In digital photography the film is replaced with a light sensitive electronic device known as an image sensor, made up of millions of photoelectric devices that convert light into an electrical signal. There are two most common types of image sensors used in digital cameras, the Charged Coupled Device, known as CCD and Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor, known as CMOS.
The strength of electrical signal depends upon the intensity of light that exposes the image sensor. These electrical signals are then processed through a series of electronic circuits and eventually stored in some sort of internal or external memory in a standard image file format such as a JPEG. When processed by a computer, you will be able to reproduce an image to be printed on photographic paper.
What is Megapixels?
Digital camera manufacturers emphasize megapixels in their promotional spiels, but how to translate megapixels into real-world measurements when you want to print or view your images? A digital image is made up of tiny dots known as pixels (picture element). Each pixel represents the smallest unit of photograph. The pixels combine and form the entire image. The amount of pixels in a photograph only determines the maximum output size of the resulting image in print. You can use the following guidelines to understand the output size of image corresponding to pixels count.· A two-megapixel camera will produce a good 4x6 inch print. This is also a good resolution for sending photos via email or posting onto a website.
· A three-megapixel camera will produce a good 5x7 inch print and an adequate 8x10 inch print.
· A four-megapixel camera will produce a good 8x10 inch print and decent 10x12 inch print.
How many Megapixels?
If you only viewing the photos on your camera, posting on your website or social media sites or taking a normal-sized print, you don’t really need higher pixel rate to save a handsome amount of cash. A 4 to 6 megapixels camera is enough to use for general photography. Instead of pixel count, look for advance features like image stabilization, optical zooming, auto-focus, face detection, red-eye reduction, file format support and other favorable features. All these features would have a greater impact on your photographs. These features will be explained in a separate article.
