1 megapixel (1 MP) is 1,000,000 pixels. To find the megapixels in any image, multiply its width by its height in pixels and divide by 1,000,000. A Full HD frame is 1,920 × 1,080 = 2,073,600 pixels, which is about 2.1 MP.
A megapixel count does not give you pixel dimensions on its own, because the same number of pixels can be arranged in different shapes depending on the aspect ratio. This page has a calculator that converts in both directions, a megapixel to resolution chart from 0.3 MP to 100 MP, a print size chart, and a note on megapixels versus megabytes.
See also: what a megapixel is, how large you can enlarge different megapixel counts, pixel, pixel pitch, sensor size, image resolution, crop factor.
Type a megapixel count to get pixel dimensions, or type a width and height to get megapixels.
Megapixel Calculator
— MP
Enter a megapixel count or pixel dimensions above.
Megapixel to Resolution Chart
The chart shows the pixel dimensions each megapixel count gives at three aspect ratios: 3:2 (most interchangeable-lens cameras), 4:3 (most phones, Four Thirds type sensors, many webcams and security cameras), and 16:9 (video and widescreen). The print column is the largest 3:2 print at 300 PPI, the usual standard for a print viewed up close.
The dimensions are calculated from the megapixel count and rounded to the nearest multiple of four pixels, so they will differ slightly from any one device. Where a row sits close to a standard frame size, the last column gives that frame's real dimensions.
| MP | 3:2 | 4:3 | 16:9 | Print @ 300 PPI | Typical of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 MP | 672 × 448 | 632 × 476 | 732 × 412 | 2.2 × 1.5 in | VGA frame (640 × 480), basic webcams |
| 0.5 MP | 868 × 576 | 816 × 612 | 944 × 532 | 2.9 × 1.9 in | Low-resolution webcams, early phone cameras |
| 1 MP | 1,224 × 816 | 1,156 × 868 | 1,332 × 752 | 4.1 × 2.7 in | Close to 720p HD (1,280 × 720 is 0.92 MP) |
| 1.3 MP | 1,396 × 932 | 1,316 × 988 | 1,520 × 856 | 4.7 × 3.1 in | 1,280 × 960 frame (1.2 MP), older webcams and security cameras |
| 2 MP | 1,732 × 1,156 | 1,632 × 1,224 | 1,884 × 1,060 | 5.8 × 3.9 in | Full HD 1080p video frame (1,920 × 1,080 is 2.07 MP) |
| 3 MP | 2,120 × 1,416 | 2,000 × 1,500 | 2,308 × 1,300 | 7.1 × 4.7 in | 2,048 × 1,536 frame (3.1 MP), security cameras |
| 4 MP | 2,448 × 1,632 | 2,308 × 1,732 | 2,668 × 1,500 | 8.2 × 5.4 in | Close to 1440p (2,560 × 1,440 is 3.7 MP), security cameras |
| 5 MP | 2,740 × 1,824 | 2,580 × 1,936 | 2,980 × 1,676 | 9.1 × 6.1 in | 2,592 × 1,944 frame (5.0 MP), security cameras, older phones |
| 6 MP | 3,000 × 2,000 | 2,828 × 2,120 | 3,264 × 1,836 | 10.0 × 6.7 in | Early digital SLRs |
| 8 MP | 3,464 × 2,308 | 3,264 × 2,448 | 3,772 × 2,120 | 11.5 × 7.7 in | 4K UHD video frame (3,840 × 2,160 is 8.3 MP), older phones |
| 10 MP | 3,872 × 2,580 | 3,652 × 2,740 | 4,216 × 2,372 | 12.9 × 8.6 in | Older compact and interchangeable-lens cameras |
| 12 MP | 4,244 × 2,828 | 4,000 × 3,000 | 4,620 × 2,600 | 14.1 × 9.4 in | Many phone cameras, video-oriented full-frame bodies |
| 15 MP | 4,744 × 3,164 | 4,472 × 3,356 | 5,164 × 2,904 | 15.8 × 10.5 in | Older APS-C bodies. A 5K display is 14.7 MP |
| 16 MP | 4,900 × 3,264 | 4,620 × 3,464 | 5,332 × 3,000 | 16.3 × 10.9 in | Older Four Thirds type and APS-C bodies |
| 18 MP | 5,196 × 3,464 | 4,900 × 3,676 | 5,656 × 3,180 | 17.3 × 11.5 in | Older APS-C bodies |
| 20 MP | 5,476 × 3,652 | 5,164 × 3,872 | 5,964 × 3,356 | 18.3 × 12.2 in | Four Thirds type sensors, 1-inch compacts, speed-oriented full-frame bodies |
