
Pixel Binning Math: Why a 200MP Sensor Shoots 12MP
A 200MP phone sensor outputs 12MP by default because it bins sixteen 0.6μm pixels into one. Effective pitch becomes 2.4μm and area per pixel grows 16x, but total light on the sensor never changes.

A 200MP phone sensor outputs 12MP by default because it bins sixteen 0.6μm pixels into one. Effective pitch becomes 2.4μm and area per pixel grows 16x, but total light on the sensor never changes.

A 1/1.3-inch sensor actually measures 12.3mm diagonally with a 72.7mm² light-gathering area. Here is why the inch notation has nothing to do with inches, and what 200MP plus pixel binning really changes.