Digital Cameras Optical Zoom vs Megapixels?

Hello-
I am looking to upgrade my old camera. I have a 5 megapixel camera now, but the pictures come out grainy. I was looking at getting a 7.1 (3x optical) megapixel from sony, but then I was told that if I wanted a good quality camera, that 6 megapixel with a higher zoom would be just as good plus I would have the added benefit of being able to zoom in closer to objects without getting that digital haze.
Any help in comparing the two features and/ or product suggestion is appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

Optical zoom trumps pixel count only to the extent that you would be cropping your pictures without the zoom feature.

Forget about digital zoom. It's a great way to ruin a photo.

At this point the cost of buying more megapixels is pretty small. the thing to consider is whether you plan to print your photos,m and how large. I have a 6 Megapixel (wish I had more) SLR I am typically printing 11 x 14 " with great success, but at this size cropped images do show some resolution degradation.

On the other hand, if you can find a camera with greater optical zoom, it is very desirable. My son just bought the Canon S3 IS (6 megapixel with optical zoom ~ 10). It is a very impressive camera, and much more versatile than one with only 3x zoom.

I'll go with bigger optical zoom instead of megapixels. (3 Mb photo is excellent quality when you print on A4 paper.) With bigger optical zoom you'll have the possibility to take better far images. (Look at professional cameras that they have on sports events: long lens means bigger optical zoom, not bigger pixels. Why?)

Getting the higher optical zoom will be better because the lens will mostlikely be larger letting more light hit the sensor so when you do crop the pixels wont have the haze. Pixel density is a factor. For example a 5 and 10 MP camera might have different size sensors with the same pixel density so if you have a higher zoom lens on the 5mp camera the now zoomed image will use all 5mp while if you use a 10mp with small zoom lens and crop down alot the cropped image will efectively have less pixels in the image if it gets cropped enouph. I hope I was able to make myself clear enouph its hard to put into words without graphics.

Let me put it this way I am a wildlife photographer who's last camera had only 3.2mp but I had a good lens and was able to get good 8x10 pictures.

Good luck with your photography!

Well first of all I hope that you are in deed talking about optical zoom and not digital zoom. But as far as your question is concerned, you can't compared Optical zoom vs. Megapixels, read the article I included below to get the information you need, the information you are looking for is about 1/3 into the article. I hope it helps you make an informed choice when you buy your camera.

This advice was precisely correct. Consider Optical Zoom as the most important feature. Disregard digital zoom altogether, it is evil. Then next think about the megapixels, but after you get over 5MP it becomes a secondary consideration.

You don't mention your budget, that makes it hard to recommend a camera to suit you. SLR is the ultimate, and a good example of why you go for optical quality and worry about megapixels second.

If you are lucky Dr Sam will come along and give you ideas, he has a much better idea a puts a lot of effort into his answers!

All the best.