Comparing Megapixels – 12 vs 42 vs 61

Описание: At some point, the sharpness in lenses will be surpassed by the resolution of the sensors. More megapixels essentially just means more details, which requires more sharpness to display these details. Even with some of the highest-quality consumer lenses, we may have already reached the peak, despite rumors of 80-100 megapixel sensors on the way.

To do this test, I used the Sigma 300-600mm f/4, a Sony 16-25mm f/2.8, and a Sony 40mm f/2.5. All of these lenses offer fantastic sharpness, and I stopped down to the sharpest aperture on each lens. Then, I used a Sony ZV-E1 (12 megapixels), a Sony A7R2 (42 megapixels), and a Sony A7R4 (61 megapixels) to test. I kept the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture consistent across each image and used a tripod to ensure the exact same image every time.

The results were pretty surprising, as I could hardly tell the difference between 42 and 61 megapixels. Obviously, the jump from 12 to 42 and 61 was obvious, but 42 megapixels looked nearly identical to 61. Once we have sensors with 100 megapixels, will they look any different from 61 megapixels? Time will tell, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts!