Some photographers are convinced that a 4-megapixel sensor offers the best balance of image size and noise, while others maintain that an inexpensive dSLR achieves a better compromise between flexibility and resolution. And for subsets in those markets, an interesting new crop of 5- and 6-megapixel models has sprung up. The result? The most-motivated camera shoppers are faced with tough buying decisions.

These new 8-megapixel cameras deliver more than simply the resolution increase that we're also seeing in the mainstream market. Like the Sony DSC-F828, which shipped at the end of last year, they offer some improvements on their lower-res counterparts: wider-angle zoom lenses, 2-inch and larger LCDs, higher-resolution electronic viewfinders, and some innovative designs. The $999 Canon PowerShot Pro 1, for example, uses some of the best lens technology at the company's disposal. Here's some perspective: You'd have to add a pricey f/2.4-to-f/3.5, 28mm-to-200mm (the 35mm-camera equivalent) L-series lens to the otherwise inexpensive Digital Rebel to get the same result. Canon's new lens technology is also designed to decrease anomalous distortion, the latest buzz phrase for chromatic aberration, or fringing. The problem plagues midrange Canon PowerShots, such as the G5.

Konica Minolta joins the 8-megapixel EVF ranks.

The $1,099 Konica Minolta Dimage A2 incorporates the highest-resolution electronic viewfinder to date. At more than 900,000 pixels, it has taken many other manufacturers and their momentarily top-dog 235,000-pixel EVFs by surprise. And the camera uses the same image-stabilization technology that continues to differentiate the Dimage A1 from the crowd, although the A2's 1.8-inch LCD looks small compared with the screens of the latest competition.

In light of all the other manufacturers' 28mm offerings, we don't expect Olympus's $999 8-megapixel C-8080 Wide Zoom to make the splash that the company probably hoped it would. But the Olympus still has a couple of standout features, including bayonet-mount add-on lenses for faster swaps and an optional $200 Power Battery holder. In contrast, Nikon's $999 Coolpix 8700, with its narrow-angle 35mm-to-280mm (the 35mm-camera equivalent) lens and its smallish 1.8-inch LCD, will be a tough sell, judging by specs alone.

Can Nikon's 8700 compete?

So, who's not using Sony's 8-megapixel chip? Fujifilm, for one. The company is promoting its new dSLR-style FinePix S20 Pro, which can work tethered to a PC via FireWire or USB 2.0, provides flash PC-syncing capabilities, and employs a 6-megapixel SuperCCD SR (the company's SuperCCD chip with a higher dynamic range).

Kodak, too, makes its own sensors. The company's new high-end enthusiast cam is the 6-megapixel EasyShare DX7630. Kodak's prosumer models tend to live on the border between consumer and enthusiast, but this EasyShare's $449 price may increase its allure for the budget shutterbug.

Leica keeps the resolution down to 5 megapixels with its Digilux 2, which the company announced in December but showed for the first time here. The Digilux offers a fast f/2.0-to-f/2.4, 28mm-to-90mm (the 35mm-camera equivalent) lens; a 2.5-inch LCD; a large 2/3-inch sensor; and--of course--a tanklike Leica body with the soul of a dSLR and the look of a range finder. The Leica's innovative pop-up flash also stands out; you can point it upward to bounce the light for a more diffuse, appealing effect.

And where Leica goes, Panasonic follows. The Digilux's separated-at-birth twin, the Lumix DMC-L1, is slated to ship a few months after the Leica but likely with Panasonic's more aggressive pricing.

As you can see, the enthusiast market is teeming with choices, making buying a new model in 2004 a wrenching decision.