Megapixels

JohnS. · Dec 30, 2010

Yeah... We all know about the whole megapixel battle. I know all of you know at least 1 person who always tells people, "Buy camera's with the most megapixels. It means it takes the best pictures!". Unfortunately, due to a lot of marketing, I don't think people who actually know the facts behind megapixels will ever be able to stop this battle.

I was at my cousins house for Thanksgiving. I had just settled in, taken my coat off, so I go to pull out my D40 and my uncle points at my camera and my camera bag and asks, "how much did you spend?". I ask, "for everything total"? He nods, so I replied, "About 8 or 900 including the bag". He looks at me and says, "how many megapixels?" and I replied with, "6.1". Very confidently, he says, "Yeah, that's why. If you buy a camera like that with over 10 megapixels, it's going to cost at least $5000 minimum". My cousin that was standing next to him (who doesn't know much anything photography or camera's in general) VERY surprisingly yells, "What?!?!" and my uncle goes, "yeah!". I wanted to burst out laughing but I know it would've been rude. I wanted to pull up the Nikon website on my iTouch and point out that even the top of line DSLR's brand new at RETAIL price weren't more than a couple hundred bucks over 5 grand (with the exception of the D3X).

How many of you guys battle with this with someone you know? I think it's really sad that some people buy into this hardcore. I don't consider myself to know a ton about camera's but I know enough to know that megapixels isn't everything.

NateS · Dec 30, 2010

I did when I started, but most people I know have seen my photos and know the quality regardless. If I answered with 6mp (I'm not asked though) they would probably respond with, you got that picture from a 6mp camera? I honestly wish I shot with a 6mp camera to offset all of the..."wow, you must have a really nice camera" after viewing my photos....that one I get too much and I just learn to brush it off.

Josh66 · Dec 30, 2010

Most people just see a 'big camera' and can't tell the difference between a gripped Rebel and a 1Ds MkIII.

Hell, I shoot 35mm most of the time, and people can't even tell the difference between that and a digital body. People are constantly asking to see the pictures I just took, or how many MP it is...

I mean, I'm actually taking pictures, right next to them... You can hear the film advance... 35mm bodies sound different than digital bodies... And they still ask to see the pictures.

And these are people that grew up in the film era. Younger people that missed the whole film thing catch on quicker. Usually I don't even have to tell them - they notice that there's no LCD on the back of the camera, and there's this weird looking door thing, lol.

flea77 · Dec 30, 2010

Josh,

Carry around a strip of film that was not developed, hand that to them next time they ask :lmao:

Allan

Robin Usagani · Dec 30, 2010

The thing is if you buy a point and shoot camera, it has a built in digital zoom. So having higher megapixel will certainly help.

Drake · Dec 30, 2010

Well, I used to explain the megapixel thing every single time I was in such a situation. I don't know if it is so unbelievable, or it's just me not being convincing enough, but they never seemed to get it. Probably they knew I was just making an excuse after buying a flashy camera that was obviously worse than theirs. :lol:

Now when someone tells me P&S is equal or better because of the megapixels, I just admit they're right. I am tired of getting into details, which probably makes me sound like some kind of a techno geek by the way. And if they still go on, I'll just say something like 'it's not the sensor, but the amount of glass in front of it what matters'.

j-dogg · Dec 30, 2010

Who the hell needs megapixels when you can get a real camera. :thumbup:

I love taking a picture with this thing and then everyone coming over to look at the back of it. :lmao:

RyanLilly · Jan 1, 2011

6.1MP? You gave them the wrong answer! The correct answer is 1 million, Or some other BS number. Either they will believe you and leave very impressed, or they will leave because your being a dick, either way they leave; you win.

I do the same thing at work all the time. Example: at a concert, standing at my Lighting Console, someone walks up and says "hey man it sound great, your doing a killer job"(people cant tell the difference between lighting and audio consoles either) I reply, "thanks, I working hard at it." and of coarse random guy asks "so, How many watts are you running." oh, and then I have several answers to choose from,
A: "about a half million"
B: "I don't know, and you already told me it sounded great, so what does it matter."
C: I tell him the truth, "about 120,000 watts...for the lighting."

DecadentDashes · Jan 1, 2011

I had a somewhat similar incident over Christmas, but with photography in general. I had a cousin who is a self-proclaimed photographer explain to me in excruciatingly misinformed detail all about DSLRs and how she wanted to upgrade her Coolpix to one so she can change the "avotore" to shoot better photos. The whole time I had to keep myself from laughing which was quite difficult since she was being so serious about all of it.

wasmeister · Jan 1, 2011

Megapixels usually impress noobs. I just love to talk with people boosting how their new cell phone has a turbocharged tiny cameras with XX mp. It makes them sooo proud and confident :lol:

The most important part of a camera is the optics, always was and always will be. Megapixels do improve the overall quality, but they're useless with a rotten lens. Talking of lenses, I can still remember the good old times when "digital zoom" was one of the hot features... hahahaha.

Josh66 · Jan 1, 2011

flea77 said:
Josh,

Carry around a strip of film that was not developed, hand that to them next time they ask :lmao:

Allan

I bulk load my film - maybe I'll just cut off a strip a few inches long and tape that to the back of the camera. :lol:

FemFugler · Jan 2, 2011

I had to explain this to my dad when i got my dslr and he pointed out that his P&S had 12mp while my dslr only has 10mp so according to him his must be better for half the price.

skieur · Jan 3, 2011

Although megapixels is not the total picture so to speak, it does make a difference if you are comparing apples to apples, rather than apples to oranges.

A newer point and shoot with 12megapixels will most likely produce better quality photos than an older point and shoot with 6 megapixels. You will see the difference in enlargements or side by side on a computer. More editing can be done on a 12 megapixel image than a 6 megapixel image before pixellation or noise occurs, too.

The same holds true for DSLRs. A lot more editing can be done on a 15 megapixel image, than on an 8 megapixel image and you can easily see the difference in sharpness and detail, especially if you are shooting something with a little texture in it. Even between a 12 and 14 megapixel photo it is possible to see the difference.

So, although megapixels may not be the only factor in comparing cameras, it is an important one for many shooters that are after detail and texture, as well as doing enlargements or editing.

I would note that of those that deride megapixels, I am sure that none of them are pros using an older 6 megapixel Canon Rebel.

skieur

IgsEMT · Jan 3, 2011

& this is why I miss film. Unfortunately though, in the last 6 or so years that I was w/ digital, I only got ONE request for shooting film and since I my beloved bronica w/ its bells and whistles I couldn't book the job.