What is Resolution?

In its’ simplest terms, resolution refers to the amount of information in the image. Most commonly, this is the amount of pixels that make up a digital photo – more correctly known as ‘pixel count’. For example, an image captured on an EOS 5DS, at 8688 by 5792 pixels, would be described as having a high pixel count, or being very high in resolution.

On the other hand, and perhaps more correctly, resolution refers to the amount of discernible detail that can be captured in an image, and is directly affected by the quality of the lens. 

Finally, resolution can also refer to how an image is viewed, either through a monitor, or as a printed image. In this case, resolution is defined as how much information is contained within a specific area. In printed images, this is Dots Per Inch (DPI), and Pixels Per Inch (PPI) for display devices. The higher the number, the better quality.