DIGITAL CAMERA RESOLUTION

THE AMOUNT OF DETAIL THAT THE CAMERA CAN CAPTURE IS CALLED THE RESOLUTION, AND IT IS MEASURED IN PIXELS. THE MORE PIXELS A CAMERA HAS, THE MORE DETAIL IT CAN CAPTURE AND THE LARGER PICTURES CAN BE WITHOUT BECOMING BLURRY OR “GRAINY.” 

Some typical resolutions include:

  • 256 x 256 – Found on very cheap cameras, this resolution is so low that the picture quality is almost always unacceptable. This is 65,000 total pixels.
  • 640 x 480 – This is the low end on most “real” cameras. This resolution is ideal for e-mailing pictures or posting pictures on a Web site.
  • 1216 x 912 – This is a “megapixel” image size — 1,109,000 total pixels — good for printing pictures.
  • 1600 x 1200 – With almost 2 million total pixels, this is “high resolution.” You can print a 4×5 inch print taken at this resolution with the same quality that you would get from a photo lab.
  • 2240 x 1680 – Found on 4 megapixel cameras — the current standard — this allows even larger printed photos, with good quality for prints up to 16×20 inches.
  • 4064 x 2704 – A top-of-the-line digital camera with 11.1 megapixels takes pictures at this resolution. At this setting, you can create 13.5×9 inch prints with no loss of picture quality.
  • High-end consumer cameras can capture over 12 million pixels. Some professional cameras support over 16 million pixels, or 20 million pixels for large-format cameras.

HD_vs_SD_resolutions

IMAGE SENSOR SIZE

Image sensors come in a variety of sizes with the smallest ones used in point and shoot cameras and the largest in professional SLRs. Consumer SLRs often use sensors having the same size as a frame of APS film. Professional SLR cameras occasionally use sensors the same size as a frame of 35mm film—called full-frame sensors. (Large format cameras use even larger sensors).

LARGER IMAGE SENSORS GENERALLY HAVE LARGER PHOTOSITES THAT CAPTURE MORE LIGHT WITH LESS NOISE. THE RESULT IS PICTURES THAT ARE CLEARER, BRIGHTER, AND SHARPER.

Because the size of photosites is so important, a large 6 Megapixel sensor will often take better pictures than a smaller 8 Megapixel sensor. Not only is noise a problem but smaller sensors also require better, more expensive lenses, especially for wide-angle coverage. Here are some typical sensor sizes:

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http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cameras-photography/digital/digital-camera3.htm

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/FrameWork/charts/resolutionChartPopup.html