Highest Megapixel Cameras

If you see the title “cameras with maximum resolution,” this does not mean that it will consist of medium-format cameras that cost a lot. Of course, professionals need a high-resolution camera for photo shootings in the studio to print photos on billboards magazines or ads. But amateurs, travelers, and even newbies want to get the best resolution possible with their budget too. Therefore, you will see both point-and-shoot cameras for about $500 and a huge medium-format device for more than $4,000 in the list.

12 Best Highest Megapixel Cameras

1. Nikon D850

Nikon D850 has proven to be the highest megapixel camera with excellent image quality, modern technology and high speed of work. Videographers will like the UHD, a touchscreen display and intuitive interfaces. With the impressive continuous shooting speed, D850 can be even used as a sports camera. With such autofocus characteristics as 153 focusing fields, including 99 cross-shaped sensors, it covers almost the entire central area in the huge viewfinder with a 0.75x increase. Focusing in daylight takes 0.27s.

Recommended camera lens:

Nikon AF-S FX NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8E

A 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens is one of the most universal options. It is used for a variety of scenes and photography needs. Take this lens for shooting events, portraits, panoramas, wide-angle landscapes, and more.

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Photo by Nikon D850

2. Pentax 645Z

Pentax 645Z is a very expensive high megapixel camera, but only if you compare its cost with the prices for full-frame cameras. Pentax 645Z combines the convenience and a wide range of additional features of full-frame cameras, with the huge matrix of medium format. Most of these characteristics are common for full-frame cameras, but for medium-format devices, they are new. We note just a few: full Live View mode, tilted display, video recording, HDMI port, built-in microphone, external microphone connection, display protection glass, 27 points, burst mode with the speed of 3 frames per second, minimum shutter speed 1/4000 seconds, optics with built-in stabilization, and two memory slots. In addition, the body is protected from moisture, splashes, and dust. The manufacturers position Pentax 645Z not only as a studio camera but also as a device for shooting landscapes, festivities (staged wedding photos) and even some reportage scenes.

Recommended camera lens:

Pentax 100mm f/2.8

This compact and lightweight optics delivers stunning shots taken in low-light conditions. You get 1:1 magnification of your subjects with this lens. The minimum focusing distance is 1 foot so it suits perfectly when you need to capture coins, flowers, and documents in life-size.

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Photo by Pentax 645Z

3. Sony Alpha 7R IV

This full-frame camera from Sony is known for its high resolution. It delivers brilliant performance thanks to its impressive AF system and a fantastic image sensor. This mirrorless camera is based on a BSI-CMOS sensor that produces great 60.2MP images.

The stabilization system is another advantage of this model.  Its 5-axis stabilization reduces camera shake and allows you to get sharp pictures. This feature is pretty valuable for videos as it prevents jitters and jumps. The battery also deserves flattering words. You can take about 530 pictures when using the EVF, or up to 670 shots with the LCD.

Recommended camera lens:

Sony 85mm F/1.8-22

This noiseless lens delivers extremely sharp images. It has silent and fast autofocus and produces beautiful bokeh. You can use this optics when you have to shoot in low light. Pair it with a mirrorless camera and you’ll understand all the advantages of small size and weight.

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Photo by Sony Alpha 7R IV

4. Sony A7R III Alpha

Manufacturers created the SonyA7RIII (ILCE-7RM3) full-frame mirrorless camera taking into consideration the experience gained with the release of sports camera SonyA9. As a result, the new high-resolution camera combines the largest resolution of the 42.2-megapixel camera already familiar from the previous model with the upgraded data reading system and the updated processor, as well as high performance. They also added two SD card slots. In addition, there is a place for the large-capacity battery, which originates from the SonyA9. Another important point is that the faster BIONZX processor allows the 40-megapixel camera to process more data in less time. It is 1.8 times faster than A7RII.

Recommended camera lens:

Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G E-Mount Lens

Ultra-wide-angle full-frame zoom with a protected case, silent autofocus and a programmable button on the case.

