Buying a present of a camera – part 2
I have to start off with a myth that really needs to be addressed – and I’m going to put some links at the bottom of this that you can check out for more information if you so desire. It has been coined as “the megapixel myth.”
All you need to do for the past few years is pick up any ads from Best Buy, Office Depot, Staples, Walmart, Sears and so forth and you’ll discover that what you need more than anything else is a lot of megapixels. It used to be 3.2, then 5, 8, 10, 14! The implication is the more you have, the better the camera.
And it’s not true.
There are a number of factors that enter into making one camera better than another – but that is a bit hard to sell easily. The advertising gurus like simple – after all, everyone knows that the bottle of laundry soap you are buying is better just because it now says Improved!
Megapixels are important. But, what the heck is a megapixel? Well, a pixel is a picture element – it is the small particle of information captured by the camera. So a camera that can capture 12 megapixels is capturing 12 million pieces of information. Pretty impressive. But, what manufactures don’t define is what the megapixel really is.
Honestly, if you received a letter telling you that you had one 12 million in money, you might be excited. However, if you then discovered the 12 million was pesos and not dollars, your excitement might go down.
It’s not just the number, but the quality of the pixel that has to be viewed. Larger sensors actually capture a better pixel – better, more accurate color. And – I hate to say this – the sensors of three years ago don’t do as good of a job as the ones today. But there is another factor that has entered in.
Manufacturers are still pressing for smaller and smaller cameras. A sensor from today that can capture 12 million pixels might actually be smaller than one that captured 6 million five years ago. But that very shrinking in size can hurt the quality of the image. One of the side effects of some of these sensors is cameras have become less sensitive to light.
They don’t work as well in dark conditions as the older cameras did. A couple of relatives we have brought this up as a problem – as their old cameras seemed to do a better job in low light.
IN some cases, the smaller sensors may produce not only more pixels but increase the amount of noise in the final image. Hmmm. Isn’t that what we were trying to leave behind? More noise equals a lower quality image.
It’s true. Megapixels are just not created equal. This is one of the reasons a pro gets a better image at 6 megapixels than a person with a point-n-shoot gets at 12 megapixels. And at a lower light level.
So – where does this leave you? And your search for your brother’s new camera?
Don’t pay attention to the megapixels – pay more attention to the ISO range on the camera (does it go up to at least 800 or a 1000? When you set the camera defaults, what is the ISO?) How big is the sensor – ask to either see the manual or pull up the website of whatever store you are at, this has been listed in the specs for every camera I’ve ever been asked about.
And – keep in mind – get the camera that is appropriate to the person. The more expensive cameras will have more advanced features – but what’s the point of advanced features if your favorite person will never understand them or be able to use them.
One last thing – in the same area – you don’t need the millions of megapixels if you don’t plan to print any larger than a standard print. Or maybe a 5 x 7. Many references exist for this – but generally accepted is a good print as a 5 x 7 needs four megapixels. The rest – as the image is printed the rest of the info is thrown away. Not used.
But, computer manufacturers love these new cameras. You need more memory and faster machines to handle the extra large photos. More business for them!
Wait for the next blog (couple of days!) and we’ll wrap this up. Just in time for Christmas!
Right on!
I loved this blog post. Thank you! I look forward to reading the other parts of your blog.