And another thing! No lens available today can out-resolve a 6Mp APS-C sensor . So more pixels won't give you sharper pictures; sharpness is limited by the lens, not the sensor.

People who think they would benefit from more pixels are generally ignorant victims of cynical marketing.

It's interesting that (almost) all the new "digital" lenses are reckoned to be very sharp. You wouldn't know they were so sharp if the sensor wasn't sharper (by which I mean, capable of resolving all the detail provided by the lens).

G

Basically, she thinks that 6Mp sensors are about as good as they are likely to get. If you cram more pixels onto the same size sensor, you'll get more noise (so 8Mp may give you worse quality, and it's not significantly bigger).

If you want more quality, you'll have to go for a bigger sensor. However, bigger sensors have their own problems (they are much more difficult to manufacture, and therefore much more expensive).

6Mp sensors already offer quality equivalent to 35mm film, and 35mm film became the most popular format because the ratio of quality to price and weight was right for most people (including many pros).

By the time full-frame sensors (ie: the same size as 35mm film) become "affordable", the price of a 6 or 8Mp sensor will have dropped so much that a camera like the *ist DS will cost about £200/$275 (things cost less in the USA). So, many people will still opt for an APS-C sized sensor, and the small lenses will be much lighter and cheaper than full-frame ones.

G

Mac,

The proper Pentax macro lenses are considerably sharper than standard lenses; in fact, breathtakingly sharp.

George

It's very expensive and doesn't support Pentax. Enough said.
G

Peter,

I suspect you'll find that metering systems have moved on a bit since thirty years ago. Along with a few other things.

George
........................................................................................
Got computerised twenty years ago and digitised five years ago. (Thankfully).

Wish I could get a new body! Tell me how you get on.

G

The K mount and the Yashica mount also look VERY similar, for the same reason.

G

The answer, John, is to be able to use a REALLY wide-angle lens.

But I don't think my need, or bank balance, are likely to justify the expense.

G

Thanks for this suggestion, Ted, but buying a film body to cure a digital problem is a bit too radical for me. However, if the need to go ultra-wide gets too strong, I'll press my old Leica IIIc into service. It could do with some exercise.

Cheers

George

Thanks, Kim, I guess it's not going to work. Ho hum. We'll have to see what the Pentax 12-24 is like, and pray for a windfall on the Premium Bonds.

G