Digital Cameras

[binfordtools]

When buying a Dig. Camera should we look for Pix. or Sensor Size ?

 

[usayit]

The more pixels a camera is able to capture the more information is available for processing later on. So I think you should concentrate on pixels. The size of the sensor is going to affect the focal length. For example, a sensor that is 1.6x magnification factor is going to turn a 100mm lens into a 160mm lens. There's also a point at which megapixels becomes an over kill and not worth the extra $$$. My Canon D30 shoots at just above 3 megapixels and I've been happy with prints made at 4x6 - 8x10s. Most should be happy 6 megapixels.

Don't forget that megapixels is not everything and does not make the picture. The camera's functionality and quality should be evaluated as a whole. Don't pass up a 6 megapixel camera for an 8 megapixel camera just on specs alone.

Also consider the cost of memory. The larger the image processed the longer it takes for the camera to cycle and write to whatever flash media is being used.

 

[StvShoop]

i thought sensor size also affected noise?
i.e., a small ccd with a large pixel count is noisier, because the individual sensors are too close together?

also, it seems like a common tactic of companies is to take a crappy point-and-shoot camera with few features and cram it with a lot of megapixels. i think they're assuming that customers think that megapixels=quality, but usayit said it well:

Don't forget that megapixels is not everything and does not make the picture. The camera's functionality and quality should be evaluated as a whole.

*shameless plug for the minolta dimage z1*

 

[Big Mike]

A larger sensor should almost always give better quality than a smaller sensor with a comparable pixel count.

The six MP sensors in Canon/Nikon DSLR cameras are considerably superior to the smaller 8 MP sensors in the typical point & shoot digital cameras.

 

[voodoocat]

Yeah, Big Mike has it right. Sensor size is much more important than pixels.
amount pixels != more detail

The smaller the sensor the more noise that will show up when doing longer exposures...