| 24 MP | 6,000 × 4,000 | 5,656 × 4,244 | 6,532 × 3,676 | 20.0 × 13.3 in | The most common count for APS-C and full-frame bodies |
| 26 MP | 6,244 × 4,164 | 5,888 × 4,416 | 6,800 × 3,824 | 20.8 × 13.9 in | APS-C bodies |
| 30 MP | 6,708 × 4,472 | 6,324 × 4,744 | 7,304 × 4,108 | 22.4 × 14.9 in | General-purpose full-frame bodies |
| 33 MP | 7,036 × 4,692 | 6,632 × 4,976 | 7,660 × 4,308 | 23.5 × 15.6 in | 8K UHD video frame (7,680 × 4,320 is 33.2 MP), general-purpose full-frame bodies |
| 36 MP | 7,348 × 4,900 | 6,928 × 5,196 | 8,000 × 4,500 | 24.5 × 16.3 in | Earlier high-resolution full-frame bodies |
| 40 MP | 7,744 × 5,164 | 7,304 × 5,476 | 8,432 × 4,744 | 25.8 × 17.2 in | High-resolution APS-C bodies |
| 45 MP | 8,216 × 5,476 | 7,744 × 5,808 | 8,944 × 5,032 | 27.4 × 18.3 in | High-resolution full-frame bodies |
| 50 MP | 8,660 × 5,772 | 8,164 × 6,124 | 9,428 × 5,304 | 28.9 × 19.2 in | High-resolution full-frame bodies, high-count phone sensors |
| 61 MP | 9,564 × 6,376 | 9,020 × 6,764 | 10,412 × 5,856 | 31.9 × 21.3 in | The highest-resolution full-frame bodies |
| 100 MP | 12,248 × 8,164 | 11,548 × 8,660 | 13,332 × 7,500 | 40.8 × 27.2 in | Medium format digital |
A count that is not in the chart works the same way. Type it into the calculator above, or do it by hand: multiply the megapixels by 1,000,000, multiply by the aspect ratio as a decimal (1.5 for 3:2), and take the square root to get the width. Divide the width by the same decimal to get the height.
Planning to crop? How to crop photos shows how much resolution each ratio and each crop leaves you.
Megapixel Print Size Chart
Print size is pixels divided by pixels per inch. The chart gives the largest 3:2 print from each megapixel count at three densities: 300 PPI for prints held in the hand, 200 PPI for prints viewed from two or three feet, and 150 PPI for prints seen from across a room.
| MP | Pixels (3:2) | 300 PPI | 200 PPI | 150 PPI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 MP | 1,224 × 816 | 4.1 × 2.7 in | 6.1 × 4.1 in | 8.2 × 5.4 in |
| 2 MP | 1,732 × 1,156 | 5.8 × 3.9 in | 8.7 × 5.8 in | 11.5 × 7.7 in |
| 5 MP | 2,740 × 1,824 | 9.1 × 6.1 in | 13.7 × 9.1 in | 18.3 × 12.2 in |
| 8 MP | 3,464 × 2,308 | 11.5 × 7.7 in | 17.3 × 11.5 in | 23.1 × 15.4 in |
| 12 MP | 4,244 × 2,828 | 14.1 × 9.4 in | 21.2 × 14.1 in | 28.3 × 18.9 in |
| 16 MP | 4,900 × 3,264 | 16.3 × 10.9 in | 24.5 × 16.3 in | 32.7 × 21.8 in |
| 20 MP | 5,476 × 3,652 | 18.3 × 12.2 in | 27.4 × 18.3 in | 36.5 × 24.3 in |
| 24 MP | 6,000 × 4,000 | 20.0 × 13.3 in | 30.0 × 20.0 in | 40.0 × 26.7 in |
| 33 MP | 7,036 × 4,692 | 23.5 × 15.6 in | 35.2 × 23.5 in | 46.9 × 31.3 in |
| 45 MP | 8,216 × 5,476 | 27.4 × 18.3 in | 41.1 × 27.4 in | 54.8 × 36.5 in |
| 61 MP | 9,564 × 6,376 | 31.9 × 21.3 in | 47.8 × 31.9 in | 63.8 × 42.5 in |
| 100 MP | 12,248 × 8,164 | 40.8 × 27.2 in | 61.2 × 40.8 in | 81.7 × 54.4 in |
These are the sizes a file reaches with no resizing. Most standard print sizes are not 3:2, so an 8 × 10 or a 16 × 20 means cropping the long side first, and the number that matters is the pixel count left on the short side.
Have a print size in mind? The print size calculator checks one specific file against one specific print size and tells you how it will look.
Not sure what PPI means, or how it differs from DPI? DPI and PPI separates the two and shows which one your printer cares about.
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 |
Exporting for one of these? Exporting photos covers the format, size and sharpening for screens, social media and print.