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Photo by Sony A7R III Alpha

5. Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10

Lumix LX10 is a premium compact camera from Panasonic. It is equipped with a one-inch sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels. This high megapixel camera has a three-fold zoom lens with an equivalent focal length of 24–72 mm. The maximum aperture at the wide-angle position is f/1.4, which makes the lens best-in-class. Focusing can be done at a minimum distance of 3 centimeters (wide angle). The lens uses 6 aspherical elements, with parts made of ED and UHR glass. The optical scheme consists of 11 lenses in 9 groups. The ring around the lens is designed to control the aperture. It is possible to record video in UltraHD 4K format. In addition to regular 4K video, the camera has several 4K photo modes. A post-focus function allows you to select a focus point after shooting. In addition, it is possible to make an image sharp in certain parts. The camera has built-in Wi-Fi, a tilting screen and a new autofocus system called Light Speed AF. In some countries, the Lumix LX10 model is sold under the name Lumix LX15.

Photo by Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10

6. Fujifilm X-100F

The Fujifilm X100F camera is the fourth version of the compact with a non-replaceable lens. One of the best megapixel cameras is made in a retro style, equipped with a 23 mm lens (this is 35 mm in 35 mm equivalent) and an APS-C matrix (the largest in this class of cameras). The control keys were moved to the right side, and as a result, the camera can be operated with one hand. Push-down control dials are located on the front and rear panels. A shutter speed (it also has built-in ISO control) and exposure compensation control dial were placed on the top panel. The camera has an improved hybrid viewfinder OVF/EVF which combines optical and electronic technology. In addition, the autofocus system has been improved; the process now takes 0.08 seconds. The highest resolution camera in the world is ready to work 0.5 seconds after you turn it on.

Recommended camera lens:

Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR

An affordable small lens with creative possibilities. It will suit the widest circle of photographers. This is a universal "workhorse" that is able to give both amateur and professional shooters many wonderful shots!

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Photo by Fujifilm X-100F

7. Canon Power Shot G1X MKIII

The new Canon G1X Mark III has a central, integrated, electronic viewfinder and a fully articulated touchscreen. The main characteristics are compact size, high image quality, and usability. You can remotely switch the camera from standby to work mode via Bluetooth-enabled smartphone that can provide remote control and real-time preview on the screen of a smart device. To use these features, you must install the Camera Connect app. Other advantages of this highest MP camera are the automatic focusing system Dual Pixel AF, a built-in neutral filter, and a stabilizer in the lens. Its effectiveness reaches four exposure steps. The highest megapixel camera supports continuous shooting at speeds up to 7 fps (up to 9 fps without continuous focus). The buffer keeps 19 images in RAW format or 24 images in JPG format. You can record video with a resolution of up to 1920x1080 pixels and a frame rate of up to 60 fps. The range of sensitivity values is equal to ISO 100–25600.

Photo by Canon Power Shot G1X MKIII

8. Leica Q2

This full-frame camera comes with a fixed lens. It features a new 47.3MP sensor. Its stabilized 28mm F1.7 Summilux lens produces clear and sharp images. This model outperforms its predecessor in terms of resolution. Comparing its design with the previous version, you will notice some improvements. They are longer battery life, weather-sealing, a new processor and a better electronic viewfinder.

The camera can seem complicated and expensive for beginners and amateurs. However, if you’re looking for gorgeous cameras, this option is what you need. You can use it as a street camera with manual control, or as an automatic point-and-shoot option.

Photo by Leica Q2

9. Fujifilm X-H2

Fujifilm X-H2 is an improved version of its X-H1 predecessor, which was called “High Performance for Professionals.” This is the future of the new line from the company, released "on top" of the existing X-T. The shutter and metering modes are still chosen by separate selectors, and the focusing modes are regulated by a small wheel on the front panel. A total of 94 sealing points (calculated for the camera and the battery grip) protect smart electronics and precise mechanics from dust and moisture. Frost-resistance of this highest resolution camera is declared to -10°C.

The developer also increased the number of pixels by about 1.5x compared to the forerunning model. Thus, this highest megapixel camera is capable of recording 8K footage and snapping 40.2MP stills. It will precisely track moving subjects, e.g., humans, animals, birds, trains, cars, etc., so even beginners can receive high-quality photos without adjusting multiple settings.

