Just thought I'd show......HS20 (2 images)

an example of the difference between 8MP vs 16MP.

Settings were as follows:

Aperture Priority Mode F5.6
ISO 100
WB: Sunny
Full Zoom 126mm (720mm equivalent) Hand Held
IS: Shoot Only
Exposure Correction: -0.33
Metering: Spot
Sharpness: Normal
Noise Reduction: Low
Tone: Std
Colour: Std
Film Mode: PROVIA

I forgot I had Dynamic Range set to Auto, which of course doesn't function beyond 100% in 16MP mode. The 8MP image had DR set to Auto and it selected 200%.

The only other difference, other than framing, was shutter speed. 8MP image had 1/120, 16MP image had 1/150

Both images are SOOC. No PP has been applied!

Don't forget to click on Original to do a proper comparison

8MP Image:

16MP Image: