How many Megapixels does the Canon M3 have?

The Canon EOS M3 is equipped with a an APS-C sensor that offers an image resolution of 24 megapixels (MP), or 24 million pixels. With its native aspect ratio of 3:2, the sensor has 6 000 horizontal pixels and 4 000 vertical pixels.

A 35mm film slide or negative contains 5-15 MP of useful detail, so that the Canon M3 can be considered to be a high-resolution camera that outresolves any 35mm film camera.

A high megapixel count makes it possible to crop any captured image substantially or to make very large prints from the image file. On the downside, large megapixel files are slower to transfer and take up more storage space on the computer harddisk. Also, high-resolution imaging requires sharper, more expensive lenses than low-res picture taking.

How large can I print with 24 MP?

The maximum print size of the Canon M3 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 30 x 20 inches or 76.2 x 50.8 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 24 x 16 inches or 61 x 40.6 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 20 x 13.3 inches or 50.8 x 33.9 cm. Few people actually print their images that large on a regular basis, but it is nice to have the option to make very large prints of exceptional shots. Also, as mentioned earlier, a key advantage of high-MP cameras is that it is possible to crop an image ex-post and thereby, for example, change the composition of the capture or zoom in on some detail.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Canon M3 to those of several similar cameras. In addition to sensor class and megapixel count, DXO values are reported as indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better). Three aspects are covered: color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
2.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
3.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
4.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
5.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
6.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
7.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	471	62
8.		Canon T6i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
9.		Canon T6s	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
10.		Canon G7 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	23.0	12.7	556	71
11.		Canon M	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.2	827	65
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

In the United States, the M3 was initially launched in February 2015 at a price of $679.

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Camera to camera comparisons

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