Pictures from the sky

[Shayne]

What you really should be looking at is sensor size.  My Sony DSC-W1 has a pretty respectable sensor for a point and shoot at 7.18 x 5.32 mm compared to my Nikon D80's 23.6 x 15.8 mm

[Ustauk]

What you really should be looking at is sensor size.  My Sony DSC-W1 has a pretty respectable sensor for a point and shoot at 7.18 x 5.32 mm compared to my Nikon D80's 23.6 x 15.8 mm

Agreed, here's that Dan's Data article about megapixels and sensor size.

You also have to look at what you're doing with the camera.  My Coolpix 990 took some very nice daytime landscape shots, owing to it descent size sensor.  However, it lacks image stabilization and a good ISO rating (only 400), so taking night or low light shots without the flash was nearly impossible, and even with the flash they weren't always the best.  Plus, as Shayne pointed out to me, the camera was bulky, which made it difficult to take into clubs reguarly.  So you have to look at multiple factors and see what fits you.