Note that these are serious issues and that adding more megapixels won't fix any of them. By spending less on pixels counts and more on lighting, optics and speed, you will end up with much better pictures. Trust your own eyeballs, not pixel counts, when buying a camera.

Also, visit the sites listed at the end of this article. They'll tell you everything you need to know about the quality of each camera. More important, they'll show you actual photos taken with each camera, so you can choose a camera based on picture quality.

The conventional wisdom is that professionals need super-high-quality cameras, while consumers, who buy cameras to take casual snapshots of their kids, need only mediocre models. I think that's all wrong. What's more important to you: a picture of some random model hawking overpriced jewelry in a glossy magazine, or capturing your child's first steps?

Buy a great camera, but be smart about it. Spend your money on maximum picture quality, and just say no to maximum megapixels.

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