Resolution can be quite confusing. For a camera, the highest number of pixels it can record is the highest resolution. For computer monitors, however, the image size must match the monitor display settings (the monitor resolution) for the photograph to be shown properly. Understanding resolution is a numbers game, but the concept is simple. You need to match the camera image size to the output size. With basic calculations this is not hard to do.

Each image has a set number of pixels, which is called the pixel count. This number is the total number of pixels in a particular photograph and is computed by multiplying the image's height in pixels by its width in pixels. For instance, the lowest resolution setting on a digital camera (and cell phones) often creates images that are 640 pixels wide and 480 pixels tall (which is perfect for e-mail). In this example the pixel count of a 640×480 image is 307,200.

On the opposite end, a high-resolution image might have a 3072-pixel width and 2304-pixel height. This photograph has an exact pixel count of 7,077,888 but this number is usually rounded off and written as 7.1 megapixels. When buying a camera, the highest pixel count will be listed with the camera's specifications. So, for example, the FujiFilm S700 digital camera is listed as a 7.1 megapixel camera.

Virtually all digital cameras (and even cell phones) will offer a number of resolutions that you can choose from. The FujiFilm S700 offers a range of resolutions from low-end 640×480 to 1600×1200 to 2288×1712 to 3072×2304. Most cameras will let you switch back and forth between resolutions as needed. Typically an icon on the LCD viewer will alert you to the specific resolution you are currently using.