I wouldn't worry so much about a MP, not having that MP will be negated by being able to Zoom in with that 10x IS zoom. By being able to zoom in, you will have to crop less. More MPs doesn't necessarily mean better image quality, the new 8MP cameras have more pixels, but they are crammed onto a small image sensor, causing potential noise. The 1D has excellent image quality with only a 4mp sensor. The S30s your collegues have has some of the best image quality I have seen, with only 3MP. Don't get caught up in the MP race!