It's not about the megapixels
If you ever see a cool looking camera with a great photographer and want to know more about the camera - never ask the question "How many megapixels does it have?" It's a common misconception that the higher the number of megapixels the better the camera. In fact, if you had two digital point and shoot cameras side by side, one with 5 megapixels and the other with 10 megapixels, the 10 megapixel camera may be able to produce a larger print but the 5 megapixel one would likely result in higher quality photos with a richer dynamic range.
Why is this you might ask? Well, it helps to have a very basic understanding of the way a digital camera works. Basically light goes through a lens and several filters before it hits a sensor. The sensor consists of millions of little pixels whose job it is to store the light waves that hit them. A sensor may have 5 million pixels, hence a 5 megapixel camera. The sensor's job is to take these light waves and convert it into an analog electrical signal. The analog signal is then run through an analog-to-digital converter where it becomes a pure digital signal. The digital signal is used by the processing unit to form an image.
Common sense says 10 million pixels will be more crammed together than 5 million pixels on the same size sensor. The less space a pixel has, the harder it is for it to cleanly absorb light. Basically, a 10 million pixel sensor will have more interference than the 5 million pixel sensor and the interference will result in a noisier picture with less dynamic range quality.
This brings me to the next question - have you seen those big dslr cameras? Ever notice that an 8 megapixel dslr takes a much higher quality picture than an pocket sized 8 megapixel point and shoot? Why is that - you might ask?
A DSLR has a much bigger sensor! About 12 times the size of a point and shoot camera. Take a look at the picture below to get a visual idea of just how much bigger a dslr sensor is:
[PICTURE LOST]
Since each pixel has more space around it, light can be absorbed with less interference resulting in a cleaner picture with rich dynamic range and colors. In addition, because each pixel has more space one can amplify the pixels' sensitivity to light by increasing the ISO. What this means is that a DSLR allows you to take low light pictures that are sharp - not blurry like point-n-shoots that require you to shoot the same night shot at slower shutter speeds. Of course a large sensor is not all gems and jewels. Put in a big sensor and you need more light to drive it - hence the lens and body of a DSLR is many times bigger than the equivalent zoom lens of a point and shoot. One slips easily in the pocket while the other is as big as a head.
But all this said, you might be thinking that I'm a fan of a DSLR. If you think so - slap yourself in the face cause you are wrong. A Single Lens Reflex may give you a higher image quality - but it requires that you use a camera that has a mirror and produces loud noise, unnecessary vibrations, is restricted to optical viewfinders, and results in complicated retrofocus lens design that is costly. Don't get me wrong, a DSLR is a great camera and has many advantages over non-dslrs - but a noiseless camera with a twist screen suits me better. One thing is for sure however - I gotta have one of those big sensors :)
For the past 2 years I have been waiting and waiting for a camera that provides the elegant design of the small, quiet, electronic viewfinder cameras with the quality and speed of a big sensor DSLR. I'm happy to say that a revolution in digital cameras is brewing as we speak and the first fruits of the revolution will be arriving at my door steps this Friday November 25th. It has it's own little quarks and doesn't fully meet what I envision as my ideal camera - but it's a hell of a lot closer than anything else out there. They call it the Sony R1 and I'll talk more about it in my next post :)
So next time you meet photographers with sexy cameras, you might want to ask them, "So how big is your sensor?" ..on second thought.. :p
Why is this you might ask? Well, it helps to have a very basic understanding of the way a digital camera works. Basically light goes through a lens and several filters before it hits a sensor. The sensor consists of millions of little pixels whose job it is to store the light waves that hit them. A sensor may have 5 million pixels, hence a 5 megapixel camera. The sensor's job is to take these light waves and convert it into an analog electrical signal. The analog signal is then run through an analog-to-digital converter where it becomes a pure digital signal. The digital signal is used by the processing unit to form an image.
Common sense says 10 million pixels will be more crammed together than 5 million pixels on the same size sensor. The less space a pixel has, the harder it is for it to cleanly absorb light. Basically, a 10 million pixel sensor will have more interference than the 5 million pixel sensor and the interference will result in a noisier picture with less dynamic range quality.
This brings me to the next question - have you seen those big dslr cameras? Ever notice that an 8 megapixel dslr takes a much higher quality picture than an pocket sized 8 megapixel point and shoot? Why is that - you might ask?
A DSLR has a much bigger sensor! About 12 times the size of a point and shoot camera. Take a look at the picture below to get a visual idea of just how much bigger a dslr sensor is:
[PICTURE LOST]
Since each pixel has more space around it, light can be absorbed with less interference resulting in a cleaner picture with rich dynamic range and colors. In addition, because each pixel has more space one can amplify the pixels' sensitivity to light by increasing the ISO. What this means is that a DSLR allows you to take low light pictures that are sharp - not blurry like point-n-shoots that require you to shoot the same night shot at slower shutter speeds. Of course a large sensor is not all gems and jewels. Put in a big sensor and you need more light to drive it - hence the lens and body of a DSLR is many times bigger than the equivalent zoom lens of a point and shoot. One slips easily in the pocket while the other is as big as a head.
But all this said, you might be thinking that I'm a fan of a DSLR. If you think so - slap yourself in the face cause you are wrong. A Single Lens Reflex may give you a higher image quality - but it requires that you use a camera that has a mirror and produces loud noise, unnecessary vibrations, is restricted to optical viewfinders, and results in complicated retrofocus lens design that is costly. Don't get me wrong, a DSLR is a great camera and has many advantages over non-dslrs - but a noiseless camera with a twist screen suits me better. One thing is for sure however - I gotta have one of those big sensors :)
For the past 2 years I have been waiting and waiting for a camera that provides the elegant design of the small, quiet, electronic viewfinder cameras with the quality and speed of a big sensor DSLR. I'm happy to say that a revolution in digital cameras is brewing as we speak and the first fruits of the revolution will be arriving at my door steps this Friday November 25th. It has it's own little quarks and doesn't fully meet what I envision as my ideal camera - but it's a hell of a lot closer than anything else out there. They call it the Sony R1 and I'll talk more about it in my next post :)
So next time you meet photographers with sexy cameras, you might want to ask them, "So how big is your sensor?" ..on second thought.. :p
