How many megapixels do you need to get a good result even when you print it out?

The key question to ask is what size to print it out. Take the size of the print you want, mutiply the length and width (in inches) together and then mutiply that by 200*200 (for 200 dpi). By that formula a 4"x6" print would need a 1 megapixel camera. Ideal print dpi is around 300, so a 4x6 would be 2.2 MP.

What is "dpi" standing for? im from sweden and not so good on short terms in your language..Thanks a lot for your answer../ Tommy

I think it's "Dots per inch"? Something like that anyway.

Tommy:
If you've a photo sized 6" x 4" with 1 pixel/inch, you have 6 pixels x 4 pixels = 24 pixels
1 pixel/inch = 1 dot/inch = 1 dpi
1) To get a minimal printing quality, you need at least 150 dpi. Then, for a 6" x 4" photo, you need: 6 x 150 x 4 x 150 = 540000 pixels = 0,54 Megapixel = 0,54 MP
2) To get a good printing quality, you need at least 300 dpi. Then, for a 6" x 4" photo, you need: 6 x 300 x 4 x 300 = 2,16 MP
3) With 300 dpi, for a 9,6" x 6,4" photo, you need: 9,6 x 300 x 6,4 x 300 = 5,5 MP
4) For posters (30" x 20"), 150 dpi are enough
With 150 dpi, for a 30" x 20" photo (poster), you need: 30 x 150 x 20 x 150 = 13,5 MP
Then, I believe that in the future, the good digital cams will be 12 or 13 MP
For normal photos (6" x 4") a good 3,2 MP with optical zoom is enough.

Hope it helps

Wow! That answer shows your skill my friend..lol.
It makes things much clearer! Thanks a lot! / Tommy

I think a good 3.2MP camera with a higher optical and perhaps some kind of interpolation setting if you need larger prints would be your best buy (cost to quality). But if you really get into it you will need to buy one with much higher ACTUAL MP.

Thanks Noobguy!! I have a 3.2 megapixel Canon powershot but the zoom is unfortuneally
only digital..But on the other hand this is my first camera ever so its a lot of fun anyhow.
When you get the grip on how to use the manual adjustments instead of the "tourist" auto setup you can take quite good pictures with this one, at least from a amateurs point of view..Its a little pity its not possible to upload on 2048x1536 instead of 1600x1200 on here
though..Thanks for your comments! / T

Haha, dont worry about it, I still use my 1.3MP Vivicam, talk about amateur. You can buy the best camera in the world but in the end it all comes down to vision and imagination.

Yes Noobguy... its the most important in all art to have visions and imaginations..
I think we have to realise that art is communication ..and that we should try to improve that ability in first hand..
But i still think i prefer to work with a good camera instead of a limited one...
But you have a really good and important point in what you say...
Thanks! / Tommy

Still.. using a limited camera with unlimited vision or imagination is easier to result in more beautiful images than using an unlimited camera with limited vision or imagination.

I use a 4MP but a very small lence and 3x zoom doesn't really make the pictures where a zoom is really required. I would like to add that when you want a picture to be sharp, the higher the MP the better the result. This might sound logic, but it is very important. I am shure, cameras with 0.5MP can make beatiful and very art images, for sure. It is just the images you want to record and what kind of camera you want to carry! I can put my camera in my pocket, go to parties with it without irritation but sometimes I dream of a ceamera with bigger MP, changeable lences, being able to adjust every setting I want but then again... it is just what you want to do, what you want to pay and what you want to get yourself into.

haha yeah, I throw away alot of pictures, but I have a pretty good eye and can usually come up with something even with my camera. also had to learn a bit about photoshop :p
I dont think my images (most) would be any higher rated with a better camera. I guess its even more of a compliment to recieve a 99 on an image you took with a 1 MP camera with no zoom or lcd viewfinder ;)

Check out www.cliffordross.com HERE and his R1 camera and image. Film is a special Kodak 9-inch-by-18-inch color negative stock. Size after digitally scanned and printed -- 5-feet-by-10-feet!! You can see in SHARP focus hiking trails on Mount Sopris seven miles away, the shingles on a barn 4000 feet away, and a black bird 150 feet away.

Result: a 6.2 gigabyte file!! Same as the largest NASA image composed of hundreds of seperate images stitched together -- except this is a single capture.

actually "dpi" means "dots per inch" but the correct phrase should be "ppi" "pixels per inch" since it's a more acurate digital term. "dpi" refers to the graphic print medium