Forget the megapixels :: it's the photo that matters
by Volker Weber
Your Lumia 1020 photos are 5 megapixel. Not 41. Or 34 (in 16:9) or 38 (in 4:3) for that matter. The 5 MP image is not the watered down photo you share on social media. It's the one photo you want to keep. You will find that the file size is even smaller than other 5 MP photos, since they contain less noise.
Why is that? The 41 mepapixel sensor delivers 34 or 38 megapixel images to the camera software. These pixels are oversampled into "perfect" pixels to create the 5 megapixel photo you keep. You can set the camera to discard the original 34/38 image, or you can store it alongside your photo, which is the default. Why would you keep it? The camera software can use this image to change your original photo later. You can zoom in to create a new 5 megapixel photo, you can even zoom out, since it knows the rest of the image. But each time you save the photo, the software will use all those 34/38 million pixels to create a much better 5 megapixel photo.
You can transfer the 34/38 megapixel to your Mac. But only measurebators need to look at those. You just enjoy your perfect shots. If you really must know how this sorcery works, then read this white paper.
Comments
Was mich echt ärgert ist, dass sog. Journalisten wie der hier im SPON (siehe: http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/gadgets/angefasst-nokia-lumia-1020-im-test-a-922410.html) leider überhaupt keine Ahnung haben was eben das Besondere an der 41MP Kamera vom Lumia ist.
Dass letztlich (ich glaube ca.) 7 Pixel herangezogen werden um einen resultierenden Pixel zu berechnen, scheint sowohl der Redakteur als auch alle Kommentatoren nicht verstanden zu haben.
Gleiches bei ca. 80% aller anderen Tests vom Lumia. Immer werden die "Boah, 41MP!!!!" in Szene gesetzt, aber keiner versteht den Trick.
Das oben verlinkte Whitepaper hat wohl keiner zumindest mal angelesen...
Noch schlimmer. Juha, der das erfunden hat, hat mir den Vorgang anhand einer Bayer-Matrix in New York erklärt. Dabei habe ich ihn gefragt, welche sieben Pixel er benutzt. Da hat er gemeint, die sieben Pixel seien nur eine Vereinfachung, um zu erzählen, wieso aus 34/38 nur 5 werden. In Wahrheit wird jedes der 5 MP aus mehr als 100 Pixeln berechnet.
"measurebators"... I *have* to find a way to work that into conversation this week...
Reminds me on my first digital camera, a Casio QV 3500 from 2001. With only 3 (three!) MP or so but the JPGs sooo soft and clean. Still beats most 16 MP point & shoots in image quality.
