Pixel Envy? I Say Enlargement Envy !

Newsweek ran a tech story this week by Jennifer Tanaka entitled Pixel Envy, regarding pixel count and consumer digital cameras. As a digital imaging industry analyst, I think it?s wonderful that consumer digital cameras are getting this much attention in mainstream media, having personally participated in the birth of this industry and seeing it come so far, so fast. I am also concerned that the general public can be misled by reporting that misrepresents the whole story to consumers. In-fact, It?s down right dangerous to consumers when a media powerhouse such as Newsweek occasionally gets it wrong for millions to read.

Ms. Tanaka immediately asserts that the average consumer doesn?t need a digital camera over 2.0 mega-pixels and that anything over 2.0 MP represents unneeded, expensive pixels and CCD sensor size in a camera. "The bottom line on these new super high-resolution cameras? You probably don?t need one" Ms. Tanaka declares.

The author maintains that consumers need not go out and purchase anything over 2.0 MP to get good 4" x 6" prints because that is the size of prints that are made by the majority of users. Her assertions seem to be based on prints made by film camera users, not current digital camera users as there are no ubiquitous means right now for mass consumers to get 4" x 6" photo prints from digital cameras.

"So ask yourself, "When was the last time I ordered prints larger than 4 by 6?" If the answer is never, then consider the megapixel conundrum solved. The only good reason to buy a digital camera with a four-megapixel count is if you want to make 8-by-10-inch prints that you plan to give as gifts or mount on your wall."

I say, if all you want is to get 4" x 6" prints from a digital camera, why buy a digital camera at all ? stick to film! Ms. Tanaka?s over-simplified, casual observation of digital camera technology advances has the net effect of dumbing-down the general public regarding digital cameras and their real appeal and advantage over conventional film photography ? especially cameras over 2.0 MP.

Let?s step back in time a bit to prove my point. In the ?70?s, people began to embrace and purchase a new technology called point and shoot 35mm film cameras. For the first time, the average consumer did not have to depend on professional photographers to get great shots. These cameras had auto focus and automatic metering and shot in a program mode. The user simply pointed and shot. Suddenly average people were able to photograph family and events what normally took a pro. This brought empowerment to average people. Digital cameras provide that same sense of empowerment on a new level to average people.

Six years of end user studies and research have taught us that consumers want to do more with digital photography than with film. That?s the advantage of providing a digital process. Even basic digital photo neophytes want to have the empowerment to rotate an image, reduce the red eye and crop a digital image they took with their digital camera. Oops, did I say crop it? Yes I did. According to Ms. Tanaka?s view of the digital camera world, as soon as the average, mainstream consumer crops a 2.0 MP image, it no longer can be printed at a basic size of 4" x 6" because by cropping into the image, I?ve reduced its size and resolving power to be printed at 4" x 6, much less larger sizes. And can anyone ever say that they will never want to crop or get an enlargement?

"The industry has figured out that a 2Mp camera can produce a 4-by-6-inch print at 300dpi resolution. A 3 Mp can make 5-by-7s, and a 4 Mp camera will give you beautiful 8-by-10s" says Ms. Tanaka. As an imaging industry expert and an analyst that works with several digital camera vendors I want to tell all consumers that read this article that this is patently false. It?s a generalized, one-size fits-all statement that does not apply to all circumstances.

I urge all my consumer friends to buy a digital camera based on brand reputation, service, price and flexibility to their needs. Remember, you may want to crop your newly taken 2.0 MP digital images on your home PC, printer or on a kiosk. By doing so, you may not have enough resolution to print to the size you need. Also, I get wonderful 5" x 7" full resolution prints from the 2.0 MP cameras we test.

I personally would never buy a digital camera that would lock me into an image size and prevent me from cropping or enlarging my photos for printing though ? no matter the cost. Life?s too short to be harnessed by too few pixels and the precious family moments too few not to capture, crop, share and preserve in prints of all sizes.

Ron Tussy
Principal Analyst
Imerge Consulting Group LLC

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