Systems, methods, and apparatus for sampling images using minimum mean square error subpixel-based down-sampling (MMSE-SD) are presented herein. A partition component can receive a first array of pixels, and divide the first array of pixels into two-dimensional (2-D) blocks of pixels. Further, a sampling component can diagonally down-sample subpixels of a block of the 2-D blocks, and generate a second array of pixels based on the down-sampled subpixels. The sampling component can alternately sample subpixels of adjacent pixels of the block in a diagonal direction, and generate the second array of pixels based on the subpixels. A reconstruction component can create a virtual image based on, at least in part, the second array of pixels. A MMSE-SD component can determine an optimal low resolution image based on, at least in part, respective color components of the virtual image and a high resolution image associated with the first array of pixels.