I think Stefan is probably right about size being important.
Lens size = lens quality. When I photographed the spiders earlier in this thread I had ideal conditions, bright sunlight, stationary subject etc. But even with my compact camera on macro and at maximum quality (5.1 MP). The resulting pictures just don't come up to scratch. I guess the way to get top notch close-ups, like Stefans, is to use a Digital SLR (with a larger lens than any compact can offer)....Oh, and no small degree of talent!
