Guide: Diffraction and Camera Sensors: Less is More?

When we looked at how the size of the sensor in a digital camera can affect its performance back in August, there was one detail that we left out: diffraction.  With the latest 14 Megapixel point-and-shoot models arriving in the shops as we speak, it seemed like a good moment to return to the subject.

Diffraction is a simple enough physical principle: when light rays travel through a small opening--like the lens in your camera--they spread out, forming a round disc instead of a sharp point.  When these discs are smaller than the pixels themselves, it's fine, but if they're any bigger, you end up with a blurry photo. 

With more and more pixels on a sensor that's the same physical size, the only choice is to make them smaller, and that's why even the most recent cameras show the effects of diffraction.

> Guide: Diffraction and Camera Sensors


> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products