When you look at the specifications of a digital camera, you will see two listings for the number of pixels: effective and actual (or total).
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Why are there two numbers and what do they mean? The answer to that question is complicated and gets quite technical, so let’s take a look at them.
Digital camera image sensors consist of a large number of small sensors that collect photons. The photodiode then converts the photons into an electrical charge. Each pixel is linked to a single photodiode.
Effective pixels are the pixels that capture the image data. They are effective, and effective by definition means "successful in producing the desired effect or intended result." These are the pixels that do the work of capturing a photo.
