Does Size Matter - Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 User Manual

8mm
The "mega pixel myth" has treated
camera manufacturers well over the
years, with an ever increasing pixel
count and often meaningless numbers.
It has helped them sell millions of
cameras. Fortunately, consumers like
you and I, have become aware of this
practice where it was far easier to sell
cameras based upon mega pixels than
perceived image quality.

Does Size Matter?

The size of sensor a camera has directly affects the amount of light
needed to create an image with the correct exposure. Simplistically, the
digital sensor (the digital equivalent of film that you may have previously
used) consists of a large array (4000 x 3000 in the case of the Panasonic
Lumix FZ200) of light sensitive calls called "photosites" - you may
commonly have heard them referred to as "pixels".
The 12 mega-pixels are crammed onto the surface of the 1/2.3 inch
sensor measuring just 6.3 x 4.55mm. Consider now a full frame sensor
measuring 36mm x 24mm with the same 4000 x 3000 pixel count.
The size of the photosites are bigger and this increase in size allows
more "photons" - that's the light particles radiating from the subject and
focused by the lens onto the sensor – to enter the photosite to generate
the "electrons" which are directly proportional to the amount of photons
being captured. In practice the "photosites" are quite complex structures,
each one having its own micro-lens to help gather the "photons" and
direct them down to the photosite.
1/2.3 inch
The "inch" dimension is really a
hangover from the days when
imaging was achieved using
electron tube based television
cameras and referred to the
outside diameter of the glass
imaging tube. Modern solid state
CMOS sensors are now much
smaller than the name suggests.
1/2.3inch left and Micro
Four Thirds sensors
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