After my second Sony H camera return (the H9) I have become convinced that until camera manufacturers get over this megapixel megazoom race without improving the sensors, there simply aren't going to be any cameras out there with the same beautiful detail that my older cameras produce(d).

Fancy features like huge zoom, super high ISOs, image stabilization, and large lcds do not make up for sensor deficiencies covered up by intolerable detail bashing noise reduction.

This morning as I watched my two cats chowing down I thought about capturing their sizes, since Beegie is packing on the weight again. My Canon A610 was in grabbing distance, so I changed the ISO to 400 (its highest) and got this shot in my dimly lit laundry room. I so very much cherish its wonderful auto white balance - the BEST of any digicam I've owned - even better than that from my dslrs. (This isn't a particularly spectacular image, but it did inspire me to pontificate here.)

I treasure my A610 and the hundreds of beautiful images it has produced, as I cherished the A80 which came before it.

For extreme low light photography I chose to get a Fuji F30, which has not disappointed me in low light, but I think the A610 has the edge on bright light dynamic range.

For "serious" work at high ISOs I still use my dslrs, but they're not nearly as much fun as my little digicams. Carrying several pounds around can get mighty tiring.

The point of this post? Appreciate what you have while you're waiting for the announcement that the megapixel, megazoom, high ISO race is over and they've come out with a super sensor that has increased dynamic range a hundredfold, along with solving the high ISO quality issue.

It seems that rather than getting better, the newer crop of digicams is more disappointing than anything else. I think I'm on "hold" now in the camera acquisition department - but I never can tell when I'm going to get caught up again in the race for the latest and greatest.