Are megapixels the be-all and end-all in photogrammetry?

With advancements in camera technology over the past decade, the number of megapixels offered by manufacturers has become a popular metric for measuring image quality. In reality, it is important to understand that megapixels are just one factor among many that contribute to the quality of images used in photogrammetry.

While a high-resolution image may appear sharper, it does not necessarily guarantee its accuracy in photogrammetry. The quality of an image depends on a range of other factors, such as the lens quality, lighting conditions, and the camera's sensor size and sensitivity. For instance, a lower-quality lens can result in blurry images, even if the camera has a high number of megapixels. In addition, lighting conditions can play a critical role in determining the quality of an image, as poor lighting can result in under or overexposure, leading to unusable images.

Photogrammetry requires multiple images of an object or environment to create a 3D product. This means that the resolution of a single image is not as significant as the number, overall quality, and overlap of images. A higher number of images with good coverage and overlap will produce a more accurate and detailed 3D product. Although megapixels do play a role in image quality, they are not as critical as the number and quality of images used.

Don’t forget the processing power required for photogrammetry, graphics cards, and memory are not cheap. Higher-resolution images require more processing power and storage, which can be a limiting factor for some applications. Slightly lower-resolution images can be processed faster, making them more efficient and practical for most applications.

So while megapixels are a factor in image quality, they are likely not the most important thing in photogrammetry. Other factors such as lens quality, lighting conditions, cloud cover, sensor size, and sensitivity, the number and quality of images, and processing power are vital in creating accurate and detailed 3D geospatial products or maps. It is important to balance all these factors when selecting a sensor for photogrammetry.

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