Megapixels Are Not Megabytes
The two words look alike and measure different things. Megapixels (MP) count the pixels in an image. Megabytes (MB) measure how much storage the file takes. There is no fixed conversion between them, because file size depends on the file format, the amount of compression, the bit depth, and how much detail is in the scene.
The same 24 MP photo can be around 3 MB as a heavily compressed JPEG, 8 to 12 MB as a high-quality JPEG, 25 to 50 MB as a RAW file, and about 72 MB as an uncompressed 8-bit TIFF. Every one of those files is 6,000 × 4,000 pixels.
As a rough guide only: a high-quality JPEG tends to land somewhere between 0.3 and 0.6 MB per megapixel, and a RAW file somewhere between 1 and 2 MB per megapixel. A photo of clear sky compresses far smaller than a photo of gravel at the same pixel count. The one case with fixed arithmetic is an uncompressed 8-bit color image, which stores 3 bytes per pixel, or about 3 MB per megapixel.
That is why "1 MB is how many pixels" has no single answer. A 1 MB JPEG might hold 2 MP at high quality or 12 MP at heavy compression. To know the pixel dimensions of a file, open its properties or its EXIF metadata and read the width and height directly.
Wondering why a RAW file is so much bigger than a JPEG of the same photo? RAW vs JPEG explains what each one keeps and what it throws away.
How to Read These Numbers
The advertised megapixel count and the actual file rarely match exactly. A camera advertised as "24 MP" produces files of 6,000 × 4,000 pixels, which is 24.0 MP. But a camera sold as "61 MP" delivers 9,504 × 6,336, which is 60.2 MP. Advertised figures round up. The calculator uses whatever you type, so feed it the dimensions from your actual file 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.
Megapixels grow slower than they sound. Doubling the megapixels does not double the print size. It multiplies each side by about 1.4. Going from 12 MP to 24 MP takes a 300 PPI print from 14.1 inches wide to 20 inches wide. To double the width of a print at the same quality you need four times the pixels.
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 print, an acceptable 20 × 30 inch wall print, or a 27 × 40 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.
Frequently asked questions
How many pixels is 1 megapixel?
1 megapixel is 1,000,000 pixels. "Mega" means million. So 2 MP is 2,000,000 pixels, 12 MP is 12,000,000 pixels, and 0.3 MP is 300,000 pixels.
What resolution is 1 MP?
It depends on the shape of the image. 1 MP is about 1,156 × 868 pixels at 4:3, 1,224 × 816 at 3:2, and 1,332 × 752 at 16:9. The nearest standard frame is 720p HD, 1,280 × 720, which is 0.92 MP.
What resolution is 2 MP, 10 MP, 12 MP or 15 MP?
2 MP is about 1,632 × 1,224 at 4:3, and Full HD at 1,920 × 1,080 is the 2 MP frame most people meet. 10 MP is about 3,872 × 2,580 at 3:2. 12 MP is exactly 4,000 × 3,000 at 4:3, or about 4,244 × 2,828 at 3:2. 15 MP is about 4,744 × 3,164 at 3:2, or 4,472 × 3,356 at 4:3. The chart above has the other counts.
How many megapixels is 1080p, 4K and 8K?
720p is 1,280 × 720, or 0.92 MP. 1080p is 1,920 × 1,080, or 2.07 MP. 4K UHD is 3,840 × 2,160, or 8.3 MP. 8K UHD is 7,680 × 4,320, or 33.2 MP. Each step up doubles both sides, which is why the megapixel count goes up by four each time.
How many megapixels do I need to print 8 x 10 or 16 x 20?
An 8 × 10 inch print at 300 PPI needs 3,000 × 2,400 pixels, which is 7.2 MP. At 200 PPI it needs 2,000 × 1,600, or 3.2 MP. A 16 × 20 inch print needs 6,000 × 4,800 pixels (28.8 MP) at 300 PPI, 4,000 × 3,200 (12.8 MP) at 200 PPI, and 3,000 × 2,400 (7.2 MP) at 150 PPI. Those figures are for the pixels left after cropping to the print's shape. A large print on a wall is seen from further away, so the lower figures are usually enough.
Is more megapixels better?
Only if you use them. More megapixels let you print larger or crop harder. They also make bigger files, show up lens softness and camera shake more readily, and on a sensor of the same size mean smaller pixels. For screens, small prints and sharing, almost any current camera has more than enough.
How do megapixels relate to megabytes?
Megapixels count pixels. Megabytes measure file size. More megapixels usually means more megabytes, but the format and compression matter just as much, so one cannot be converted into the other with a fixed formula. A 12 MP photo can be anywhere from about 2 MB as a compressed JPEG to 36 MB as an uncompressed 8-bit image.