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 artefacts 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
seasonal subject is photographed from above. The camera is positioned
approximately 1.5 m (5 ft) away from the surface of the table.
In wide angle, the pop-up
flash of the E-20 is high enough to avoid having the lens cast a shadow.
The TIFF format is used here, but the same shot was taken using RAW, and
JPEG SHQ with a 1:2.7 compression.
It speaks well of the compression used on the E-20 that even under a strong
magnification the JPEG image is quite comparable to the TIFF image.
Photo
Information
Format:
TIFF
Aperture:
f2.0
Exposure:
Program
- ESP
Shutter
Speed:
1/30
Res.:
2560
x 1920
Flash:
On
Quality:
IS
Mode
ISO:
80
File
Size:
15,616
KB
Focal
Length:
35
mm
(35mm Eq.)
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.
With the zoom at the maximum the camera captures a crisp image. Textures
show good definition, and slight differences in colours are quite visible,
as can be seen by the different reds of the ornament's red string and
the red felt in the background.
The section below is cropped from the central area of the full 5-megapixel
frame and shown at full scale.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f4
Exposure:
Program
- ESP
Shutter
Speed:
1/125
Res.:
2560
x 1920
Flash:
On
Quality:
SHQ
(IS Mode)
ISO:
80
File
Size:
3,787
KB
Focal
Length:
140
mm
(35mm Eq.)
Aperture: f2.4, speed 1/60 sec. (TIFF - IS
Mode)
CLOSE-UP
PHOTO
The
macro mode of the Olympus E-20N allows the lens to come as close as 20cm
(8 inches) to a subject, with the zoom set to its maximum telephoto. This
way the E-20N is capable of photographing an area approximately the size
of a business card (75 x 55 mm, or 3 x 2.3").
For this shot of a mushroom, the camera is mounted on a mini-tripod and
placed about 25 cm (10 inches) from the subject. The lens is at the maximum
zoom position.
To
increase the E-20N macro capability, a macro extension lens (MCON-35)
can be attached to the lens.
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 E-20's metering is very consistent from one
shot to next. In fact, aside from the size difference of the images, the
exposures of the E-20 are remarkably similar to those of the E-10 reviewed
a year ago. The camera captures a large amount of detail, including the
leaves in the distant trees in the background, and the paint touch-ups
on the main support of the building's
canopy.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f4
Exposure:
Program
- ESP
Shutter
Speed:
1/400
Resolution:
2560
x 1920
Flash:
Off
Quality:
SHQ
(IS Mode)
ISO:
80
File
Size:
3,714
KB
Focal
Length:
35mm
(35mm Eq.)
ZOOM
PHOTO
At the full extension
of the zoom, the multi-segment ESP metering does a very good job, avoiding
any overexposure the brightest areas such as the cement planter in the
foreground, and the reflective surfaces of the building on the right side
of the frame. The lens shows no distortion, and the sharpness is good
enough to see each paving stone.
The camera also captures a lot of detail in the shadowed area of the entrance,
including behind the glass doors. The cropped section below is shown at
full scale.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f3.6
Exposure:
Program
- ESP
Shutter
Speed:
1/250
Resolution:
2560
x 1920
Flash:
Off
Quality:
SHQ
(IS Mode)
ISO:
80
File
Size:
3,774
KB
Focal
Length:
140
mm
(35mm Eq.)
NIGHT
PHOTO
As
this camera is capable of a long exposure, a photo taken at night is included.
The subject isn't thrilling, but the idea is to see the noise in the image.
The same image was taken with and without the noise reduction system being
used. The photo is captured at around midnight, and the trees pictured
here are not readily visible to the naked eye. The light yellow colour
of the sky is mostly caused by the sodium vapour lamps used in the street
lights of Vancouver, about 10 Km away, and which are reflecting off the
cloud deck.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f3.2
Exposure:
Program
- ESP
Shutter
Speed:
60
seconds
Resolution:
2560
x 1920
Flash:
Off
Quality:
SHQ
(NR Mode)
ISO:
80
File
Size:
3,337
KB
Focal
Length:
35
mm
(35mm Eq.)
Using
the noise reduction system, the image is free of random bright pixels.
The same image taken without noise reduction showed a few noisy pixels,
but not many. Still, the noise reduction eliminates those and does not
affect image sharpness.
