How Many Megapixels? Incredible DSLR Cameras For Pennies On The Dollar - All things Outdoors

Full disclosure: We’re talking about the incredible 10 MP DSLR cameras with CCD sensors that can be purchased on the second hand market. If you’ve ever looked at your camera and wondered “How many megapixels do I really need?”, then you’ve come to the right place. Although the DSLR CCD sensor cameras share the same type of sensor with the point-and-shoot CCD “digicams” that the Gen-Zers (sic) are making trendy (and expensive!) on TikTok, they’re not the same in terms of the quality of image they produce. It’s like comparing Apples and bowling balls. That’s because sensors only make up one part of image generation math. The camera itself, the lens, the ability to save images in either JPEG or Raw format, and, often overlooked – the card.

We know. We got a little CCD sensor 10 MP Olympus 1050 in 2009. It’s a lot of fun, and we’re glad we have it. We got some good shots over the years with it. AAMOF, most of the images on this blog were taken with that. We took the above photograph with it.

That’s not the point. The point is that you can get incredible value right now if you’re interested in some of the incredible second hand CCD DSLR cameras we’re talking about today. It’s not even close. We think that the answer to the question: How Many Megapixels do you need? is “Probably about 10”.

We’re talking about top-of-the-line, pro-sumer cameras from the mid to late 2000’s. The sweet spot, the Goldilocks Zone for these cameras is from about 2006 – 2009.

We’re on this jam. We make no bones about it. While researching and writing an article on digital sensors and how they work (Cameras For Camping: How Digital Sensors Work – (CCD And CMOS)) we got to thinking: What exactly can you do with 50 or 60MP cameras that you can’t do with 10MP cameras? It also occurred to us to wonder, “How many megapixels do you really need?” It’s a great question. We at Lone Loon Song are all about getting the most value out of the least investment, and these incredible CCD DSLR cameras tick that box. As a result, and because we do want to be helpful to our readers – as you may or may not know, our motto is Get Out There™, but our mission is helping our readers to get the best possible experience on their outdoor adventures for the least amount of money and effort.

We’re convinced that these cameras are one of the great bargains of our time. If you are as intrigued as we are, read on.

Be that as it may, we’re going to explain fully, but we understand that you may be here directly from Google, which leads us to believe that you may have one particular problem that needs solving. If this is you, here’s a table of contents. (If not, feel free to read the entire article: from Soup to Nuts, as God intended.)

How Many Megapixels? Incredible CCD DSLR Cameras For Pennies On The Dollar – Table of Contents:

Why 10 Megapixels Are Quite Likely Plenty: A Preamble
Introduction: How Many Megapixels?
Megapixels? Why On Earth Is A Camping And Outdoor Blog Going On About Them?
Where Are These Images Going To End Up?
The Quality Is Obvious.
A Plethora Of Quality Glass (Lenses – Not necessarily cheap)
Conclusion

Why 10 Megapixels Are Quite Likely Plenty: A Preamble

On account of our friend Dave, we’ve come to employ a phrase he used a lot; Whenever a potential client asked our filmmaker friend Dave, “How much is this gonna cost?” Dave would smile, and answer, “How deep is a hole? How long is a rope?”

At first blush, It seems like a glib answer, but it’s not. A rope needs to be as long as it needs to be to accomplish the purpose for which it is intended. Buying a longer rope than you need is a waste of money. In the same way that each hole needs to accomplish a specific task. Therefore, we share a fun fact about Lone Loon Song: We hate wasting money like the Devil hates Holy Water.

Therefore, we asked ourselves: “Selves, do you really need all of those megapixels?”

“Not really.” We replied, after a minutes thought. “Not for what we’re going to use the camera for.” We’re pretty gassed up about these old DSLR’s from the second half of the first decade of this century. Stick with us, we’re about to start making a lot of sense.

In the first place, our images, like quite likely most of your images, are either going to end up on Facebook or Instagram, or possibly Youtube. TikTok, perhaps. But it doesn’t much matter. Because:

Nobody’s gonna see your 50 Megapixels worth of image on a screen.

Here’s the thing: If your images are going to be viewed on a screen, then anything over 8MP is overkill. Here is why:

They’re much more likely to be seen on 3MP screens.

