Do larger 4MP smartphone pixels offer real benefits over an 8MP sensor?
Asked 4/16/2013
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HTC marketed the HTC One camera as using “UltraPixels,” with a 4MP sensor instead of the 8MP+ sensors common in other smartphones of the time. If the sensor size is similar, does using fewer, larger pixels provide a genuine image-quality advantage, especially in low light? Or could an 8MP camera achieve the same result simply by downsampling to 4MP? I’m also wondering whether this branding mainly hides the loss of higher-resolution capture in good light.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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It's all about tradeoffs. To quote DPReview: "in low light and at higher sensitivities the HTC delivers cleaner images than the higher-resolution iPhone 4s. However, this is as much due to the optical image stabilization and fast F2 lens as the sensor." By stepping down to a (presumably cheaper) 4 MP sensor, HTC has the budget to put in image stabilization and the fast lens. To some extent, it's up to the consumer whether they want the possibility of higher resolution images, or whether they want better image quality at lower resolution.
Originally by user11371. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11371
13y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There is a real tradeoff, but “UltraPixels” is mostly branding for larger pixels on a low-resolution sensor.
Larger pixels can help in low light because they collect more light per pixel, which can improve noise performance. But that doesn’t mean an 8MP camera is equivalent if you just resize its image to 4MP afterward—the sensor, pixel size, lens, and stabilization all affect the result before any downsampling happens.
That said, reviews cited in the community answers suggest the HTC One’s low-light advantage was not just from the sensor. Its optical image stabilization and fast f/2 lens also played a major role. The downside is clear: with only 4MP, you give up detail and flexibility in good light, and some users reported images looking soft or lacking detail on a computer screen.
So yes, there can be a real benefit, but it comes with a real cost. It’s not magic, and it doesn’t fully replace the advantage of having higher resolution when conditions are good.
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