As most people are starting to become more tech enlightened these days, you hear them make use of the words “megapixels” to try to rate different camera abilities on different smartphones. Smartphone makers encourage this too by touting the amount of megapixels present in their camera sensors and turning a blind eye to other camera specifications. This might lead one to believe (more often than not) that megapixel counts are the “alpha and omega” when it comes to rating camera abilities. These days however, there is another school of thought that believes that camera prowess and ability should be evaluated by the size of the sensor as well as that of the pixels too.

For those who may not know, a pixel is a light collecting bucket on a camera sensor. A megapixel simply means that there are a million pixels on the sensor. A camera with 12 megapixels (12MP) has 12 million pixels arranged on the camera sensor to help catch light (I have explained the process in detail here https://inquisitiveuniverse./2020/07/09/lets-talk-cameras-part-2/).

A camera sensor is a photographic plate at the rear end of the camera. It holds the pixels that are used to catch light as well as the electronic circuitry to convert the light into electric signals and send them to the phone’s Image Signal Processor (ISP) for post processing (a more detailed explanation can be found here https://inquisitiveuniverse./2020/07/09/lets-talk-cameras-part-2/). The pixels that catch light also come in different sizes measured in micrometers (µm). The bigger the pixel size, the more light it can catch.


THE MEGAPIXEL ARGUMENT

The number of megapixels used in a camera is very important as a high number of megapixels boosts the resolution of an image and retains a lot of details from the scene, especially when zoomed in. It also provides a very quick and easy way to rate cameras and this is very true when you look at 1MP cameras against 5MP cameras or 8MP cameras against 12MP cameras. As soon as you go over 12MP cameras and start heading towards 48MP and 64MP, things start to get a little mixed up as pixel binning gets thrown into the mix.

THE PIXEL/SENSOR SIZE ARGUMENT

The sizes of the pixels and sensor used in building in a camera is rarely talked about. In fact, a lot of people barely even know that they exist but they are very vital to determine camera performance. The size of the sensor used affects the type (size) of pixels to be used as well as how many pixels that a manufacturer can pack into the sensor. A big sensor means that they can pack bigger pixels into the sensor. Even if they choose not to use bigger pixels, they can pack a lot more smaller pixels into the much bigger sensor. Small pixels (0.8µm) do okay in bright daylight but perform horribly at lowlight conditions. Bigger pixels work excellently in daylight and they do very well in the dark as they can collect a lot more light and render a better image than small pixels.

THE HEAD TO HEAD

Megapixels counts are only good for image resolution and for packing a lot of details. The size of the sensor on which they are packed on is much more important. A camera with a high megapixel count (48MP) made up of small 0.8µm pixels can be totally destroyed by a 12MP camera with 1.4µm (or even 2.4µm) sized pixels.


Today, there are so many companies touting cameras with a high number of megapixels all over the place, so it is important to note that all 48MP cameras are not equal. Some 48MP cameras with very small sensors and even smaller pixels would give you terrible shots, while some 12MP cameras will give you flagship grade performance. Both Apple and Google use 12MP cameras and their cameras give out better shots than most 48Mp cameras in the market today.

WHAT MAKES UP A GOOD CAMERA?

Well a good camera should have good hardware (well sized image sensor and pixels as well as a good megapixel count). It should also have a good software to process those photos. Software in photography has started to take a more pivotal role these days.
If a company fails to post their hardware specs or release them to reviewers beyond the usual megapixel count, then they are practising false advertising and you probably should not buy from them.



Image 1

The sensor on the left has 12 boxes, each box representing a thousand pixels so it is a 12MP camera. The one on the right has 48 boxes representing 48MP. The 12MP camera on the left has the bigger pixels and sensor and will take better photos both day and night, completely outperforming the smaller 48MP. The smaller 48MP sensor would combine 4pixels (or boxes) together so as to get a wider surface area and boost performance but, that would effectively reduce it’s resolution back down to 12MP.

https://inquisitiveuniverse./2020/07/19/megapixel-count-vs-pixel-and-sensor-size/

infinix and tecno blind bats will never agree

@Effulgent

Stew don ready.

Make i book space first
Coming back later to read

Atiku:
infinix and tecno blind bats will never agree

I no dey house oh

Transsion marketers will not like this, op you are doing well.

Karex81:
Transsion marketers will not like this, op you are doing well.

I'm always here to serve boss

I no even understand anything, just gimme umidigi make I de go

Put this on a billboard. Phone users need to know that it's not always about big numbers. Bigger isn't always better. It's more about the quality of these components. Wonder why apple typically keeps their ram capacities unknown? Because you'll not be impressed when you hear it's 1 or 2gb but trust me, it works better than most 4gb in many Android phones.

I can even see an add on this same page, 96 megapixel camera from Transsions... I know its probably thrash.

