First let me explain a little about what a pixel actually is and how it works.  The term “pixel” is actually short for “Picture Element”.  They are the small dots that make up the images that we see in computers or in print.  The pixels are arranged in columns and in rows and are so close together they appear as one solid image.

So, if you are using your digital photos to create a printed document, here are the pixels you will need :

5 MP = 2592 x 1944 pixels

Highest Quality Print size  – 10 X 13 Inch Print

Acceptable Quality Print size – 13 X 19 Inch Print

4 MP – 2272 x 1704 pixels

Highest Quality Print size – 9 x 12 Inch Print

Acceptable Quality Print size – 12 x 16 Inch Print

3 MP – 2048 x 1536 pixels

Highest Quality Print size – 8 x 10 Inch

Acceptable Quality Print size – 10 x 13 Inch Print

Larger than 5 MP is really more for professional photographers and really isn’t needed for your normal every day photo taking.   Another reason you might want a higher MP camera is if you are wanting to take photos of a large scene and then crop smaller portions into photos.  For this, you would want a little higher MP than your print size so that when cropped you will still have a high quality photo.  Also, you might possibly take that “once in a lifetime” photo and want it create a poster or large print.

So, in this instance, bigger isn’t always better in that you may not need that high MP camera to get your perfect photos.