Here are a few images that accurately reflect the abilities
of any given camera model. The images are altered only in
terms of size and sharpness after reduction and by the JPEG
compression used. Unless otherwise mentioned, assume that
any marbling or artifacts visible in the images are due to
the compression required to display them here. We feel however,
that they still faithfully represent the results we experienced.
STILL LIFE PHOTO
This subject is photographed in a room that has
a mix of fluorescent and incandescent light, but which is not
brightly lit. The camera's flash is used to add fill light.
The backdrop is 1.95 m (6.5 ft) from the camera.
The flash produced by the small built-in flash of the Coolpix
S500 is sufficient to capture a bright image with even lighting
at the lowest sensitivity, 50 ISO.
The Auto white balance evaluates the subject perfectly, and
the colours the camera produces, even under this mix of lighting,
are very accurate.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f2.8
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/60 sec.
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
50 ISO
File Size:
1.9 MB
Focal Length:
35 mm (35 mm Eq.)
With wide angle images captured
at the biggest aperture, sharpness is not as good as it is throughout
the rest of the lens' focal length range, particularly when
the image is inspected at 100% on a monitor.
ZOOM PHOTO
Now we zoom in on a specific area. The intent
is to test the sharpness of the image at the zoom's maximum
setting. The camera remains at the same distance as with the
preceding photo.
At the telephoto end, the maximum aperture of the lens becomes
f4.7 and, as a result, the image the camera yields is a touch
darker. Switching from 50 ISO to Auto ISO, allows the camera
to increase sensitivity to 142 ISO, resulting in a brighter
image.
The colour rendition remains perfectly consistent with the
previous wide angle image.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f4.7
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/30 sec.
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
142 ISO
File Size:
2.0 MB
Focal Length:
105 mm (35 mm Eq.)
The image sharpness is good and
details can easily be perceived, such as the envelope's printing
screen, and the drop-cloth's texture. Very little noise is detectable
in the shadow areas of the image.
Aperture: f4.7, shutter speed: 0.7
sec., 50 ISO.
MACRO PHOTO
With the Coolpix S500, the greatest magnification in
the macro mode is obtained when the zoom is at the maximum
telephoto setting, allowing the front element of the lens
to be 15cm (5.9 inches) from the subject. At this distance,
the field of view captured by the lens is approximately 5.1cm
(1.99 inches) when measured horizontally in the frame.
No distortion is detectable.
BUILDING PHOTO
This image is our outdoor test. The architecture
of the building, in particular the angled girders, immediately
show the presence of jaggies. The shadowed entrance can also
often reveal the quality of the exposure.
The quality of the exposure yielded by the matrix metering
is well illustrated by this photo. The balance between bright
and dark zones in the frame is excellent.
Still, at the widest angle of the lens, the corners of the
image show some softness.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.7
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/160 sec.
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
50
File Size:
1.9 MB
Focal Length:
35 mm (35 mm Eq.)
However, there is no visible barrel
distortion, nor is there any detectable chromatic aberration
along the edges of strong contrasts in the image.
ZOOM PHOTO
Zooming in on the entrance of the building, the shadowed entrance takes on a greater importance for the metering and can cause an overexposure of sections that are directly lit.
At the maximum telephoto setting of the zoom, the lens is
equivalent to a 105 mm lens, a short telephoto which captures
a relatively large section of the building, including large
sections that are directly lit by the sun. Still, as can be
seen, the shadow areas contain a reasonable level of detail
while the bright foreground shows no sign of overexposure.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f4.7
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/250 sec.
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
50
File Size:
1.9 MB
Focal Length:
105 mm (35 mm
Eq.)
The small yellow sign on the right-side door
is visible and is almost legible. However, its definition
is affected by the distance and by the compression.
The image contains no trace of noise and, similarly, there
is no visible chromatic aberration, nor is there any sign
of pincushion distortion.
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Test Photos
