If (your) number one comes true, iPhone here I come!!

True, but my point was practically no one gets 8x10, the large MP is just bragging rights for the consumer. Professionals may need more, but how many cameras sold are for pro use vs the masses taking pictures of Fluffy and kids. Can you really tell the difference between a 3.2 MP 4x6 and a 12? Try it and see.

Instead of consumer level cameras getting less expensive, they just keep raising the MPs and keep the same price range.

Of course. Prints off our old Sony 3.2 MP camera have visible pixels. Prints off our daughter's 8MP Samsung don't.

Now the difference between an 8MP print at that size and a 12 are probably harder to distinguish.

I'm not sure about the price range, either. The Sony cost us almost $330 when we bought it. The Samsung cost about $50, and takes way better pictures. Both are consumer point and shoot cameras. Although I will say the Sony has been a real workhorse. It's been dropped and knocked around more than I can tell and keeps going. I think if the Samsung was dropped like the Sony has been, it'd smash open.

Granted the CCD technology has got better, that would be the difference between old and new, but try it off of the Samsung at 3.2 and at 8. I don't have one that goes that high to to try, I'd be curious to hear real life results from someone here. My opinion on it comes from doing the math, MP relating to DPI, and from the internet for what that is worth.

There's a big difference in the size of an 8MP file and a 3.2, is it worth it to have to store the bigger files if one will never use them to that extent?

Yes. There are times I'd like a slightly larger image without having to carry around a normal digital camera. And sometimes, I need the size more than I need the quality (though I absolutely loved the assumption that I was simply a MP freak :o/). For a simple point-and-shoot, I'm not certain there would be any difference.

Pixel envy.

DUDE. You should see the camera I'm buying to digitize my artwork. Muy expensivo! But it'll take great photos whenever I need it to.

Well, show us the pixel hog then. We need links man!!!

Panasonic DMC-LX3

I've seen it sell for as low as $430, which will be the most I've spent on a camera. It's 10.1MP and has a really nice Leica lens, which, for what I'm doing, is more important. The MP size is about perfect for the size of illustrations and such that I do. IIRC, it does have threads for an adapter and macro lenses, etc. I did some research before deciding on this model, but I've owned two other Panasonics, and they've both performed really well.

Well when you scale down, the picture softens unless you sharpen. An 8MP sensor only takes pictures at that resolution, it's the software in the camera scaling the image down, which would help hide jaggies a little bit.

As for file size, I agree when you're talking raw uncompressed, but the pictures the Samsung takes are only about 2.5 megs at full resolution JPEG, where the Sony's are about 1.7. That's not a whole lot of difference, unless you're talking hundreds of thousands of pics.