How many pixels does your camera really need?

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace, which raises a very interesting question: Will smartphones replace cameras? The answer may depend on the question of pixels. I find that the pixels of my current iPhone far exceed those of the first digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR), which is a simple example of a simple parameter conversion. But as the number of pixels increases, when will it be beyond our scope? In the end, will pixels become just a string of numbers on the display?

1. “Label shock”

As a marketing strategy, labeling a device with a higher pixel count. For example, when Nokia launched a smartphone with 41MP pixels, it attracted the interest of many photographers. Most of us use cameras with only 22MP or 36MP. Currently, there are only a few cameras in the world with more pixels than this phone, such as the Hasselblad H5D-50c with 50MP pixels, and the H5D-200c can take photos up to 200MP using pixel shifting and combining technology. However, this camera costs as much as $36,000, which is no longer among ordinary cameras.

2. Billboard Rules

The original reason for producing higher megapixel DSLRs was simple, to capture high quality photos with more details, more accurate colors, and improved light capture. Using the professional big picture settings, I can see the difference between photos taken with Canons and iPhones. Because professional cameras can capture high quality photos that look like beautiful photos on billboards or magazines.

But when printed on a smaller-than-standard sheet of paper or posted on a social media site, your naked eye can't tell the difference between an 8MP and a 100MP photo. That's my first point: high-megapixel cameras like the ones on Nokia smartphones can't be used to their full potential. People don't buy smartphones that can take billboard-sized photos.

3. Sensor size

Of course, the number of pixels isn't the only factor that affects the quality of your photos. The area being photographed will be recorded on the sensor, and the size of the sensor depends on the size of your device. Smartphones are much smaller than DSLR cameras, which means their sensors are also smaller. Small sensors mean that each pixel is also smaller, resulting in more severe discoloration. On the other hand, the larger pixels on a DSLR can capture more light, so the photo is more accurate.

In fact, the most important factor in any photographic device has nothing to do with pixels, but rather everything to do with the range of the lens and aperture. The aperture of the lens not only controls how much light enters the camera through the iris, but it is also responsible for controlling the depth of field (the range of distances in front of and behind the camera lens or other imager that can produce a sharp image). A small depth of field means only the main subject is sharp, while a large depth of field means the entire image is sharp.

Smartphone lenses do not have these features. Both the lens aperture and focal length have been set by the manufacturer. As a result, smartphone photos often lack depth of field and sometimes have different tones. But this does not mean that smartphones cannot take good photos, but that some luck is required in the process.

To sum up, high pixels cannot add much to your photography experience.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.