Running 8MP cameras at 4MP questions

[M-Cube]

If you run a 8MP camera at 4MP, what will happen with the image quality and can you bebefit from it in low light conditions?
1. Since an 8MP camera has effectively twice the amount of image data compared to a 4MP one I assume that running a 8MP camera at 4MP this additional data can be used to improve 3DNR at low light conditions.
2. Since you now effectively have twice the sensor area to create one pixel I assume it should be able produce images in lower lux environments, so the camera becoming more sensitive to light.

But i bet it doesn't work that way otherwise more people would do that or at least talk about it.

 

[fenderman]

If you run a 8MP camera at 4MP, what will happen with the image quality and can you bebefit from it in low light conditions?
1. Since an 8MP camera has effectively twice the amount of image data compared to a 4MP one I assume that running a 8MP camera at 4MP this additional data can be used to improve 3DNR at low light conditions.
2. Since you now effectively have twice the sensor area to create one pixel I assume it should be able produce images in lower lux environments, so the camera becoming more sensitive to light.

But i bet it doesn't work that way otherwise more people would do that or at least talk about it.

Doesn't work that way.

 

[aristobrat]

@M-Cube, AFAIK when you lower the resolution of a stream (i.e. ask for a 4MP stream from an 8MP camera), everything coming from the sensor is still 8MP and the camera just uses its processor to resize the stream to 4MP.

 

[M-Cube]

It is a shame they don't do more with the data other than re-sizing.

 

[fenderman]

It is a shame they don't do more with the data other than re-sizing.

They cant change the physical characteristics of the sensor after its manufactured.