How to Know If a Photo Image Is 4 Megapixels

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Determining the number of megapixels in a digital photo is simple.

Digital photo quality is measured in megapixels. A pixel is a tiny dot of color, and when many pixels are combined an image is composed: 1 megapixel equals 1 million pixels. In 1999, when the digital camera industry began to boom, the standard digital camera took photos made up of between 1 and 2 megapixels. Today, most newly released digital cameras take photographs with 10 megapixels or more. If your camera is capable of taking photos of at least 4 megapixels, then you can determine the number of megapixels in a specific image using a simple calculation.

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Step 1

Determine the length and width of the digital photograph in terms of pixels. You may find this information by right-clicking the image and selecting the "Get Info" box or by examining the photograph in a photography software program. As an example, let's consider a photograph that is 1,000 pixels in length and 2,000 pixels in height.

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Step 2

Multiply the length of the photograph in pixels by the height of the photograph in pixels. In the example, you would multiply 1,000 by 2,000.

Step 3

Consider the product of your calculation. If your product is between 4 million and 5 million pixels, then your photo is considered to be 4 megapixels. If the result of your calculation is less than 4 million pixels, than your photo is smaller than 4 megapixels. If the result is larger, your photo is larger than 4 megapixels. In the example, the product is 2 million pixels or 2 megapixels, which is smaller than 4 megapixels.

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