My old Digital camera is 5.0 megapixels , should

[UndertheOcean]

I ask for a good 10 megapixels for Xmas , or is it a waste of money.

Any photography experts in here

[NYC_SKP]

1. Gut instinct?

If you have to ask, then the one you have must be meeting your needs now, so maybe wait.

[Orrex]

2. Depends on what you want to use it for

I've had three professional photographers tell me that 5MP is much more than adequate for most personal use, other than sporting events or large outdoor functions.

They've also said that the refresh-speed is every bit as important as how many megapixels it has (can't remember the actual term, but it describes how fast your camera's ready again after snapping a photo).

[JCMach1]

3. Depends on the processing chip... there is a big difference between a 5mp Canon

and a 5MP Chinese knockoff.