Photo by Fujifilm X-H2

10. Canon EOS M5

Canon continues to develop the mirrorless segment rather slowly. Such passivity is easy to understand because they have to create mirrorless cameras that will not interfere with sales of their own DSLRs. But the manufacturer cannot release weak products. The Canon EOSM5 is called the flagship in its type, and there are good reasons for this. This high megapixel camera has a mirror-style camera design, a mass of controls, Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus system and DIGIC 7 processor, a large tilted touchscreen display, and a high-resolution OLED viewfinder. You can try serial shooting at up to 9 frames per second. Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth 4.1 BLE are available too. Besides, the manufacturer presents the camera as a mirrorless version of the Canon EOS 80D.

Recommended camera lens:

Canon EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STM Lens

First-class fixed-lens EF-M with a natural perspective, designed to provide high-quality creative portraits, lifestyle shots, and compositions with a high level of detail and clarity.

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Photo by Canon EOS M5

11. Pentax K-1 Mark II

The Pentax K-1 Mark II is an advanced version of the first full-frame DSLR camera from Pentax. Up until 2016 it was introduced on the DSLR market only in the CROP segment. The creators of this 30-megapixel camera have used Pixel Shift Resolution System II technology that helps to increase image sharpness. This system allows you to capture four photos of the same scene, shifting the matrix by one pixel when shooting each new image. Then this high-resolution digital camera synchronizes all four frames in one final image plus the system allows you to additionally receive RGB data, providing even more realistic color reproduction. The manufacturers used CMOS matrix with 36.4 million effective pixels. However, the sensitivity value is now 100–819200 ISO versus the previous 100–204800 ISO. This allows you to improve the quality of shooting in low light conditions.

Recommended camera lens:

Pentax SMC DA Series 50-135mm f/2.8

This telephoto zoom lens comes in handy when you need to capture blurry backgrounds, amazing portraits, sports events and other scenes at high shutter speeds.

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Photo by Pentax K-1 Mark II

12. Canon EOS 5DS

The main feature of the Canon EOS 5DS high resolution digital camera is a 50.6 megapixel full-frame sensor, with a sensitivity level limited to a reasonable ISO 6400 (ISO 12800 in the extended range). Actually, it is correct, because you can’t trick the physics, and at a resolution of 50 MP, such ultra-high levels of sensitivity would cause catastrophic noise. But the manufacturers provide users with quite decent equipment.

Recommended camera lens:

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM

This is a super wide lens for a 50mp camera. Canon produced the widest straight-line full-frame and probably the most expensive lens to date with an impressive focal length range of 11–24 mm. Perfect geometry and high sharpness even at open aperture.

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Photo by Canon EOS 5DS

12 Highest Megapixel Cameras for High Resolution Photographs

Image	NAME	DETAILS
	Nikon D850 OUR CHOICE	45.4MP	Check PRICE →
	Sony Alpha 7R IV HIGH QUALITY	61.2MP	Check PRICE →
	Canon EOS 5DS 50 MEGAPIXEL	50.6MP	Check PRICE →
	Sony A7R III Alpha 40 MEGAPIXEL	42.4MP	Check PRICE →
	Pentax K-1 Mark 30 MEGAPIXEL	36.4MP	Check PRICE →
	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10	20.1MP	Check PRICE →
	Fujifilm X-100F	24.3MP	Check PRICE →
	Canon Power Shot G1X MKIII	24.2MP	Check PRICE →
	Leica Q2	47.3MP	Check PRICE →
	Fujifilm X-H2	40MP	Check PRICE →
	Canon EOS M5	24.2MP	Check PRICE →
	Pentax 645Z	51.4MP	Check PRICE →

How to Choose the Best Megapixels Camera with Highest Resolution?

One of the most important components of any digital camera is its matrix. Regardless of the type of camera – compact, mirrorless or mirrored (DSLR) – the matrix is considered to be its heart. When you choose the highest MP camera, you first look at the matrix, and then check the other characteristics, as it is the matrix that affects the quality of the picture.

If you are going to save your photos in an electronic form and show them to your relatives on a monitor or TV screen from time to time, then a digital camera with a small number of pixels will suit you, but you should not buy a camera if its matrix has fewer than 10 megapixels. This is a very outdated model!

If you plan to professionally print large-format photos or use them for commercial purposes, a greater number of megapixels opens up more opportunities for better quality. You should pay attention to the models with a matrix of 20 megapixels.

