Unfortunately, the firmware in most pro-sumer digital cameras has more to
do with the ultimate image quality than the lens. It's difficult to
extract images that allow an objective comparison of the optics. Not that
the lens doesn't make a difference, but I'd bet that the physical design of
the camera (which affects purple color fringing) and the post-processing
algorithms (which assemble the image via interpolated pixels) are more
important than the lens for most cameras. Let's not talk about the
in-computer, Photoshop processing that many people do prior to printing.
That can obscure many original camera-borne advantages or faults too.
Look at the new Canon G3, which is basically the same spec and form-factor
camera as the G2 with a longer lens, more options' flexibility, and
sporting a new, Canon-designed main CPU. Canon seems to have realized that
the 4 MgPx count is enough for most amatuers and they are working on
ultimate image quality through better post-processing and capture speed.
This is encouraging to me, and a welcome change from feature-itis and
feature-bloat. Just look at the Minolta Dimage 7 if you want to see a
camera that has too many doo-dads on it. It looks like some sort of alien
creature (not that it doesn't do a good job though).
Skip
Original Message:
-----------------
From: Chuck Norcutt chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 05:41:54 -0500
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] C5050 comparison images
I downloaded the hi-res images of the house for the Oly, N*kon and F*ji
from here:
<http://home.impress.co.jp/magazine/digitalcamera/03_01/t1_hkk/index.htm>
to see if I could detect any noticeable difference in lens performance
at high magnification. Instead, what I noticed is that the N*kon
exhibits much less obvious pixellation or compression artifacts when
magnified. I don't know if this is better color resolution (bits per
pixel) or better software. Probably the latter.
Chuck Norcutt
Woburn, Massachusetts, USA
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