A megapixel is just a way of counting pixels on a sensor or in a file: one megapixel equals one million pixels. The number does not tell you the pixel dimensions on its own, because the same megapixel count can be arranged in different shapes depending on the aspect ratio. This page gives you an interactive calculator for converting between megapixels and pixel dimensions at any aspect ratio, a reference table for the megapixel counts that exist in real cameras, and a quick lookup for common output formats.
See also: what a megapixel is, how large you can enlarge different megapixel counts, pixel, pixel pitch, sensor size, image resolution, crop factor.
Megapixel Calculator
— MP
Enter a megapixel count or pixel dimensions above.
Common Camera Megapixel Counts
Real cameras only come in a handful of resolutions. The table below shows the pixel dimensions you actually get from each common megapixel count at the three aspect ratios that matter for most photographers: 3:2 (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax), 4:3 (Olympus / OM System, Panasonic, most phones), and 16:9 (video and many camera crop modes). The last column shows the largest print you can pull at 300 PPI, the museum-quality threshold.
| MP | 3:2 | 4:3 | 16:9 | Print @ 300 PPI | Example cameras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 MP | 3,464 × 2,308 | 3,264 × 2,448 | 3,772 × 2,120 | 11.5 × 7.7 in | Older mirrorless / phone |
| 12 MP | 4,244 × 2,828 | 4,000 × 3,000 | 4,620 × 2,600 | 14.1 × 9.4 in | Sony A7S III, iPhone 16, Nikon Zf |
| 16 MP | 4,900 × 3,264 | 4,620 × 3,464 | 5,332 × 3,000 | 16.3 × 10.9 in | Olympus E-M5, Panasonic GH5 |
| 20 MP | 5,476 × 3,652 | 5,164 × 3,872 | 5,964 × 3,356 | 18.3 × 12.2 in | Canon R6 II, Nikon Z8 sports modes |
| 24 MP | 6,000 × 4,000 | 5,656 × 4,244 | 6,532 × 3,676 | 20.0 × 13.3 in | Canon R8, Sony A7 IV, Nikon Z6 |
| 26 MP | 6,244 × 4,164 | 5,888 × 4,416 | 6,800 × 3,824 | 20.8 × 13.9 in | Fujifilm X-T5, X-H2 |
| 30 MP | 6,708 × 4,472 | 6,324 × 4,744 | 7,304 × 4,108 | 22.4 × 14.9 in | Canon R5 II (some modes) |
| 33 MP | 7,036 × 4,692 | 6,632 × 4,976 | 7,660 × 4,308 | 23.5 × 15.6 in | Sony A7 IV |
| 36 MP | 7,348 × 4,900 | 6,928 × 5,196 | 8,000 × 4,500 | 24.5 × 16.3 in | Nikon D810 era full-frame |
| 40 MP | 7,744 × 5,164 | 7,304 × 5,476 | 8,432 × 4,744 | 25.8 × 17.2 in | Fujifilm X-H2, X-T5 stills |
| 45 MP | 8,216 × 5,476 | 7,744 × 5,808 | 8,944 × 5,032 | 27.4 × 18.3 in | Canon R5, R5 II |
| 50 MP | 8,660 × 5,772 | 8,164 × 6,124 | 9,428 × 5,304 | 28.9 × 19.2 in | Sony A1, Canon 5DS |
| 61 MP | 9,564 × 6,376 | 9,020 × 6,764 | 10,412 × 5,856 | 31.9 × 21.3 in | Sony A7R IV / V |
| 100 MP | 12,248 × 8,164 | 11,548 × 8,660 | 13,332 × 7,500 | 40.8 × 27.2 in | Fujifilm GFX 100 II, Hasselblad X2D |
Common Output Formats
How many megapixels do you actually need? Less than you think. A 4K video frame is only 8.3 MP. A magazine cover printed at 300 PPI is around 17 MP. The table below lists the resolutions and megapixel counts behind the formats you are most likely to deliver to.
| Format | Pixels | Megapixels |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p / Full HD video | 1,920 × 1,080 | ~2.1 MP |
| 1440p / 2K video | 2,560 × 1,440 | ~3.7 MP |
| 4K UHD video | 3,840 × 2,160 | ~8.3 MP |
| DCI 4K cinema | 4,096 × 2,160 | ~8.8 MP |
| 5K display | 5,120 × 2,880 | ~14.7 MP |
| 6K video | 6,144 × 3,456 | ~21.2 MP |
| 8K UHD video | 7,680 × 4,320 | ~33.2 MP |
| 4 x 6 in print @ 300 PPI | 1,800 × 1,200 | ~2.2 MP |
| 5 x 7 in print @ 300 PPI | 2,100 × 1,500 | ~3.2 MP |
| 8 x 10 in print @ 300 PPI | 3,000 × 2,400 | ~7.2 MP |
| A4 print @ 300 PPI | 3,508 × 2,480 | ~8.7 MP |
| 11 x 14 in print @ 300 | 4,200 × 3,300 | ~13.9 MP |
| A3 print @ 300 PPI | 4,961 × 3,508 | ~17.4 MP |
| 16 x 20 in print @ 300 | 6,000 × 4,800 | ~28.8 MP |
| A2 print @ 300 PPI | 7,016 × 4,961 | ~34.8 MP |
| 24 x 36 in print @ 200 | 7,200 × 4,800 | ~34.6 MP |
How to Read These Numbers
The marketing megapixel and the actual file megapixel rarely match exactly. A camera advertised as "24 MP" produces files of 6000 × 4000 pixels, which is 24.0 MP. But a camera marketed as "61 MP" delivers 9504 × 6336, which is 60.2 MP. Sensors round up. The calculator above uses whatever you type, so feed it the dimensions from your actual file (visible in EXIF metadata) for a precise result.
Pixel count is not image quality. A clean, sharp 12 MP file from a good lens at low ISO will out-print a noisy 60 MP file from a soft lens at high ISO. Pixel pitch matters in low light. Dynamic range matters in contrasty scenes. Lens sharpness matters everywhere. Megapixels are one number out of many.
Print PPI is a sliding scale, not a hard rule. 300 PPI is the standard for prints viewed at arm's length. 200 PPI is fine for prints viewed from 2 to 3 feet, and 150 PPI works for prints viewed from across a room. A 24 MP file can produce a sharp 13 × 20 inch museum print, an acceptable 20 × 30 inch wall print, or a perfectly readable 40 × 60 inch poster, depending on how close the viewer stands. See how large you can enlarge different megapixel counts for a deeper treatment of this trade-off.