We have all read and heard the ads; this camera has 12.2 mega-pixels, this one has 14.4 mega-pixels, and of course the price of the camera reflects how many pixels are on the sensor. The questions arise, "How many pixels do I really need", and "What is a mega-pixel anyway?"
Simply put, a mega-pixel is one million pixels per inch. A pixel is a single point on an image with a particular color and brightness, and by grouping these points together an image is formed. The size of the pixels in relation to the picture determines how sharp the final image will be and how much the image can be enlarged before quality suffers. Take any image and zoom in enough and eventually the pixels will be visible as blocks of color or shades of grey. The size and amount of pixels in an image also contributes to the size of the file.
Simply put, a mega-pixel is one million pixels per inch. A pixel is a single point on an image with a particular color and brightness, and by grouping these points together an image is formed. The size of the pixels in relation to the picture determines how sharp the final image will be and how much the image can be enlarged before quality suffers. Take any image and zoom in enough and eventually the pixels will be visible as blocks of color or shades of grey. The size and amount of pixels in an image also contributes to the size of the file.