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Posts: 3,319 | Thanked: 5,610 times | Joined on Aug 2008 @ Finland
#41
Originally Posted by drizek View Post
Yes, it isn't pixel count, it is pixel density. Most phones have about the same sensor size though, so there isn't much difference in comparing count and density. Yes, it is true that a giant sensor with a ton of megapixels slooks better, but high pixel density does lead to a reduction in many aspects of picture quality. Most important is the addition of noise, but the other major issue is the reduction in dynamic range.
Here's an example (images shamelessly taken from dpreview):



Basic characteristics:
- Same camera manufacturer (Nikon)
- Same sensor size (APS-C)
- Same ISO (1600)
- Same lenses
- Release dates differing by less than a year

And here's the kicker. The LEFT one is a 12 megapixel camera. The RIGHT one is a 6 megapixel camera. That's right. The 12 megapixel one delivers better resolution with clearly LESS noise. Yes, of course that advantage comes with a hefty price tag, but demonstrates quite clearly that you should draw no conclusions just based on paper specs and technological speculations.

Edit: Note that this, of course, does not mean that ALL 12 mpix chips are better than 6 mpix ones.

Last edited by attila77; 2009-08-29 at 18:31.