Despite cranking up the resolution of digital cameras from 1-2MP to 15-25MP, there is still plenty of discussion about each new milestone in high-resolution digital photography. While I’m the first to applaud the nearly unbelievable resolving power of the 36MP Nikon D800, I think a lot of photographers think they need much more resolution than they do. I had a really graphic example of what a truly clean 16MP image can resolve yesterday when out photographing Alaskan Brown Bears on my photo safari….

Look at the tiny dot just over the bear’s head in the image below. Like me, you’re probably assuming it is some type of dust speck, and would be quick to zap it with one of the many tools Photoshop provides for the purpose. Fortunately, I hesitated long enough to zoom in on the speck, showing me that it was a lot more than a dust fragment…

From zooming in on the “dust” it became clear that it was one of Alaska’s least fun critters, the mosquito. What was amazing to me was the detail the Nikon D4 captured in the bug. Bodies, legs, and wings were all clearly outlined.

Flipping back and forth from the full frame and the isolated “bug” image should give you a great sense for what is possible with what today is considered moderate resolution. Hopefully you’ll take away the same point I did – that the quality of the lens, sensor, and “pixels” is just as important, if not more so, than the sheer number of pixels a camera can capture. This isn’t to knock the D800, or any other high-resolution camera, just to say that before reaching as high as you can up the resolution ladder, make sure you know why you’re doing it.