Originally posted by hjoseph7 I use to carry my Lumix DMC-TZ5 almost every where I went every day, because it fit right into my front pocket. And boy did I get some great shots that I probably would not have been able to if I was carrying my DSLR. Unfortunately, the Lumix is only a 10 Megapixel camera, so I could only go about 8x10 max when it came to enlargements.
I used to shoot with a Sony DSC-P200 back a few years ago because it's all I had. It's a 7.2MP camera. I've printed pictures up to poster size (24"x36" I think) and you could see the grains in the sand (exposing these smaller sensors well is the key...) - and that was before I discovered you can edit pictures on your computer...
I have seen people who work in printing shops who have large pictures printed on their walls - that were taken with 6MP cameras from back in the day. People can't tell the difference from newer 24+MP pictures unless they take a magnifying glass to them - something no one would do with street photography.
I would not hesitate to print large pictuers from my K10D and K200D files (10MP) and know people here in the forums who have sold many pictures taken with these cameras - and with cameras with smaller sensors, particularly cameras like the Panasonic LX3 which is a premium point and shoot with a 10MP sensor - that shoots RAW.
The whole thing about needing 300dpi to print a picture is a myth - the human eye can't resolve that.
So what I'm trying to say is - I would not limit myself to 8x10 pictures... unless the lens on your Panasonic camera is what can't resolve detail... but I somehow doubt that.