Are 12-Megapixel Compact Cameras the New Normal?
Tue May 22, 2007 9:30AM EDT
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Just how many megapixels does a camera need? It's a hotly debated subject. You'd think that the more megapixels the more bits of information your photo would contain, which means it could have amazing detail even when blown up to large print sizes. But many experts talk about the megapixel myth. They feel that when you pack megapixels closely you're often bound to get a worse looking image. That's because there are more noisy artifacts in the image, and the more megapixels, the greater the need for a faster lens. You reach a point of diminishing returns.
But the debates don't stop progress from marching on. Today two digital camera manufacturers, Casio and Panasonic, broke the next megapixel barrier with the introduction of their 12-megapixel cameras in compact sizes. Previously, 12 megapixels and higher were left to the realm of digital SLRs like Canon Eos or the Nikon D.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100 is the larger of the two and boasts a 12.2-megapixel resolution with a nice wide 28mm Leica lens. On paper the camera has dream specifications, including image stabilization, a powerful flash, and a large LCD preview area. Equally impressive is its ability to record video in high definition for viewing on your high definition 16:9 TV. Panasonic also has an interesting way of doing a super zoom lens in which the camera actually trims away pixels from the edge of the image sensor to concentrate on the center. Panasonic says it will be available in July of this year, but has not announced a price yet.
Casio announced its 12.1-megapixel Exilim Zoom EX-Z1200. The Exilim design is even smaller than the Panasonic's and its overall specifications are just a hair short of being equal with the Panasonic's. The Exilim also has a comparably large LCD and image stabilization technology. It supports high definition video, but at a lower 848 X 480 resolution. The Exilim will also be available in July, for $399.
When we get our hands on the cameras for review, and can evaluate ithe mage quality we'll be in a better position to judge how important it is to break the 12-megapixel barrier.
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2 Posted by nkchhabra2004 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:39PM EDT Report Abuse
how about infinite pixels...duh! that would be a film camera. why not buy an old fashioned film camera.
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3 Posted by kane2man on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse
hey...i still use film camera and haven't own one digital. you could all compare how many MP your camera has, waste money on new model to have more MP, and still the picture comes out the same way. Sometime, it's best not to change.
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4 Posted by sobersmith260 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:31PM EDT Report Abuse
I'm with NK. The shots I used to get with film are still the ones on my wall. Trying to get everything right on my digital and do the shot still hasn't clicked. Ah,tech. what can you say.
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5 Posted by arock75 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse
I still use a film SLR but I do use digital point and shoot at times and enjoy both but still have an irrational preference for film. More megapixels probably is a good thing but there are two factors that I think are more important in getting the best photos. First, the quality of the lens (film or digital) and not so much the camera. Second, and most important is technique. Too often people rely on their equipment or digital image manipulation without giving any thought to their photographic technique. Understanding the basic principles of photography, understanding and using light and knowing how to get the most out of your equipment will always lead to the best results regardless of megapixels or anything else.
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1 Posted by apelilaphoto on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:56PM EDT Report Abuse
I am a photographer, but I also have the pleasure of working in a camera shop where I can share my passion with anyone willing to listen. 12MP IS a huge deal depending on the amount of optical zoom the camera has: If you have a 7MP camera witha 5x optical zoom and compare the same photo to a 12MP camera with a 3x optical zoom (which you would have to use digital zoom to get) you're going to end up with roughly the same "quality" of photo. It's a stagering statistic but for every one x digital zoom you use, you're loosing about a MP in resolution. So for the customer that doesn't want the bulk of a 12x or 18x optical zoom in their camera or even 5x for that matter, a 12MP camera that will fit in their shirt pocket or cluch BUT still allow them to zoom in to get the memories they're trying to capture is HUGE.