(We have an article on Cameras for camping: How Digital Sensors work (CCD and CMOS) where we take a deep look at how these sensors work, pros and cons, balls and strikes.) It turns out that there are some incredible values to be had if you don’t mind a previously owned camera. That’s really what got us excited about them, and why we wrote this article.

Most screens are 1920 x 1080 pixels, also known as Full HD or 1080p. That’s 2073600 pixels. A smidge over 2MP. “Oh, you Loons,” we hear your cry. “What about higher resolutions like 2560 x 1440 (1440p) and 3840 x 2160 (4K)? Aren’t they becoming more common?” They are. 2560×144=3686400. That’s 3.68MPs and 4k at a total of 8294400 is about 8MPs.

Would the above image look better on a 4k screen? Knee-jerk reaction? No. Here’s why:

We crunched it down to 123kb or so, in order to publish it here, so it’s mighty unlikely. As you probably know, to serve up images on a blog, you need to crunch down the file size. People on the internet don’t like to wait for images. So, most folks use JPEG files for their images. (There are other image file types, sure, but that’s beside our point.) The JPEG file type uses lossy compression. That means that data is discarded – lost. Here’s a fun fact: A JPEG throws away more data than it saves.

Introduction: How Many Megapixels Do You Really Need?

In the mid to late 2000’s, most “professional”, top-of-the-line, brand name DSLR full-frame cameras were producing images boasting between 8 and 12 megapixels. That seemed to be enough. This wasn’t a fluke. Tons and tons of brand name DSLR top quality cameras were being produced and sold. (That also means that you have plethora of choices when it comes to lenses, too. Which is nice.) Not a soul on Earth was complaining. Can you imagine?

We’re going to let you all in on a little secret:

Today, megapixels are a shiny object. “This camera is better, because it has more megapixels. A child knows that 20 is better than 10, and that 40 is better than 20.”

But is it? Better? Maybe. Our point is that we think a used CCD sensor LSDR Camera from 16 years ago is a remarkable value.

Professional grade cameras for pennies on the dollar? And, they can do everything that you want them to do. Well, the fact is that they’re unlikely to get an un-blurred shot of a diving falcon going a million miles an hour. If that’s a deal-breaker, then so be it.

Is that on your bucket list? Okay, we respect that.

No? Not you? Then these cameras from 16 or 17 years ago will likely tick all of your boxes. And if they don’t, you’ll still have a camera of incredible quality for about (or quite possibly less than) the same amount you would pay for a largely plastic – and let’s face it – largely disposable camera that won’t allow you to shoot in RAW, or to completely access the exposure triangle. Plus, the quality is obvious. They just feel heavy and good in your hand. In the best way. Solid.

We get it: our knee-jerk reaction was “That sounds too good to be true!”.

10 Megapixel CCD DSLR Cameras Are the Real Deal

Well, we looked into it, and it’s true. This may not be the best choice for everyone, and we understand that. But it’s a hell of an alternative for a lot of folks who think like we do.

We at Lone Loon Song are dedicated to finding the most value for the smallest investment of effort and dollars. Now, if this sounds like something that you might be interested in, you’re in the right place. We’re delighted you’re here. Thanks for being here. If you find this useful, tell your friends. If you purchase something through one of our links, we’ll get a commission, at no cost to you. We don’t really care if you buy something, or not. There’s no money in these cameras for us. But what we really want to do is be helpful to our readers. So, if you find this helpful, please tell your friends, link to us or tell us how we can improve.

“Wait! What? 10 Megapixels? Well that just ain’t enough!”

Nope. It turns out that it absolutely was enough. We’ll go even further: it’s enough now. For everything that we’re doing now. What do you want to do with images now that you were unable to do then?

People say, “But Loons! Printing!” And they have a point which we’ll address, and hopefully lay to rest. We’ve written an article : on Printing And Megapixels. It’s not quite ready yet. That’s kind of a deep dive, laying out all of the formulas and math you need. Therefore, we’re not going to go into it, here. Suffice it to say that nobody needs 50MP to share their cat’s photo on Facebook. Jesus Mary! Your lunch.

Even if said cat goes missing and you need to cover your neighborhoods telephone poles with “Have you seen Mr Purrrfect?” 8 x10″ printed posters, we’d be astounded if you couldn’t get that done with 3MP. (And we hope Mr Purrrfect is okay. Check the basement. “Mrs Downie I havent seen that many dead cats in trees. I think he’ll come down directly if you‘ll just leave him be. You call me back in a little bit, you hear?” -Cormac McCarthy.)

