Pixel Pitch Calculator — Pixel Size & Density

Pixel pitch is the distance between the centres of adjacent pixels on the sensor, measured in micrometres (µm). Larger pixel pitch means larger pixels, which generally capture more light and produce less noise. A full-frame 24MP camera (6000 × 4000) has a pixel pitch of about 6µm, and a 50MP full-frame sensor works out at roughly 4.2µm. Real cameras differ slightly because the active sensor area is a little smaller than the nominal 36 × 24mm — the Canon EOS R5 (45MP) is about 4.39µm and the Sony A7R IV (61MP) about 3.76µm.

Larger pixels (higher pitch) collect more light, producing better signal-to-noise ratio and dynamic range. This is especially noticeable at high ISO. However, modern small-pixel sensors use advanced technology (BSI, stacked) to partially compensate. For most photography, any pixel pitch above 3µm performs well.

Diffraction limits resolution beyond a certain aperture. The Airy disc diameter is d = 2.44 × wavelength × N, which at 0.55µm green light is about 1.342 × N micrometres. The diffraction-limited aperture (where the Airy disc just fills one pixel) is therefore N ≈ pixel pitch (µm) ÷ 1.342. For 6µm pixels diffraction becomes visible around f/4.5; for 4µm pixels around f/3.0. Stopping down further reduces effective resolution despite the extra depth of field — in practice many photographers tolerate an Airy disc of 2–3 pixels before softening is objectionable.

Not necessarily. More megapixels on the same sensor size means smaller pixels (lower pitch), which can increase noise and hit diffraction limits sooner. The ideal depends on your use case: print size, cropping needs, and shooting conditions. 24MP is sufficient for most uses; 40-60MP benefits large prints and heavy cropping.