Question about the effective pixel count of camcorders

[kaboekieman]

Hi there, I have a question about the effective pixel count of camcorders. I always knew, the higher the better. But what is the purpose of a higher pixel count (I mean the technical explaination) since the end resolution will always be the same?

Let me give an example. I you buy a camcorder that records standard defination with an effective pixel count of 500.000, what is the technical disadvantage if you buy a better Mini-DV camcorder (also standard defination) with 2.000.000 effective pixel count? Hence, both camcorders end result will be a 720x576 avi (PAL) file.

I'm very interested in this aspect, can someone explain this to me in technical terms?

thanks a lot in advance, Jeroen Wolf, from Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

[guns1inger]

I'm no expert, so I'm sure I'll be corrected if I am wildly wrong, but my understanding is there are a couple of areas where it might have an impact.

The first, and simplest, is the still image function. Many camcorders can be used as a still camera, and if they are writing images to a memory card, can have a resolution higher than 720 x 576. So a 2.1 mega-pixel camera will take higher resolution stills than a 1.2 mega pixel DV camera.

When it comes to video it is more complicated.

More pixels can mean a larger area for image stabilisation without causing border issues. It can also mean the difference between true 16:9 recorded across 1024 x 576 pixels instead of 720 x 576, the former giving you potentially a better quality image.

Or it could make no difference at all if the rest of the camera is full of cheap optics and low quality processing technology.

[kaboekieman]

Thx guns1inger for this input. Yeah the still resolution (photo mode) is a good point to mention where the higer is actually the better. So your opinion is that (concerning the video resolution) it has all to do with image stabilisation?

Are there more people out there with more ideas?

I always took it for granted and thought the higher the better, but the end reslolution (720x576 4:3 PAL) is always the same. So after thinking about it, I became curious about this point.

Hope someone else also can give some advise... Thanks again, Jeroen