10 Megapixels was, and is, plenty for what you need it for. Really.

In fact, it turned out that not only was 10MPs enough, it just so happens that it was “State-Of-The-Art”. (We love that phrase. Next to “Future-Proof”. “Future-Proof” is the all time belly-cackles G.O.A.T! Ask that old contrarian anti-semitic asshole Henry Ford. “If I’d asked people what they wanted, they’d have said: ‘faster horses’.”)

In the late 2000’s, professional and even avid photographers were lining up, their credit cards in their hot little hands! They couldn’t wait to own these beauties. Don’t believe us? Here are the “best” pictures taken in 2008. Have a look, but don’t dicker around all day. We’ve got some points to make, and they ain’t gonna appreciate themselves. Just use the back button to get right back here.

Now, full disclosure: We don’t know for sure what kind of cameras took those “Best Photos of 2008” photos. Still, we’ve read a lot of Sherlock Holmes stories, and so we’re comfortable making some deductions:

The cameras must have been pre-2008
The cameras were almost certainly in the hands of “Professionals”
“Professionals” use the best tools available to them at that time – “State-Of-The-Art”
These were the cameras that were the most likely to have been used

So they must have been pre-2008, right? Did you see any Deloreans in those shots? You did not. Therefore we can safely assume no time travel. We may further postulate that the cameras that took those shots were either circa 2008, or produced earlier. We’re going to go way out on a limb and suggest that these cameras were “State-Of-The-Art” for that time. Or not. Who cares?

Here’s the thing: The photographs look fine to us. Hell, they look great. Do you detect a lack of detail? How about the colour? Not rich enough for you? Falling short in other crucial areas?

“Too Few Megapixels! We must have more Megapixels!”

“Uh, are you on any prescription medications?” Dustin Hoffman. Genius.

Do You Want A Lot Of Megapixels, Or Do You Want Great Images?

How many megapixels? How is that possibly a thing? Did you see those shots? Didn’t they look great? I mean, help us out, here. Aren’t beautiful images the point of photography? Have you ever looked at a beautiful photo and thought, “Wow, I wonder what kind of camera was used for that?” Nobody cares what you took the photograph with! A guy who produced one of our records in the late ’80s used to say “Nobody ever whistles the eq”. What he meant was, screw the tools, and get to work.

So, when someone tries to convince you that your camera has a megapixel deficiency, it’s okay to just back away. It is true that when printing, a higher number of megapixels can make a visible difference to the way the print looks. Especially if you’re doing some serious cropping. We’d argue that should have been handled at the composition stage, but that’s no hill to die on.

In any event, there’s ways around that, and we’ll show you exactly how. (Full Disclosure: That may not be as cheap as you’d like, but we’re still looking into that. “Keep your fork, Duke, there’s pie.”)

On the other hand, how often do you go to the printers? If you’re like most of us Loonies, the vast majority of your images are viewed on screens, just like you’re doing now, are we right? Facebook and Instagram will cut your images off at 2048 pixels wide. They’ll likely preserve the aspect ratio, but the point is, nobody is going to see anything like the number of megapixels your camera is rated for. No more than 8MP tops is what the people will see. (Even a 4k monitor is 3840 by 2160. Lessee here…carry the 2… That’s exactly 8,294,400 pixels, or around 8.3MP. That’s a lot of expensive pixels that aren’t doing you any good. That makes sense, right?)

Megapixels? Why On Earth Is A Camping And Outdoor Blog Going On About Them?

We aren’t just a camping and outdoor blog. Don’t let the good looks fool you. No Sir, Ma’am, Young Missy or Little Master. A case could be made that the Lion’s Share of what we do here at Lone Loon Song is to get the best value for the least investment of time and effort. In all useful things related to getting outdoors for your mental health in these most trying of times.

