Megapixel USA - Photography Terms & Glossary

Glossary Of Photography Terms [1]

Megapixel A megapixel is a unit of measurement used to quantify the resolution of digital images, representing one million pixels. It is commonly used to describe the resolution capability of digital cameras, camera sensors, and digital displays. The number of megapixels in an image indicates the total number of individual pixels that compose the image, with higher megapixel counts corresponding to higher image resolutions and potential for finer detail and larger print sizes.
For example, an image captured by a camera with a resolution of 12 megapixels contains approximately 12 million pixels, while an image captured by a camera with a resolution of 24 megapixels contains approximately 24 million pixels. The megapixel count alone does not determine image quality, as factors such as sensor size, pixel size, lens quality, and image processing also play significant roles. However, higher megapixel counts generally allow for greater flexibility in cropping, printing large-format images, and capturing finer details, particularly in situations where high-resolution output is desired.