A debate in the world of digital photography that has been around for a while now is the question of whether more megapixels really make a difference or not.

Before answering that, let’s define megapixels first.

A megapixel is 1 million pixels, and no it is not in reference to the number of pixels in an image, but rather the number of image sensor elements.

The simple math: Multiply pixel width by height and you’ve got the megapixel rating.

Example: 3000×2000 = 6,000,000. 6 million pixels = 6 megapixels.

One assumes that the more megapixels you have, the more crisp and clear your photography will be.

Is this true?

The answer is no for the following reason:

Point-and-shoot digital cameras have inferior lenses compared to full-bodied cameras. And as any photographer will tell you, it’s all about the lenses (in reference to quality and choice). So even if you have a point-and-shoot that has 8MP or more, it’s still got a built-in lens you can’t change.

Does this mean a full-bodied digital camera with 6MP takes better shots than a 10MP point-and-shoot?

YES.

For example, if you have a full-bodied Nikon digital camera with a high-quality Nikon 35mm NIKKOR lens attached, you will get better quality photos.

You can have all the megapixels in the world in a point-and-shoot but the blunt honest truth is that it’s still a point-and-shoot, and cannot go beyond what’s built-in.

If the intent is to take digital photos for print use later, the full-bodied with good lens(es) is the only way to go.

The only time more megapixels serves to your benefit is when you’re upgrading from a previous full-bodied digital cam to a better one.