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Vision System Pixel Resolution Calculator

Work out vision system pixel resolution instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Vision System Pixel Resolution Calculator

Spatial resolution is field of view divided by sensor pixels. Detecting a feature reliably needs several pixels across it — two is the theoretical minimum, three to five is normal for measurement, and ten or more for accurate edge fitting or OCR.

Formula

Vision resolution

mm per pixel = FOV width / sensor pixels; pixels on feature = feature size / mm per pixel

Worked example

With the default values below, Vision System Pixel Resolution Calculator returns Resolution of 0.04902. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Field of view width
120 mm
Sensor width
2,448 pixels
Smallest feature to detect
0.25 mm
Pixels required per feature
3 pixels

Results

Resolution
0.04902 mm/pixel
Pixels across the feature
5.10 pixels
Sensor width needed
1,440 pixels
Assessment
Sufficient resolution

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Vision resolution
  3. 3Resolution= 0.04902 mm/pixel
  4. 4Pixels across the feature= 5.10 pixels
  5. 5Sensor width needed= 1,440 pixels
  6. 6Assessment= Sufficient resolution

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just one pixel per feature?

Sampling theory needs at least two, and in practice edges fall between pixels, lighting varies and lens MTF blurs detail, so three or more gives repeatable detection.

Is a higher resolution camera always the answer?

Not necessarily. Reducing the field of view, using a better lens or telecentric optics often gives more usable resolution for less money and data.

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