I just re read my previous reply and I wasn't clear as I could have been.
My reference to
overpixelisationing was about what I think is about to manifest in the next few incarnations of camera models, rather than the past few years.
Save for the D800's, pixels on sensors are about at the point where they should be.
I think 24-ish Mp is about as much as 'we need' in a 35mm sensor. I think Canon were smarter in holding back at 20Mp on their newest sensor.
36Mp is acceptable in that I have one of those devices and there's no way for me to change it myself.
Had I had a choice, I would have gone with 24Mp and not 36 .. but this option wasn't a consideration ... so I was 'forced' into a 36Mp sensored camera.(my main priority was for a specific body type and feature set!).
Had I had the money, a D4 would have been my ultimate choice.
The fear is that Canon-Nikon will once again go into battle to restore themselves as the 'leader of the pixels race' ... and in a few years time, when it may be time to 'update the camera', my only choice (in this hypothetical future time) may be a gigapixel too many.
Damned I wish I had a Delorean!(imagine the good I could do in eliminating the vast majority of camera manufacturer marketing gurus ... of the future!
)
Of course there are those that always appreciate the need for more pixels, for example for the sake of cropping more, or whatever other endeavour they choose to subscribe too.
Strange thing is, even with the ability I now have to crop more(heavily) than before .. I have still yet to do so(other than to display a technical crop .. of detail/camera/lens sharpness, or some other such trivial purpose).
I think you're right Tony .. 15-25Mp(or any number thereabouts) is about as many as any of us really need.
I'm hoping that one of the manufacturers will take up the challenge of offering more unique sensor features.
Features such as individual pixel gating, or something to that effect, where you could set the camera up to stop over exposure, or conversely increase gain in underexposed individual pixels with a single exposure. The idea is a realtime ND effect at the time of exposure. Massive increases in dynamic range would result ... makes for easier processing and so forth.
New sensor technology is the actual answer.. not more pixels. Something along the lines of a foveon/x-trans/bayer/black silicon/
E. coli bacteria hybrid sensor that not only sees in pitch black darkness at 1/8000s, but can also imagine the photo for you(for those times when you can't be bothered to do it for yourself .. would be cool.