Consequently, we’re all about encouraging our readers to Get Out There™ and get your serotonin on, nevertheless a large part of the fun of camping for us is preserving our adventures with photographs – well, we’re into digital media of all kinds, really. This is something we have a passion for. Since we know how to do this without going broke, (so far, in any event – knock wood) we thought others might benefit from what we have learned. Getting fabulous images (not that we’re going to win any awards, but we’re having a lot of fun – which is sort of how you win the game of Life) without spending much money is a great feeling, and we want you to feel it, too. It doesn’t cost us a thing and it makes us happy. It’s no more complicated than that. Okay? Back to the article…

But first, those pencil-necks in Legal say we have to say this:

We test and review outdoor stuff. This is all either stuff we like or not. We intend to be as honest with you as possible because we want to be useful and earn your trust. If you purchase something through our links, we’d be honoured, but please know that we will earn a commission, at no cost to you. “We’ll tell you nuthin’ but nuthin’ but right, Donny.” Al Pacino in Donny Brasco.

Where Are These Images Going To End Up?

For most people in 2024, if your camera can produce content for Youtube, TikTok, Instagram or Facebook, you’re happy campers. Is this you? It’s us. These cameras will all do all of that, and more, and not even break a sweat. Here’s why:

The vast majority of monitors have resolutions of 1920 by 1080. Do a little math. 2 megapixels. “Wait!” you say. “I’ve got a brand new 4k monitor that is 3840 by 2160!” As wonderful as that is, it’s still only around 8 megapixels.

Therefore, while they’re easy to measure and a fun metric, they’re not the be-all and end-all a lot of folks would have you believe.

Sure, there are other modern features that are nice, but if you think about the cost/benefit for a second, you can see the merit of these wonderful cameras. Now the word has gotten out, and some of these cameras have become more pricy as people are starting to realize what a great bargain they are. So don’t just look for the famous ones. For example, the Pentax K10D is starting to get better known, and the prices are starting to rise, but did you know that the Samsung GX-10 is basically the same camera, except for a few trivial differences, and nobody’s bouncing up and down about that. (Yet) So have a look, and do some research. Pay attention to the cards – SDHC vs SDXC. It may seem like a small thing, but the payback is huge. You’ll thank us. We’re going to do an article that looks at these guys in depth. We’ve got some ideas that we’ll list later, but you can’t think of everything.

The point is, if you do a little due diligence, you can’t go wrong: (Well, it’s possible, but if you follow these suggestions, it’s pretty unlikely.

Don’t fall in love. (Not in life, go nuts, fill your boots, kiss in the warm spring rain. We’re talking about cameras here.)
Consider your Google query carefully – being efficient at finding what you need to know is super-important. It’s also a transferable skill, and the first guy to the correct answer wins. (We put that emphasis there for a reason: incorrect answers litter the countryside. Media literacy is something everyone needs.
Find out everything you can about that particular camera.
Be able to buy if you see the Holy Grail, but force yourself to wait at least two weeks. (Or pick some arbitrary timeline. There’s plenty of frogs in the pond – except for that ’73 f-hole telecaster, that was gone by the time we got back there. That one stung. And yet, here we are, fighting on.)

Take notes or photos on your phone to keep them straight if you’re going to the shops. Research them when you get home. Check the online prices, and what you get for how much money. These are all professional grade cameras, and at one time, very knowledgeable folks paid a lot of money for them. They loved them. More likely than not, they babied them. You’ll be able to tell.

Quite honestly, we bet that when they look back over their old photographs they probably have a pang of remorse. We’re often convinced that a new camera will get us better pictures.

That’s not how it works. Of course, a better tool can produce better results. But the fact is, you can take good photographers with sub-par equipment and they will always produce better photographs than bad photographers with the best equipment. It is a fact.

The Quality Is Obvious.

There can be no question of quality. Brands like Pentax, Sony, Nikon, Canon and Olympus all produced great cameras. And to us, that period before CMOS sensors began to replace the CCD sensors was a kind of golden age. Recently, there has been some nostalgic talk about cameras from that era, mostly from TikTokers who loved their parents point-and-shoot “digicams”. That’s not what we’re talking about, but you can find great bargains today because folks are all in a sweat about Megapixels.

These old girls just feel good in your hands, and the shutter works with satisfying noise. The same old knocks still exist – they aren’t energy-efficient, and they aren’t quick. But they have soul.

For about the same money that you would spend on a modern disposable digital camera, you can get a quality piece of equipment that will quite likely last a long time and provide you with many photographs. If you can, check the actuation before buying, and if you can’t, find out about the return policy before taking it home. Don’t buy it if they don’t provide actuation details or allow you to return it. (You can check the actuation – the number of times the shutter has been pressed by Googling “actuation shutter count” or going here. You can also check it in GIMP, (image->metadata->view metadata -> exif and find shutterdata.) and likely other editing programs. Most cameras will last for 200,000 shots or so, so anything under 50,000 is wonderful. And that’s a lot of shots.)

