Three weeks ago, Hasselblad unveiled a new
mirrorless medium-format camera called the
X1D. Given the price (nearly $9,000—for the body
alone)‚ it's not a purchase the average consumer
will likely make, but truth be told, it was not the
high cost that caught my eye, but rather the
X1D's 50-megapixel sensor.
Over the years, camera manufacturers, and more
recently smartphone makers, have been known to
make a fuss over megapixel counts, which are
used to measure resolution, slyly implying that
they result in awesome pictures.
Those of us familiar with how the technology
actually works like to call it the megapixel myth :
Because high resolution doesn't necessarily
equal high-quality images. In fact, megapixels
are but one part of the performance equation.
What are the other factors? For starters, consider
the camera's most conspicuous feature: With an
exceptional lens, you can capture sharp details
and contrasting shades of color, while avoiding
the distortion issues that degrade photo quality.
A well-constructed lens will prevent vignetting,
for example, which leaves you with dark, cloudy
images in the corners of your photos.
The camera's image sensor is another crucial
factor. The larger its size, the bigger each
individual receptor can be. And that often results
in better performance in low-light conditions.
For further proof of the megapixel myth, here are
four cameras that excelled in our labs despite
offering 24 megapixels or less.
Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II, $650: This
advanced point-and-shoot—one of the highest
scoring cameras in our Ratings (SLR and
mirrorless models included)—takes excellent
quality photos and excellent quality video. And
yet, it has just 13 megapixels.
Nikon D7200, $1,400: There's lots to love about
this powerful SLR, which scored only a few
points below the Canon point-and-shoot in our
Ratings with less than twice the megapixels (24
to be exact). Between its simple auto settings
and its highly specialized modes, it gives you
lots of control without overcomplicating things. It
delivers very good photos and excellent video.
And it comes with two memory cards, two
memory slots, and built-in Wi-Fi, complete with
Near Field Communication for easy pairing with
your smartphone.
Nikon D750, $2,300: Powerful and, yes, pricey,
this 24-megapixel SLR features what’s known as
a full-frame sensor. That means it's the same
size as a frame of 35mm film, thus granting you
image quality comparable to the esteemed 35mm
film cameras of the past. In our tests, it produced
excellent quality flash photos and ably handled a
wide variety of lighting situations. It has built-in
Wi-Fi, an excellent (and spacious) liquid crystal
display, and fires off 6.5 frames per second in
burst mode.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4, $2,200 : This 16-
megapixel model can capture Ultra HD video at
30 frames per second and fire off 12 photo
frames per second in burst mode. It has an
excellent quality swiveling touch-screen LCD,
excellent controls, and an excellent electronic
viewfinder. It’s also one of the few models to
capture excellent quality video in our tests.
(Notice a trend?) It comes with built-in Wi-Fi and
Near Field Communication.
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