Many users claim that smartphones replace even the best megapixel cameras. People see a smartphone with a large number of megapixels – 12, 19 or even 21 – and they are sure that this is the same as a 12 MP DSLR camera, but the matrix size in a smartphone is several times smaller, which affects the quality of the picture. The smartphone with the largest number of megapixels is the Nokia Lumia 1020. It has 41 megapixels, but it was released in 2013 and works on the outdated Windows Mobile, so the quality of the images, especially the color, leaves much to be desired. Moreover, there is a wide-angle lens with serious distortions. The only modern smartphone similar to it was the Asus Zenfone AR, which had 21 megapixels, but for some reason, it is quite difficult to get this model.

Types of Matrix

There are two main types of matrix:
CCD –the most common one. It is a relatively cheap technology where information is read sequentially from each cell.
CMOS – is a more expensive and more effective one. The speed of work is increased because data is read immediately from all light-sensitive elements. These sensors are installed in more expensive camera models.

Matrix Resolution

The number of pixel sensors on the matrix affects the resolution (image detail), the size of the future photo and, unfortunately, the level of noise. The more pixels, the sharper the photo. For example, 4928 points in width and 3264 in height are located on the matrix. Multiplying the width by the height, we get 16,084,992 (approximately 16 million) pixels. In this case, we can say "the resolution of the camera is 16 megapixels,” or "the resolution of the sensor is 16 megapixels." Many people want to have a camera that will take pictures better than the human eye sees, but not many people know that the equivalent resolution of the eye is 576 megapixels, and a camera that’s equal to the human eye in quality will not be created anytime soon.

Matrix Noises

Digital noise is an analog of film grain. Noise is a color distortion, similar to the multicolored distortions that occur when taking photos in difficult lighting conditions. Noise is especially noticeable in dark areas of a photograph, in the background, and on objects that are out of focus. They spoil the picture to a great degree, making it look unnatural, and no noise suppression mechanism built into the camera can fix it. Usually, the removal of noise is realized at the price of the detail loss and the destruction of the color transitions’ smoothness. The matrix and the noise-buster algorithms are being improved from year to year, but digital noise itself remains as it always has been. There are many reasons for this defect, starting from raising the signal on the sensors of the matrix and ending with the camera heating at long exposures.

Now it's time to move to the main cause of the noise, which is the increased light sensitivity of the matrix.

Light Sensitivity

The light sensitivity of the matrix consists of the light sensitivity of all its photosensor pixels, which, in turn, depends on the size of the pixels. The larger their size, the more light falls on the sensor, and the clearer and more natural colors and less digital noise you’ll get. In low light, the shutter speed is long, and then, due to the threat of blurring in the image, the light sensitivity is usually increased (referred to as ISO). In film photography, you would change the film for this, but it is simpler with the digital camera – you can just change the ISO settings. The ISO in the DSLR is usually kept between 100 and 6400–25600, and even higher. Today, these are normal numbers, which are determined by the size and other characteristics of the matrix. You shouldn’t treat high ISO values seriously when choosing a high resolution camera – only in the “very top” DSLR models. You won’t be able to remove the noise, as the matrix is ​​noisy and will always be noisy.

Matrix Size

The matrix size plays a very important role – this is one of the main parameters of the highest megapixel camera. It is made up of the dimensions of the pixel sensors and the distance between them. The resolution of the image, the amount of noise, and the depth of field primarily depend on these indicators. It is obvious that a large matrix has larger pixels than a small one if the number of pixels remains the same. With the same area of ​​each pixel, the light sensitivity and color rendering of the camera is much better, and the noise level is lower in a large matrix.

You can increase the number of pixels in two ways: by increasing the size of the matrix or, on the contrary, by reducing the area of ​​the pixels themselves so there will be more of them on the same matrix size. The first way is expensive, while the second is cheaper, as it’s not necessary to increase the matrix itself. More megapixels is good, of course, but the fact that the area of ​​each sensor decreases at the same time is very bad. Vendors, and sometimes even manufacturers, almost never indicate matrix dimensions in millimeters, using such designations as 1/2.5" or 1/1.8" instead. The point is that the greater the number in the denominator, the smaller the matrix, and many people do not know this.

The larger the matrix, the more possibilities the camera has, both in color, in resolution and in print size. The price of the camera greatly depends on the matrix. The essential points to examine before buying the highest megapixel camera are the following:

• the physical dimensions of the matrix
• MP number
• the number of effective MP (those pixels that are involved in the image creation).

Ann Young

Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more