Originally Posted by
jtaylor996
I'm saying bad pixels are bad pixels man. I'm very pro crop, as long as you still have enough pixels left when you're done. If you have a very high MP sensor, it's true you may not need as much focal length ("zoom") when you're done, as you are more likely to have enough pixels after you crop. That's the subject of this entire discussion. The subject of the image really doesn't matter a bit in this regard (although I've provided some extreme examples).
The subject of the image absolutely matters; one of the majors rules of thumb for photography is "get closer," which is a little tough with celestial bodies.
Again, cropping is fine in a pinch, but if you're doing it excessively, it's either because you're not getting close enough or because you're not getting your composition right at the time of capture; both of these issues are better served with refining your craft, through practice and technique, and/or more appropriate equipment, as opposed to continually leaning on the cropping crutch. I'll agree with "as long as you still have enough pixels left when you're done," but everything else being equal, more on-target pixels is better because it gives you 'enough' for a variety of situations - a sharp 1280 wide image may be enough to share on online, but it's certainly not enough for a A4 print, let alone larger. Frankly, if I'm going to lug around a dedicated camera, I want the possibility of something more rewarding than a few facebook likes.