Sally Smith Clemens, a product manager for Olympus Imaging America, added that reputable camera makers are careful to improve image processing to ensure that the overall picture is good even if noise levels increase in a sensor. the PowerShot SD550 at 7.1 megapixels because both cameras have the same lens and sensor dimensions," he said. "For example, it's fair to compare the PowerShot SD900 Digital Elph at 10 megapixels vs. That holds true even while holding other factors constant, he added. "When all else is equal, our 10-megapixel models tend to produce better detail than lower-resolution models at print sizes of 8x10 (inches) and larger," said Chuck Westfall, director of media and customer relationships at Canon. "One in a million shots would benefit from more than 6 megapixels, while every indoor shot would benefit from less noise."Ĭanon, which market analyst firm iSuppli estimates sold 20 percent of the 96.4 million cameras shipped in 2006, sharply denies there has been any degradation of image quality with its PowerShot point-and-shoot cameras. "The trouble is megapixels stopped mattering once we passed 6 of them," MacAskill said. Every consumer believes more is better," said Chris MacAskill, chief executive of SmugMug, a Web site that hosts photos and lets users print them. "The word 'megapixel' is a marketer's dream.
Mega pixels means Pc#
It's the same thing that happened with PC processor megahertz and flat-panel TV dimensions. Some of the blame can be laid at the feet of consumers, who fixate on megapixels as a measure of quality. But even if they're correct, they have a growing perception problem among influential camera experts and enthusiasts. Point-and-shoot cameras, with their small sensors, are the chief culprits.Ĭamera makers disagree, saying consumers have an appetite for higher-resolution images-for making larger prints or cropping to focus on specific details-and that image quality has indeed improved overall. The basic concern is that smaller pixels on camera sensors means less sensitivity to light, leading to image noise such as off-color speckles or rough edges, worse performance in dim conditions, and the loss of finer tonal gradations such as the subtle shadows of a white wedding dress. "There have been some improvements in semiconductor process technology for sensors, so it's mitigated the problem a bit, but there overall has been an increase in image noise." "There is definitely a decrease in image quality," said Dave Etchells, editor of a camera reviews Web site, the Imaging Resource, which performs extensive camera tests. Image quality isn't improving, they say, and some fear it may actually be degrading as the megapixel race escalates. Digital camera makers continue to squeeze ever more megapixels into their products.