What Are Megapixels?
When looking for a new phone or taking photos on your current handset, you might have seen ‘megapixels’ being mentioned. Our experts are here to take you through what exactly megapixels are, why they’re important to smartphone photography, and how many are needed to achieve stunning shots.
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Megapixels explained
Megapixels refers to the number of pixels that make up an image when taking a photo; determined by multiplying the pixel count along the width of the image by the height. The general rule of thumb is this: the higher the MP number, the more detail that can be captured by the camera.
It’s worth noting that a significant amount of pixels doesn’t always correlate with detailed images; other factors are also in play such as the lens, size of the sensor, and how big the image is when viewing it. As such, you shouldn’t just pay attention to the MP number when looking for a quality smartphone camera.
Why is the image sensor important?
The sensor is where pixels are stored, and the larger the sensor, the greater number of pixels that can be contained within. This is important because pixels gather light photons, and larger image sensors are packed with bigger pixels that can gather more photons. Image clarity is dictated massively by how much light has been collected, therefore the size of the sensor is vitally important in the photography world.
With this in mind, a phone with a large sensor could theoretically capture a higher-quality image than one with a higher MP count but smaller sensor. However, this doesn’t mean the megapixel number should be dismissed outright; it’s important to find a balance between the two, or go for the highest of both if you have cash to spend.
How many megapixels do I need?
Many modern smartphones are packed with powerful sensors and AI features that boost image quality; even mid-range and budget handsets are capable of taking excellent photos. However, when it comes to megapixels, it helps to know how many you might need, especially if you use your phone a lot for photography.
What’s suitable for you will ultimately depend on the type of photography you plan to do:
- Amateur photography/general use – if you use your phone to take the odd photo and aren’t overly concerned with extreme detail, 7-15MP should be enough
- Moderate camera use – those who take photos more frequently and want to post detailed photos on social media should aim for 20-30MP
- Professional camera use – phones with 40MPs or more are ideal for professional photographers or those wanting to capture higher levels of detail, particularly when cropping photos (lower MP images will look bad when cropped)
Why are megapixels important when cropping photos?
Any time an image is cropped, the resolution will be reduced. Higher megapixel counts therefore come in handy in the editing stage, helping to preserve as much detail as possible when cropping. If you like to edit photos in this way, a larger amount of megapixels should be a key consideration.
Can you have too many megapixels?
Higher MP counts are great for maintaining detail in photos, but this comes at the cost of increased image sizes. If you’re taking a lot of photos on a phone with 30MPs or more, you might find yourself quickly running out of storage space.
Conclusion
The number of megapixels won’t be essential for every smartphone owner out there, but for those interested in photography, having a knowledge of their role is useful to possess.
