Today’s Question: I’m seeing a lot of references to 4K resolution, especially for video capture on cameras and monitors. But what does 4K translate to in terms of camera resolution in megapixels that is more familiar to photographers?
Tim’s Quick Answer: 4K resolution is equivalent to about 8.3 megapixels, for both video cameras and monitor displays that feature 4K resolution.
More Detail: Most 4K displays and video capture have a resolution of 3,840×2,160 pixels, though there is some variation in the specific pixel count in both directions. To determine the number of megapixels based on pixel resolution, you simply multiply the number of pixels across by the number of pixels down, and divide by one million.
So, in this case, assuming a resolution of 3,840×2,160 pixels, the total number of pixels is 8,294,400. Divided by one million (or moving the decimal to the left six places) yields 8.2944, or about 8.3 megapixels.
