How many Megapixels does the Nikon Z50 have?

The Nikon Z50 is equipped with a an APS-C sensor that offers an image resolution of 20.7 megapixels (MP), or 20.7 million pixels. With its native aspect ratio of 3:2, the sensor has 5 568 horizontal pixels and 3 712 vertical pixels.

A 35mm film slide or negative contains 5-15 MP of useful detail, so that the Nikon Z50 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 20.7 MP?

The maximum print size of the Nikon Z50 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 27.8 x 18.6 inches or 70.7 x 47.1 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 22.3 x 14.8 inches or 56.6 x 37.7 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 18.6 x 12.4 inches or 47.1 x 31.4 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 Nikon Z50 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.		Nikon Z50	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1963	84
2.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
3.		Fujifilm X-T3	APS-C	26.0	6240	4160	4K/60p	24.0	13.4	1853	83
4.		Nikon D3500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.4	1851	83
5.		Nikon D5300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.9	1338	83
6.		Nikon D5500	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	14.0	1438	84
7.		Nikon Z30	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	13.9	2230	86
8.		Nikon Z fc	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.2	13.8	2131	85
9.		Sony A6100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.6	1947	84
10.		Sony A6300	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.4	13.7	1437	85
11.		Sony A6400	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.0	13.6	1431	83
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

In the United States, the Z50 was initially launched in October 2019 at a price of $859.

Check Z50 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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