Understanding Digital Camera Resolution
Many cameras allow you to shoot photos with a variety of settings for resolution.
If you know you will just be using your camera to email photos to your family and friends, you can use a lower resolution.
If you plan on printing out your photos, you will need a higher resolution.
This can also help you decide what type of camera you are looking for.
If you know you will be printing a lot then you are going to want to look for a camera with a high resolution, and the bigger the print the higher the resolution you will need.
The resolution you need depends on the size you will be printing.
Aside from the resolution, there are other things to consider when you want to print a high-quality photo.
Proper lighting is very important for any kind of photography; you won't have a good quality photo if it is too dark or too light behind your subject.
The lens quality of the camera is also important along with the steadiness of the camera.
Some cameras offer anti-shake, also known as image stabilization, as a feature that you can turn on and off or as a shooting mode.
Auto-focus on the proper subject is important; you don't want your pictures to come out blurry.
Proper shutter speed for moving or stationary objects is a key element to your photos because some cameras take too long to take the picture, meaning if your subject is moving and your camera doesn't take that picture fast enough you may have just lost a great moment.
Perhaps the most important thing in making sure you take a quality photo is to use clean equipment, your camera will work properly if cleaned and you don't need to worry about seeing smudges on your photo.
The higher the megapixels count on the camera, the better the resolution.
The only drawback to using high resolution is that it takes up a bit of space, but as long as you have bought a memory card rather than using the one that comes with the camera it will be fine.
A camera with 2 megapixels can print out an okay-quality 8x10 picture, but does best for a 3x5 picture.
A 4 megapixel camera can print out a great quality 5x7in photo and a descent 11x14.
A 6 megapixel does a great 8x10 and a descent 16x20.
Of course if you are looking for even bigger pictures, just keep going up with the megapixel count.
Keep in mind, if you aren't going to print any photos, you'll be fine with a lower resolution camera without many megapixels.
Many of us do print at least every now and then; make sure you keep that in mind when purchasing your camera.
Look for the resolution that will fit your needs.