Gadget Biz

A lot of friends ask me the same question: how many megapixels do you think I should get when I buy a digital camera? There are no exact answers to this question, but there is a way to determine how many megapixels you should get, based on your needs.

2 megapixels or less are typically found in cheap cameras or cell phones, and it is basically hard for you to get prints from this resolution so it would probably be suitable for screen use (online photo album, etc.). 3 megapixels offers a good mixture between quality and price. You will be able to get crisp 4×6 prints, and a decent 5×7 prints. 3 megapixels cameras are suitable for home use, although it is advisable to get higher resolution if your budget allows you to. A 4 megapixel camera will get you 8×10 prints and lab quality 4×6 prints with no problem at all. If you are thinking about enlarging a lot of your pictures, you should purchase a digital camera with at least 4 megapixels. 5 megapixels are great, and you are getting close to photographer level of quality. You will be able to save some money and still get high quality pictures. And of course, 6 megapixels and up which offer superb photo quality and flexible enlargement options.

Now that you know the theory of it, you can assess your own digital camera usage and choose how many megapixels you need. Oh, don’t forget that higher megapixels means bigger file sizes – you need bigger, more expensive, memory cards as well.