I think you're missing what I was saying. I don't think the MP has anything to do with the manual settings you're talking about. What I said was that if you wanted to get a decent print out of it, you're going to be more hard-pressed to do so with <2MP. This doesn't have anything to do with the white balance. This has nothing to do with the aperture or even focus! This has to do with the sheer amount of pixels! I'm talking detail, not effects. I agree, you'll be able to get what you want more easily with a fully manual, low-res digicam (if you know how to use it) than you would with sheer point and click on any camera*.

Now that I re-read your quote (which is a bit out of context now), I should re-write it as this to fit my opinion:
"As for that used Sony someone mentioned, honestly you can NOT go lower than 2 megapixels if you want a decent 5x8 print"
How's that?



*my next point would be that the G2 gives you the choice. you can do everything and more that it sounds like you can do with that camera, or do automatic, and you have 4MP detail. but I guess there's no shaking someone from the whole SLR deal. Oh well, to each his own.