PIXELS AREN’T EVERYTHING

Don’t get hung up on numbers – there are many other things that contribute to great images

The rough rule of thumb used to be: the higher number of pixels, the more detailed the images – therefore pixel count was everything. But other factors, such as the size of the sensor in the camera – whether that be full-frame, APS-C, Four Thirds or one-inch – and the degree of image processing undertaken, also have a key role to play.

The output from a 20MP camera is therefore not automatically better than that of a 16MP model, particularly if the physical size of the sensor in each is the same, as more pixels crammed onto the same-sized chip can merely result in more visible grain when taking images in tricky conditions such as low light.