6 MP optimal for P&S cameras?

[Mack]

Nothing new here for most of the regulars but worthwhile reading for folks looking to get a new point and shoot camera. The more pixels the better?

Don

[Chuck S.]

Don, thanks for the excellent article. I was just lamenting the noise in the images from my 12 megapixel point & shoot, even at low ISO. I love that little camera, but I'd love it more if it were 6 megapixels. I do believe I got better - or at least less noisy - images from my first camera: a 4 MP Canon G2.

[Mack]

Hi Chuck, it pretty much echoes what I've read in a number of your posts. I was just thinking that since we vote with our dollars / pounds and Euros we pretty much get what we ask for. If I owned a camera manufacturing company I would probably be screaming "We gotta have more pixels! Gimme more pixels dammit!"

Don

[Ellen]

That was a good article Don. How do you like your new camera? If I remember right you got the luminix with lots of zoom and lots of manual control. How noisy is it?

[Mack]

Hi Ellen,

I really like it a lot though I'm not sure that I'll need or use all it's features. Noise is a problem at any ISO setting over 200 (IMHO) but I bought an excellent noise reduction program that goes a long way towards eliminating that problem.

Don

[NMarti]

Don
What noise program do you use? I would like to investigate a program for this as I've noticed a lot of noise in my carry-around P&S (7 mp by the way)

[lowbone]

Originally Posted by Chuck S.

Don, thanks for the excellent article. I was just lamenting the noise in the images from my 12 megapixel point & shoot, even at low ISO. I love that little camera, but I'd love it more if it were 6 megapixels. I do believe I got better - or at least less noisy - images from my first camera: a 4 MP Canon G2.

Chuck, I agree, my G9 is basically unusable at ISO 800 & 1600. I have had good results though at 400 using the Neat Image noise reduction program. Frankly I don't know what Canon was thinking about on the G9. Putting 12 megs on a sensor smaller then the fingernail on your little finger is just plain idiotic.

[Mack]

Hi Nancy,

I use Imagenomic's Noiseware Professional and was actually somewhat amazed at the job it does. Noise Ninja and Neat Image also have users here and they all do a great job from what I have heard. They all have demo versions try em you'll like em

Don

[lexcell]

Point and shoot cameras have very small sensors and the more megapixels is not necessarily better. They also do produce alot of noise at higher ISOs.

I, too, have a G9 and try to keep the ISO as low as I can. I bought it for it's RAW capabilities but, when I really need to do serious work, I turn to my D-SLR.

Nikon brought out the D3 with a full frame sensor late last year so that they could keep up with the megapixel wars. (One reason at least) The smaller sensor was getting to the point that more megapixels weren't a benefit. I expect to see an even higher megapixel Nikon in the future with the bigger sensor.