The first megapixel sensor
1986 (Kodak, 1.4 MP CCD)
Kodak scientists made a CCD with 1.4 million pixels, enough for a 5×7 inch photo-quality print. The first sensor with over a million pixels.
How it began
Early CCDs had a few thousand to a few hundred thousand pixels. In 1986 Kodak’s research labs made a sensor with 1.4 million pixels.
How it works
The sensor was a grid of light-sensitive cells, each building up an electric charge in proportion to the light, read out one by one. More, smaller cells give more detail.
Why it mattered
A million pixels is about what a small photographic print needs, so the sensor showed that digital pictures could rival film for everyday use. Kodak built it into its first professional digital cameras.
Limits and what replaced it
Smaller pixels gather less light, adding noise. Better sensor design, such as CMOS and backside illumination, made high pixel counts practical.
Today
Phones now have sensors of 50–200 megapixels.