Transsions be like "Spark 5, 5 cameras, more angles". Let's make an analogy, if you're celebrating a birthday and you call a photographer, will he bring 5 cameras? (and more angles ). But you're sure of the quality you'll get from his single camera. Let's take this same energy to our mobile phones. Megapixel counts and no of cameras matter, but the quality matters most. Good one op

IamDavid:
Put this on a billboard. Phone users need to know that it's not always about big numbers. Bigger isn't always better. It's more about the quality of these components. Wonder why apple typically keeps their ram capacities unknown? Because you'll not be impressed when you hear it's 1 or 2gb but trust me, it works better than most 4gb in many Android phones.

I can even see an add on this same page, 96 megapixel camera from Transsions... I know its probably thrash.

Big numbers are good for marketing tho

atheistandproud:
@Effulgent
Stew don ready.

let use my hand to lick it before e Cold
thanks for keeping me updated

atheistandproud:


Big numbers are good for marketing tho

Very true cos it will decieve many, but some of us have tough minds. When I see an add "108 MP camera" on a 70k phone I'll be like it's probably thrash, they've spent most of the money on megapixel count.

Even Xiaomi that is selling phone with 45 megapixel is also guilty of this. Even a 12 megapixel iphone camera can beat it. Chinese criminals.

SUPERPACK:
Even Xiaomi that is selling phone with 45 megapixel is also guilty of this. Even a 12 megapixel iphone camera can beat it. Chinese criminals.

Actually blame Sony and Samsung.

They're the ones who made pixel binning popular.

The rest people just buy from them and put in their phones.

And yes, Xiaomi is guilty of it too as is Samsung.

Thank u

Adasun:
Thank u

You're welcome

I wonder why this is not on front page. If na "my girlfriend leave me i need help " e go enter front page. Mtweeeee


64 MP lwkmd i no call anybody name ooooo

Nice one .

@athiestandproud can u help me break down elephone e10 and umidigo a7 pro camera

Cos elephone get 48mp and umidigi carry 16mp



Waiting for your reply

atheistandproud:

Actually blame Sony and Samsung.
They're the ones who made pixel binning popular.
The rest people just buy from them and put in their phones.
And yes, Xiaomi is guilty of it too as is Samsung.

see as you finish that guy . Even iPhone buys camera sensors from sony

Karex81:

see as you finish that guy . Even iPhone buys camera sensors from sony

I taya oh

So this means 48MP lens - irrespective of the user not activating the 48MP mode - pixel size will remain the same... Wow.

KrazyDave16:
So this means 48MP lens - irrespective of the user not activating the 48MP mode - pixel size will remain the same... Wow.

I don't really get what you mean...

But most 48mp are binned in a 2 by 2 (quad Bayer system). These sensors use a small 0.8µm pixels.

Even though it outputs a 12mp resolution photo. There's still 48 million pixels on the sensor. It doesn't change.

atheistandproud:


I don't really get what you mean...

But most 48mp are binned in a 2 by 2 (quad Bayer system). These sensors use a small 0.8µm pixels.

Even though it outputs a 12mp resolution photo. There's still 48 million pixels on the sensor. It doesn't change.

It was about the 0.8 pixel value changing if the 48mp mode is not in use. You just confirmed it doesn't.

KrazyDave16:

It was about the 0.8 pixel value changing if the 48mp mode is not in use. You just confirmed it doesn't.

Physically, it doesn't change.

Remains the same

Atiku:
infinix and tecno blind bats will never agree

Please don't leave me

Atiku:
infinix and tecno blind bats will never agree

Please don't leave me are you serious

frubben:
I wonder why this is not on front page. If na "my girlfriend leave me i need help " e go enter front page. Mtweeeee


64 MP lwkmd i no call anybody name ooooo

Nice one .

@athiestandproud can u help me break down elephone e10 and umidigo a7 pro camera

Cos elephone get 48mp and umidigi carry 16mp



Waiting for your reply

If you no wan call any names, me i must call names oo


E start with CAM**


E end with PREMIER

skywalker240:
If you no wan call any names, me i must call names oo

E start with CAM**

E end with PREMIER

MAY GOD FORGIVE U OO.

opera1:


MAY GOD FORGIVE U OO.

May Nigerians forgive Tecno too.

skywalker240:

If you no wan call any names, me i must call names oo


E start with CAM**


E end with PREMIER

if i say C you say A another man day M omo na u sabi

Nice one. Funny thing was I was having this argument with my friend today. I also had to enlighten him on how Airtel can use one code to make recharge and buy data from any bank in Nigeria. Madt o! *444# is the code.

frubben:
if i say C you say A another man day M omo na u sabi

If I say CAM, you say MON, another man say prem omo na you Sabi.

frubben:
I wonder why this is not on front page. If na "my girlfriend leave me i need help " e go enter front page. Mtweeeee


64 MP lwkmd i no call anybody name ooooo

Nice one .

@athiestandproud can u help me break down elephone e10 and umidigo a7 pro camera

Cos elephone get 48mp and umidigi carry 16mp



Waiting for your reply

I'll look it up boss.

Elephone E10 Vs Umidigi A7 Pro