These are the two most recent threads on this topic. Worth a read if you haven't found them for yourself.
Digicams 1
Digicams 2
The red highlights are because I searched on the word "camera".
I'll always endorse the view that good photography starts with the lens. And the larger the diameter the more light and the more you can do with the subsequent image.
With respects to Rob, with lots of pixels (and a wide lens) you can enlarge detail better and this can be useful for anorak work at airshows.