Do Megapixels matter !?

Latest buzz in smartphone business is certainly the cameras and the Megapixel associated with them.

What is a Megapixel

Megapixel is nothing but a term used for measuring the image sensing capacity of a camera.A single pixel is nothing but a spot on the entire image that contains the electronic information of an image. Enough with regards to the technical part. Lets actually speak numbers.

Competitors certainly lock horns with each other when it to comes to camera. There was a time when cameras were just a part of smartphone arena. But the latest trend shows that cameras have become a USP for the smartphones. It all started with VGAs, then came the 5 MPs. There was a time when Nokia introduced its 41MP model Lumia 1020. The overpricing of the device was a negative factor for the model. Apparently, it was a revelation to introduce a 41MP camera hardware on a mobile device. Since then the rise of android meant that majority of the mobile users switched to smartphones with a decent camera hardware. Honor View 20, which was launched in early part of 2019 paved way for a higher Megapixel camera enabled smartphone. That was the first phone which was launched with 48MP rear camera. Since then the likes of OnePlus, Xioami, Realme and other odds have tried integrating these higher Megapixel cameras with their devices. Xioami, Motorola  and Samsung have started to integrate a 108MP camera in their devices. 

Read More : 108 MP Smartphones

But the question is, where does these Megapixels stand when compared with the DSLRs…

Let’s consider a case study of OnePlus7T’s 48 MP vs Nikon D5200’s 24.1 MP. On paper, with regards to Megapixels, OnePlus7T takes the upper hand. But let’s focus on the granular data. The important factor that determines image clarity is the sensor size. Sensor size plays a pivotal role in determining the amount of light that will be utilized for capturing an image. OnePlus 7T uses a Sony IMX586 sensor. The sensor measures 1.27cm, which is actually one of the larger ones for the smartphone markets. It is capable of capturing images with a better detail level.

Captured using OnePlus 7T

READ MORE :Sony Imx586

Going back to the comparison, Nikon D5200 has a cropped sensor which has 24.1 MP camera. But what makes it a better image capturer is the wider sensor size. 

Cropped vs Full Frame Sensor : Cropped vs Full Frame

Captured with D5200

 

The sensor in D5200 is sized at 3.66cm2, when converted to cm, precisely approximates to 2cm. The increased difference in sensor size allows D5200 to capture a more detailed image.  

In a nutshell, a higher Megapixel camera with a lower sensor size, actually deteriorates the image quality. So, it’s the responsibility of the users to choose their smartphone cameras, based on the sensor size, and not on the Megapixel values. In the race of Megapixels, users should equip themselves with the technical aspects, so that they don’t get dazed by the glaze.