Probably the most significant feature when choosing a digital camera is the number of megapixels, which determines the quality of your photos. Choose too few for your needs, and your images will suffer. Choose too many, and you might be spending more cash than necessary.
For most people, however, deciding on the elusive perfect number can be tough. Below is a guide to help you choose, including what size prints you can expect to get and basic prices. (The prices, however, can fluctuate wildly based on extra features, and the cost per megapixel is constantly getting lower and lower):
2 megapixels or less This is typically found on smaller, inexpensive cameras or cameras in combination with other devices (such as cellphones or PDAs). It will be hard to make a high-quality print of any size, but these are just fine for e-mailing photos or posting photos for a personal web site. I wouldn't recommend it for family portraits or if you really need a nice-looking print. Expect to pay $100 to $150 for the camera alone, more for a combo unit.
3 megapixels This is actually a good compromise between picture quality and low price for most casual photographers. You can print lovely 4x6 images, decent 5x7s and, depending on the camera, might even knock out a good 6x9 or 8x10. You will pay around $150 to $250.
4 megapixels You're getting nicer. These images make practically photo-lab quality 4x6s, and great 5x7s and 6x9s. You can print a nice 8x10. You'll typically pay about $250 to $350.
5 megapixels Hello, enlargements! This will produce beautiful 8x10s, and even a nice 11x14. Now you are getting closer to professional photographer levels, and the quality shows it. And you'll pay the price, around $350 to $450.
6 megapixels and up Wonderful image quality, but high price tags. You can print large photos, even 11x14 or perhaps more, with satisfying results. There are some high-megapixel cameras coming out with lower price tags than most, but they usually have very few features. Unless megapixels are the only thing you care about (it shouldn't be), don't get a camera that sounds outrageously inexpensive for its megapixel range. In this category, expect to pay $450 and up, up, up.
Yes, I know it would be really cool to get that hot new 6 megapixel camera. If you have unlimited funds, great. If you're like the rest of us working stiffs, you don't want to waste money on extras you don't need. And I can tell you right now, if you're just e-mailing pictures to your buddies, you don't need it.
A couple things to keep in mind. People get nuts about megapixels, but more isn't always better. Higher megapixels means larger image sizes, which in turn means more expensive memory cards and more space devoured on your computer's hard drive.
Andy, I think you need some help. I dont think that useful information about megapixels is considered spam. There are no ads here, just useful information for people wanting to purchase a digital camera. I would appreciate if you didnt post stuff that you cant back up. I am not part of that fortune spam and neither is my company. If you want help finding out the spammer that sends you emails then fine, but please stop making assumptions about people you dont know!
Ashley, I know you have an intense hatred for all things SPAM probably more than I do. But, you are getting off on a tangent, and being more disruptive than you intend to be.
The author of this thread has posted within the guidelines of the forum. He registered as a user and following the rules as suggested. He has the right to post information helpful to some of our readers and he should not be penalized nor harassed for that. His previous posting were treated as SPAM and has taken responsibility for that mistake. If you have a suspicion of someone else posting in your Star Trek forum and believe it to be this person, deal with it in that forum, not here. You cannot prove that this is the same person other than speculation and coincidence, either way, tracking someone from another forum and somehow thinking that they are one and the same is kind of creepy.
You are better than this. Don't turn into the same person you hate. Relax and stay cool.
It's this kind of juvenile nonsense that ruins boards. I stopped bothering with the rest of this site because it was overrun with this kind of behavior, I sure hope it doesn't continue here.
Yeah I'm cool now, I have come to the conclusion it's not the same Spammer, but I'll be keeping on my toes, I don't like Spammers, as for the Spammer on the other forums, it's been dealt with, so far so good there's been no Spam there for a week now.
So I'll be cool with our new member. Sorry Bell if I called you a Spammer, it was uncalled for I apologise.
I accept your apology Summers. I have fixed the problem with my marketing department and was assured that it will not happen again. ONLY quality content and useful information from now on. Thank you!
Grayson, In my experience, most point and shoots with a high megapixel count has an inordinately large amount of noise as well. The high ISO capability or lack thereof is totally useless. Most of our shooters, at least the ones I encounter, are going ga-ga over low light shooting.
What is your take on this matter? Are there specific point and shoot cameras out there that can handle this tricky low light situation sans flash?
I myself am in search of this camera, I use a D2X, D70, and soon a D200, all of which have no stealth capability in concert arenas...you know what I mean?
