical zoom over a 3x, but hang onto your hard-earned dinero if someone’s trying to pull the megapixel wool over your eyes. And if you’re in the market for one of the new Nikon or Canon DSLRs and you’re on a budget, take a pass on the brand spanking new Nikon D90 and go for an older D60 or D40 and use the savings to purchase the best lens you can possibly afford. Good glass is always a wise investment, whereas camera bodies come and go ever few months. Happy shopping!
My lil’ old Olympus at 2.1 MP (megapixels)
