In general, you pay more for a larger sensor. Bigger sensors normally create better images, especially in low light, as do higher-quality lenses this is why DSLRs take such stunning photos. Most cameras let you change the capture resolution to a lower setting, but check to see whether the model you have in mind allows you to do it.Ĭameras with larger sensors and lenses normally take better shots, regardless of the unit's megapixel count. If you only share your shots digitally, couldn't care less about cropping and resizing your shots, and/or want to save a lot of space on your storage card, we recommend lowering the default resolution of your camera's photos to either 5 megapixels or 8 megapixels.
Many digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras today offer 16-megapixel sensors-all the better if you want to creatively crop your images. Images from a 13-megapixel camera look good at 13 by 19 inches and can be pushed to 16 by 24 inches. A 10-megapixel camera can produce acceptable prints of up to 13 by 19 inches, though they may lose some detail. As a rule of thumb, 5 megapixels is enough to make a sharp 8-by-10-inch print and 8 megapixels is enough to make a sharp 11-by-14-inch print. These days, it's hard to find a camera with a resolution of less than 10 megapixels, which is overkill for most shooters.