A walk through history class…
Megapixels, which represents 1 million pixels, are a unit of measurement within an image.
The more pixels that you have, the higher the resolution (or sharpness) your images will have.

To use an analogue of dots – which in essence, an image is made out of – then the more densely the dots are accumulated together, the better your picture quality.

The number of mega pixels will determine the quality of your final photo. The higher the resolution, the higher the quality and image size of your resulting images. and the faster you will fill up your memory card. Higher quality photos also take up more space on your media card.

For starters, low res images are best viewed online, whilst higher resolution images are ideal for printing etc.

If you’re in the market for a digital camera, which I assume you are, or you wouldn’t be here right now glossing over this article, then here are a few tips which should hopefully aid you in choosing the right camera for your money.

2 Megapixels and below
Let’s face it, if you’re hunting for the 2 Megapixel budget camera, you might as well be using your cellphone or ipod with built in camera…ideal for the happy snappers who’ll take the behind of the office assistant when she’s not looking, and then show it to their mates or post it on myspace!

3 Megapixels
A good compromise from the above profile and we’re now beginning to see some decent quality 4×6 and 5×7 images that grandpa would be proud of.

4 Megapixels
You’re on a roll and this is probably your first serious digital camera… will not cause embarrassment when you whip it out at Wimbledon or as a substitute photographer at your son’s or daughter’s high school prom, assuming you were cool enough to be invited.

No compromise on picture quality here and we could push the envelop to develop a good quality 16×20 image here.

6 Megapixels and above
Huzzah!
The big guns of photography, aka the paparazzi! Your Nikon D80 SLR Camera fits in well into this category and chances are you take your digital photography seriously, no doubt there!

With a Digital SLP Camera with over 6 Megapixels, you’re guaranteed great image resolutions that the whole family will adore, whether for personal or commercial use.

Hope this guide has shed some light into the type of camera you should be searching for…

Happy snapping!

Related posts:

1. 7 Advantages of Digital Cameras
2. Discover the Nikon D80 SLR Digital Camera