Do you know the difference? If not,you could end up with a digital camera that has less resolution that you’d hoped.In turn,this can translate into fewer printing and editing options.Plus,there are other benefits to knowing the ins and outs of optical and interpolated resolution for your camera or prospective camera,such as saving time
when taking,printing and sharing photos.
Pixels and Image Sensors
The optical resolution of any camera is a number that represents the collection of pixels on the surface of the image sensor or CCD (charged coupled device).This is the base number that determines how clear and sharp your photos will be under various circumstances
These circumstances include when your photos are:viewed on your computer screen at full size;zoomed in to various levels while onscreen;cropped and resized for viewing or printing;printed at the standard size of 4x6;printed at 5x7;and,printed at larger sizes such as 8x10 and over.
In each of the above cases,you must have enough resolution so that the pixels are either not obvious,or,better yet,not noticeable without close examination.For professionals and most enthusiasts,the goal is for them not to be noticeable at all.
