| Author | Thread |
|
|
10/31/2004 11:09:59 AM · #1 |
I pretty much had decided to get the Panasonic FZ3 as a second, more portable camera (especialy when you add the weight and size of a long zoom to a SLR).
I wanted to get the Panasonic because it has 12x and got a better review at DPReview, despite the fact that I would rather have a camera like the S1 with a twisting LCD that uses compact flash and standard NIMH AA batteries, both of which I already have in abundance.
Plus the Panasonic has a very good (and included) method for attaching filters.
SO: I was going to get the Panasonic.
BUT: Why are the photos at DPReview samples for the Panasonic not as good as the S1? First, there's a fair amount of noise in the Panasonic at all ISO levels. I believe the Canon get's worse as you go higher (above 200, it's unusable). But you never get a clean shot with the Panasonic, at least if you look closely.
PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR:
Go to the DPReview samples, links below, and compare the pics, and tell me what you think in your own comparison:
Canon S1 Samples Here
Panasonic FZ3 Samples Here
|
|
|
|
10/31/2004 11:16:31 AM · #2 |
I really don't see a problem with the panasonic photos, even the one shot at ISO 400. It's hard to compare them though since most of the Canon shots show Auto ISO. There aren't that many similar pictures to compare.
|
|
|
|
10/31/2004 11:45:01 AM · #3 |
I agree that the S1 samples generaly have a crisper, cleaner look; part of this, is that the bulk of the S1 samples were shot in a sunny, colorful location, whereas many of the FZ3 samples were shot on an overcast, hazy day. In looking over the reviews for both cams, it also appears the Canon uses more aggressive sharpening in-camera. Honestly, I think both cameras produce great images for 3Mpx cams, but if I were buying a compact camera today, I'd go more than 3Mpx (my compact camera, the Nikon 995, is 3Mpx).
|
|
|
|
10/31/2004 01:51:24 PM · #4 |
Good points. But what about the noise difference? Assuming auto ISO for the Canon is mainly using the lowest ISO, and most of the Z3's pics are at the lowest ISO, what do you think about the noise difference? I downloaded the full resolution Z3 and you can clearly see the noise in the sky (and elswhere it may be reducing clarity).
|
|
|
|
10/31/2004 02:45:56 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
... I would rather have a camera like the S1 with a twisting LCD that uses compact flash and standard NIMH AA batteries, both of which I already have in abundance. |
These are the main reasons I bought the Canon -- I am fairly strongly biased against requiring proprietary parts like that. Also, it was on sale at a local store right when I needed to buy it before I left on vacation in August.
It has it's own quirks though ... personally I think if you are in that significant a qualndry that you should definitely go to a camera store which carries both and HOLD them, use them, check out the buttons and menus. Take test shots with both and have the store burn them to a CD for you to evaluate (if you don't have your own cards). Mostly I think comfort/ease of use is far more important than a slight difference in digital noise.
One of the "problems" with the S1 is that the EXIF does not show what ISO value was in effect when the "Auto" setting is used. I hate the EVF system, but I think you get that on all this type camera. One advantage of the 3MP size is less room is needed to store them all, and I get 150 shots on a cheap 256MB card. It is supposed to have a very good movie mode, but I haven't tried it yet.
This was shot with the Canon on a softly-lit day ...
 |
|
|
|
10/31/2004 04:30:38 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
Good points. But what about the noise difference? Assuming auto ISO for the Canon is mainly using the lowest ISO, and most of the Z3's pics are at the lowest ISO, what do you think about the noise difference? I downloaded the full resolution Z3 and you can clearly see the noise in the sky (and elswhere it may be reducing clarity). |
I don't think the differences in noise are a big deal. If you look at the few Z3 pics that were taken in suny conditions, the noise is less apparent, IMO. Still, it's no surprise that the Canon would have slightly lower noise, since...
- The Canon has a 1/2.7" sensor, while the Z3 has a smaller, 1/3.2" sensor. This last is downright tiny!
It's unfortunate that Phil elected to delete the noise testing on his newer-format "concise reviews", since the cameras getting the concise reviews are those most in need of a noise assessment.
I'd look for a good 4-5Mpx cam using a 1/1.8" sensor at minimum, preferably a 2/3" sensor.
|
|
|
|
10/31/2004 04:58:34 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by nshapiro:
Good points. But what about the noise difference? Assuming auto ISO for the Canon is mainly using the lowest ISO, and most of the Z3's pics are at the lowest ISO, what do you think about the noise difference? I downloaded the full resolution Z3 and you can clearly see the noise in the sky (and elswhere it may be reducing clarity). |
I don't think the differences in noise are a big deal. If you look at the few Z3 pics that were taken in suny conditions, the noise is less apparent, IMO. Still, it's no surprise that the Canon would have slightly lower noise, since...
- The Canon has a 1/2.7" sensor, while the Z3 has a smaller, 1/3.2" sensor. This last is downright tiny!
It's unfortunate that Phil elected to delete the noise testing on his newer-format "concise reviews", since the cameras getting the concise reviews are those most in need of a noise assessment.
I'd look for a good 4-5Mpx cam using a 1/1.8" sensor at minimum, preferably a 2/3" sensor. |
But a bigger sensor with higher resolution may in fact have the same size sensor/pixels, no? What they should be publishing is the size of the pixels and/or the center-to-center dimensions. (And as I recall reading and I'm sure you know, these fractional numbers, e.g., 1/2, don't actually mean a, e.g., 1/2" sensor.) |
|
|
|
10/31/2004 05:11:14 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
One of the "problems" with the S1 is that the EXIF does not show what ISO value was in effect when the "Auto" setting is used. I hate the EVF system, but I think you get that on all this type camera. One advantage of the 3MP size is less room is needed to store them all, and I get 150 shots on a cheap 256MB card. It is supposed to have a very good movie mode, but I haven't tried it yet. |
It doesn't show the ISO in the EXIF ever. That has puzzeled me??? I almost always shoot at ISO 50, so it's not that big of a deal, but I wish it did record the value used.
The movie mode is pretty amazing. I've only used it a few times but the quality is better then a lot of camcorders I've seen.
|
|
|
|
10/31/2004 06:30:49 PM · #9 |
Also keep in mind that Canon's consumer cameras typically have better out of camera sharpening/color than other models do. Check out imaging-resource.com and see if they have additional samples. Also check out Steve's Digicams.com.
Clara
|
|
|
|
10/31/2004 06:32:14 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by nshapiro:
But a bigger sensor with higher resolution may in fact have the same size sensor/pixels, no? What they should be publishing is the size of the pixels and/or the center-to-center dimensions. (And as I recall reading and I'm sure you know, these fractional numbers, e.g., 1/2, don't actually mean a, e.g., 1/2" sensor.) |
Well admittedly I had not done the math, but since the change in the number of pixels from, say, 3Mpx to 4Mpx is 1.33x, it only takes a 15.3% increase in sensor area to compensate. Now the obligator math...
A 1/3.2" sensor has a diagonal measurement of only 5.68mm, whereas a 2/3" sensor has a diagonal of 11.0mm, and thus an area nearly 4 times as large. Huge difference.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/13/2025 09:52:43 PM EDT.
