What’s the difference between 12 megapixels cameras and 8 megapixel cameras? Not much, as it turns out. The quality of an image is determined by how much light the sensor is able to take in. Typically, bigger sensors come with larger pixels, and the larger the pixel the more light it can absorb. So, it’s really the size of the megapixels that matter more than the sheer number of megapixels.
Here’s how TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino, who also happens to be a professional photographer, describes the role of the megapixel: “Think of this as holding a thimble in a rain storm to try to catch water. The bigger your thimble, the easier it is to catch more drops in a shorter amount of time." The thimble is a metaphor for a megapixel — using a few buckets would be much more efficient than a bunch of thimbles for catching water.