Megapixel defined literally is 1 million pixels. It is a term used to describe not only the number of pixels in an image but also to express the number of image sensor elements.
You can quickly find out what megapixel means by doing some quick math.
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Multiply the maximum pixel with by height, then divide by 1 million.
Example: A 1600×1200 image. Multiply 1600 x 1200 and you get 1,920,000. Divide by 1 million and the result is 1.92. Round to the nearest whole number and the result is 2. This is a 2-megapixel digital camera.
Another example: A 3072×2304 image.
3072 x 2304 = 7,077,888
7,077,888 / 1,000,000 = 7.077888
7.077888 rounded to nearest whole number is 7.
The above would indicate a 7-megapixel digital camera.
Note: You may see tenths in some megalpixel ratings. For example, technically speaking 7,077,888 would round to 7.1 megapixels.
Generally speaking, the more megapixels you have, the better. However bear in mind that megapixels should not be the sole deciding factor when shopping for a digital camera.
IMPORTANT NOTE: On most descriptions for digital cameras, the numbers used for megapixel calculation is defined as resolution. This is where you get the width-x-height numbers to do your own personal calculations if desired.
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