As stated earlier, you would think that a higher number of megapixels would always produce a better image, but there is one caveat. All of the megapixels must fit on the camera’s sensor. Higher-end SLR (Single Len Reflex) cameras generally have larger sensors than smaller point-and-shoot cameras that fit in your pocket.

Since camera manufacturers still think that consumers buy cameras on the basis of the number of megapixels, they keep adding more and more megapixels to make the cameras appealing. But if the sensor is too small, the pixels must be smaller so that they can fit onto the sensor. Smaller pixels decrease the amount of light collected by each pixel and result in more noise in the image. Noise is the presence of specks of color that don’t belong in the photograph. So high megapixel counts on a small sensor may actually result in a degradation of the quality of the photos, making the image worse instead of better.

Although megapixels are important, it is obvious that other things also contribute to the quality of photographs. The size and quality of the sensor and the quality of the lens makes a big difference. An 8-megapixel camera with a large sensor and a better quality lens will produce better quality photos than an 8-megapixel camera with a small sensor and an inexpensive lens.

So don’t judge the quality of a digital camera only on the number of megapixels. You should also look at the sensor, lens, general hardware quality, the interface, and the controls. When looking for good quality prints, check out the prints yourself and/or read the camera reviews by qualified reviewers.