Is reducing the resolution a good idea?

The more pixels you pile onto a minuscule sensor, the less each is sensitive to the light. The result is that sometimes old 6 Mpx cameras give nicer images than recent 12 Mpx compacts. If you set your 12 Mpx at a lower definition, does this improve things?

This is a question that comes up a lot: if you don't need 12 Mpx, does reducing the resolution at which you take pictures improve the image quality? In particular does it reduce digital noise, directly linked to the sensor's density (the ratio between sensor size and resolution)?

To find out, we quite simply put it to the test. Here are our findings.

> Is reducing the resolution a good idea?

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