Do more megapixels make images sharper?
Asked 5/4/2020
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2 answers
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If you use the same lens, settings, and scene, will a 24MP camera produce a sharper image than an 18MP camera? I'm wondering whether higher megapixel count automatically means a sharper photo, or whether lens quality, aperture, diffraction, and other factors matter more.
Originally by user91798. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user91798
6y ago
2 Answers
15
Higher megapixels do not add to lens sharpness.
This has been found by many Canon EOS 90D owners. It has 32.5 megapixel APS-C sensor. Its pixel density is the same as 83.2 megapixel full frame camera. For example, Canon has announced a list of recommended lenses for EOS 5DS that is a 50.6 megapixel full frame camera.
Interestingly enough, Canon has not announced a list of recommended lenses for EOS 90D. I think that's because there are none! The APS-C lenses are cheap anyway so none of those can handle the 32.5 megapixel resolution, and the full frame lenses good for 90D would need to handle 83.2 megapixels of resolution to be sharp on 90D in the center of their image circle!
I think you'll find that on an APS-C sized camera, the practical limit of usefulness for megapixels is at somewhere around 20 megapixels, and for full frame cameras, the practical limit of usefulness for megapixels is at somewhere around 50 megapixels.
Originally by user81735. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user81735
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Not automatically. More megapixels increase potential image detail, but they do not by themselves make a lens sharper.
With the same lens and scene, a 24MP sensor can record more detail than an 18MP sensor only if the lens, focus accuracy, aperture, and shooting conditions are good enough to deliver that extra detail. If the lens is already the limiting factor, adding pixels may show little or no visible improvement.
Aperture also matters: diffraction reduces fine detail at smaller apertures, so beyond a point extra megapixels bring diminishing returns. Camera shake and focus errors can also become more noticeable on higher-resolution sensors.
Perceived sharpness is not just resolution. Contrast and processing also affect how sharp an image looks.
So the short answer is: more megapixels can help capture more detail, especially for cropping or large prints, but they do not guarantee a sharper-looking image. Lens quality, aperture, focus, stability, and technique are equally important.
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