How Does Digital Camera Resolution Compare to the Human Eye?

The resolution of the human eye is estimated to be about 575 megapixels, while the highest digital camera resolution is only about 20 megapixels. Image resolution is generally measured in pixels, or the number of dots it contains, with one million pixels to a megapixel. Therefore, the human eye can theoretically see images with more than 28 times more clarity than the highest-quality digital camera. Scientists believe that human eyes are able to see more pixels simply because there are two eyes to intake more pixels for the brain to process. Also, eyes can quickly move around to view more pixels and send the image signals to the brain.

More about the human eye:

• The human eye is made up of more than two million parts that work together. The eyes also are the most active muscle in the body.
• On average, the human eye takes in more than 36,000 images every hour.
• When there is a lack of light, the eye starts to see images as monochromatic and less detailed in the center. To overcome this, astronomy photographers often look at stars just off-center, to view them more clearly.