Camera resolution
Unveiling pixels - navigating camera resolution in photography...
What is camera resolution?
The camera resolution is the total amount of pixels captured. It is also called the âNumber of Recorded Pixelsâ by the CIPA DCG-001 (an organization based in Japan that handles photography-based technology).
In the context of cameras, the term resolution will be closely linked to spatial resolution. It describes the size of the image taken by the camera. We define it with the term megapixels (x million pixels) that can be recorded in a single shutter release.
The concept itself is built upon pixel information and megapixel count. Both of these aspects will determine the quality of your images. The higher amount of pixels in a camera, the better the resolution will be.
Camera resolution is one of the foundations of creating a sharp image. At the simplest level, you may think that the more pixels used, the better the image will become.
Pixel size will also influence the camera's ability to handle noise at high ISO. Images that contain small amounts of pixels will look jaggy and square-ish. They will also become less flexible for photographers who want to crop their images for a better composition.
Cameras with higher resolutions are always sought after, and manufacturers race to produce them.
How important is resolution in a camera?
Well, in the world of photography, resolution is everything, but only to a certain point.
Photographers who have their images zoomed in for the many details and are closely observed will surely need a high-resolution image. But sometimes, you can get away with blowing up a 12MP iPhone photo into a 38ft x 21ft image without making it look pixelated.
In reality, high-definition images shot on a 100mp camera arenât for everyone. Even if you shoot a high-resolution image but print it in a small image, you will miss out on its qualities.
Your resolution will determine how sharp your images can be and how far you can zoom in on your image before it becomes pixelated. Having a super high resolution isnât mandatory in photography, but it's always better to have a little more resolution than too little.
What does camera resolution affect?
Camera resolution is well known to be associated with a couple of factors.
Starting from the various print sizes that they can dish out (in high quality), the various cropping options that you are given access to, the ease of up-sizing and down-sizing, display size, and finally, the sharpness.
Let's go through them one by one, shall we?
1. Print size
Print size is one of the most critical factors that come to mind when thinking about resolution.
The larger your resolution, the larger the print size you can achieve. Printing digital images is done by squeezing the PPI in. The size of your potential print can be calculated by dividing your image width and height by the selected PPI.
Although you can use the exact image resolution for larger print sizes, you risk ruining its quality. Lowering your pixel per inch or using specialized third-party tools to up-sample/upscale your image is recommended.
High resolution lets you print larger images that will still look perfect.
2. Cropping options
Higher-resolution images give you more room to crop images. While it is true that most photographers will avoid heavy cropping, some images need a little cropping to re-establish focus on their subjects.
Wildlife and sports photographers opt for heavy cropping to get the viewer closer to the subject. They will also crop to reduce unnecessary details that clutter the subject's surroundings. Since this action reduces the overall resolution, it becomes their main reason to go for cameras with high resolution. It helps them at their job, and it is also convenient.
3. Down sampling
Down-sampling is basically resizing or resampling high-resolution images to reduce needless image clutters and reduce visible focus errors.
The higher your resolution, the better options for your down-sizing or resizing needs. Modern high-resolution cameras don't perform differently from their lower-resolution brothers. Their biggest advantage is the ability to decrease noise, shoot in low ISO, and access larger prints.
4. Display size
High-pixel cameras have seen many improvements in offline and online media.
The increased resolution and space on technologies such as monitors, TVs, phones, billboards, and many others have led to the demand for higher-resolution images.
You can now see that 4K monitors and TVs are becoming increasingly popular these days. Forcing photographers and media to produce high-quality images with astonishing detail.
5. Increase sharpness and picture quality
Cameras with high pixels generally have a high-pixel sensor. This helps them capture more information, making their pictures more flattering. The sensor will process all of the information and create a sharper image.
What is megapixel resolution?
As mentioned earlier, a megapixel is one million pixels. This is often used to categorize how many pixels a camera can capture. The more pixels, the better. To put it into perspective, a camera that can capture 1200 x 1600 pixels will present you with an image of 1.92 million pixels. Such a camera is referred to as a 2 Megapixel camera.
The 1.92 million pixels result from multiplying horizontal and vertical dimensions and will be rounded into two for marketing reasons. Have you ever wondered what 72 PPI means? It's short for pixel per inch. If it's 72, then there are 72 pixels for every inch of screen space.
Therefore, your 720-pixel-wide image will take 10 inches of screen space (72 dpi x 10 inches = 720 pixels). However, if you try to print this 720-pixel image on a 72-dpi printer, youâll likely end up with a weirdly choppy and unrefined image.
Flattering photos are commonly printed at 300ppi; this will make the result significantly smaller. The number of pixels needed to produce a high-quality print depends on the pixel resolution, print size, and camera specifications. Here is a little table to help you when printing.
In this day and age, digital displays wonât require the sharpness that is poured into a physical print of an image. Websites often use small images that barely reach 2 megapixels. With all due respect, yes, they can upload their FULL HD or 4K images onto the website if they wish to.
However, websites prefer images that load fast and donât mind if they arenât extra sharp. Even your TV and monitors' full resolution fits this HD, Full HD, and 4K.
So how many megapixels that each of these categories has?
- HD resolution is 1366 x 768 or the more common 1280 x 720 pixels. Producing a total of around 1 megapixel.
- Full HD is twice the size of HD, holding 1920 x 1080 pixels. Which roughly calculates into 2 megapixels.
- Last but not least, the 4K resolution is becoming increasingly popular. It is quadruple the size of Full HD and has 3840 x 2160 pixels. Round it off, and you get a number close to 8 megapixels.
Itâs rare to see higher resolutions than the upcoming 4K on digital media.
Do more megapixels mean better photo quality?
In a nutshell, yes, it does translate into better photo quality.
However, megapixels arenât the sole factor behind high photo quality. You could say that having a high-pixel camera without knowledge or skills in photography is a waste. Itâs like buying an expensive crayon set without knowing how to use it.
Gear and equipment can only bring you so far. Those who have the knowledge and technical skills will always thrive over those who heavily rely on equipment. In addition to establishing optimal exposure and composing the scene, you will always need your technical skills to produce razor-sharp images.
With high-resolution cameras magnifying your every mistake, viewers (yourself included) will start to notice the shortcomings.
Starting with camera shake because your hands are wobbly, you have poor focusing, motion blur, and many more. I highly recommend you perfect your techniques and take your time practicing them. Evaluate your mistakes, get better supporting gear (remote shutter release, tripods, etc), and know the technical details that make images work.
In summary, camera resolution is the total amount of pixels that you capture. It is affected by both megapixel amount and pixel information. Itâs very important since it basically affects how sharp your photo will become. This applies to the quality of your photos on digital displays or on their printed form.
Camera resolution affects a few things:
- Print Size: Larger-resolution images can be printed in larger frames while still looking perfectly sharp. Lower-resolution images will quickly become blurry when printed on large surfaces
- Cropping options: Photographers will eventually encounter problems with composition or unwanted distractions surrounding the subject. Photographers fix this by cropping them out despite reducing image quality. But they arenât bothered since they capture with high-resolution cameras.
- Down-sampling: Cameras with high resolution allow you to reduce clutter, noise, and focus problems.
- Display size: You can display larger pictures without making it look blurry with high-resolution images.
- More sharpness since there are more pixels.
More megapixels can significantly improve your image as it becomes sharper than before. But, you will still need knowledge and technical skills in photography to use high-megapixel cameras to their full potential.
Camera resolution is very important in determining the quality of your images, but you will also need the skills to correctly use it. I hope that this little knowledge will help you in your future decisions when deciding to print your photos.