4 ms·
Although I can't find the article anymore (I'm almost certain that it was posted here) I remember reading that, as far as small handheld cameras are concerned,
by spyrosk 18y ago
Although I can't find the article anymore (I'm almost certain that it was posted here) I remember reading that, as far as small handheld cameras are concerned, there appears to be a limit to the number of megapixels they can have without suffering from "digital noise". It appears to be around 6 MP. Above that "ideal" area noise reducing algorithms have to be employed to keep the quality relatively stable.
This phenomenon is caused due to the small area of the lens (sorry if this term is not correct for digital cameras) and the electronic properties of the light sensitive board.
The above applies only to small handheld cameras, larger/more expensive models, ie DSLR's, do not suffer from this.
- gaius 18y agoThe real measure of resolution is not megapixels but line-pairs/millimetre, and no matter how good your sensor is, a good quality lens can deliver about 90 lp/mm and you won't get that in practice without a good tripod. On a 36mm sensor that translates to about 6MP. That's why Foveon can deliver such great images even tho' their sensor is "only" 3MP - they are getting the most out of what the lens delivers. Shooting handheld, at 3MP you've got all the resolution you're going to get, the thing that matters more now is contrast, colour fidelity and saturation, sharpness.