Shutterbug Sunday: Megapixels

Do megapixels matter?  I love taking pictures for my crafts.  But, I am an amateur nonetheless.  So, when I was considering buying my current Canon Rebel, I have to admit I was very impressed by the idea of owning a 15mp camera.  I'd never owned anything close to that.  It seemed important.

Ultimately, I was blown away by the quality of my pictures.  They seemed so clear and crisp.  I could get in closer to the subject.  I was inspired and became more creative.  Because I had no other means of measure, I quietly determined the megapixels must have played a role.  When I saw a new version of the rebel with 18mp at a cost of about $200 more than my current camera...I salivated.  Would that take my pictures to the next level? 

Then, a friend told me megapixels really only matter if you blow up pictures...BIG.  It is a great selling point for companies if the buyer is like many of us...crafters who just want to take better photos, but don't have formal training.  Turns out, megapixels may not matter that much, unless you are creating a billboard or unless you crop a lot.  Megapixels also take up more space in your storage. 

So, experts say, it may be cheaper to work on finding the right composition for your photo when you take it rather than trying to fix it after the fact.  I found this post on the NY Times helpful.  So, am I convinced?  Can I let go of the myth next time I buy?  I crop a lot.  But, if there is a major difference in price between the camera I want and one with lower megapixels, with no other differences, I think I'd save my money and spend it on a new scrapbooking tool.