Get the amzn links

Cameras to Consider: (You can check the price at Amazon.)

Pentax K10D
Nikon D80, D50, D70, D40
Nikon D100, D300 Might grab this one, ourselves!
Canon EOS 400D (and EOS 30D JPEG/MPEG sweet price!)
Canon EOS Rebel XT, EOS Digital Rebel
Canon EOS Kiss Digital X (Canon EOS Kiss X2)
Olympus E400
Samsung GX-10 (Can likely find a good price on E-bay)
Nikon D70S 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)(Outstanding value)

A Plethora Of Quality Glass (Lenses – Not necessarily cheap)

Of course, they can be expensive. However, with a little luck, you can find some excellent glass without breaking the bank. Once again, the second hand store is your friend. One of the great things about these old cameras is that they were extremely popular. There were literally a shit-ton of these sold. (We apologize for the technical term.) As a result, there is an enormous selection of lenses for them. Our advice is to buy the body of the camera only, and then go looking for the lens you want. Or, if you have lenses, or know what lens you think might best suit your style, there’s no reason not to back into a camera based on the lenses you want. Both good options, but make certain that the camera body fits the lens, or vice versa.

Check to be sure, but most of these cameras use the same lens mount system that their DSLR lineup has continued using until now.

Most companies are canceling all of their dslrs. (Not Pentax! Yayyyyy!) This makes the choice of lenses available both large and affordable. For example, the Sony A series cameras are supported by the Sony A mount lenses and Minolta AF lenses from the 90s, which means an embarassment of riches when it comes to cheap glass. The pentax K system

Stay away from “kit lenses”. The quality is often iffy, and you’ll end up buying two products. (There is no economy in buying a mediocre lens and then realizing that a) This doesn’t cut it, b) I can’t in good conscience sell this, c) I’m going to have to buy another damn lens. So measure twice, cut once – Like the man said.)

If you don’t know what you don’t know, a “nifty-fifty” is the go-to recommendation that you’ll likely hear, and there’s a good reason for that. It’s a “prime” 50mm lens that is beloved by photographers. Unlike a lot of lenses, there is one made for almost all cameras that accept lenses. Also, it’s not prohibitively expensive. Famous brands like Sony, Olympus, Leica, Fuji, Nikon and Canon all manufacture 50mm lenses, often with various apertures. Some lesser known, but perfectly serviceable third party manufacturers include Rokinon, Lensbaby, Tamron and Sigma are worth a look. Here’s a list of 50mm lenses we like. (Non-exhaustive. Also, lenses are personal, and if one speaks to you, whether it’s on this list or not, see what’s what.

In addition, it’s never a bad idea to decide on which of the lenses you like first, and then figure out which camera you like; kind of back into your camera. That takes some time and money. Just calling balls and strikes.

The point is that there are lots of lenses to be had. Lens compatibility is a giant plus: Because so many of these cameras were sold, and the lenses were designed to be used throughout the brand family, you can nearly always find something that’s great. Let us know if you do!

Conclusion

Somebody loved these cameras, and wanted them to have good homes. There’s a lot of life in these yet, only waiting for the right eye to come along and make them sing again. That could be you.

It’s hard to imagine a better gift for someone who is getting into photography, or thinks that it might be something that they will like. There really is no point in buying a camera that won’t fully support your photographic journey. And we’ll double down on that: there’s no point in buying a cheap camera, only to find that you need to replace it. We think these amazing CCD DSLR cameras are the perfect solution. You don’t have to spend much money, and you’re really going to enjoy these. They’re so much fun! We feel like we were really lucky to have stumbled onto these, and it’s in that spirit that we offer them up to you.

We are completely seduced by these wonderful old cameras, and we hope that you enjoyed this article. Be sure to read our others. There’s plenty more where this came from.

Here in Japan there is an expression: “Mottai Nai”. The reason we like the Japanese phrase is because there is a certain je ne sais quoi, (Hah.) It sort of means “(Something) that is too good to be wasted”. That’s what we think of when we see these cameras: “Mottai Nai!”

These Cameras Want To Be Used, Don’t Waste Them!

See you out there!