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.
Equipped with a wide angle that is equivalent to a 28 mm,
the FX30 captures a wide field of view.
The metering clearly tries to balance the ambient light and
the flash, and the result is an image that is a bit underexposed,
has a slight yellow cast, and where noise can be detected
in the shadows. Interestingly, although the sensitivity is
set to Auto, the camera elects to maintain it at its minimum
of 100 ISO.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f2.8
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/30 sec.
Res.:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
3.3 MB
Focal Length:
28 mm (35 mm 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.
At the telephoto end, the equivalent of a 100 mm focal
length, the camera automatically increases the sensitivity
to 400 ISO as the maximum aperture drops to f5.6. With the
boost in sensitivity, the light from the flash is noticeably
more effective, the image is visibly brighter, and colours
are more accurate.
At 400 ISO, noise is visible in the image, particularly in
dark and uniformly coloured areas.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.6
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/30 sec.
Res.:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
400
File Size:
2.6 MB
Focal Length:
100 mm (35 mm Eq.)
The noise, combined with the compression,
tends to fade some of the finer details in the image, and make
the edges of objects look a bit fuzzy.
Aperture: f2.8, shutter speed: 1/4 sec.,
100 ISO.
MACRO PHOTO
According to the manual, the macro mode of the FX30 allows
the camera to focus on a subject that is 5 cm (2 inches)
from the front element of the lens when the zoom is at the
wide end, and 30 cm (1 ft) at the telephoto end. Set
to the wide end, the camera is able to capture a field of
view of approximately 5.7 cm (2.2 inches).
At the telephoto end the actual minimum distance is approximately
20 cm (8 inches), and this allows the camera to capture a
field of view of approximately 7.8 cm (3.04 inches).
We noted that when the camera is
used in macro mode, it is preferable to use the Spot AF so that
the camera focuses precisely where desired. In macro mode and
when the zoom is at the wide end, a bit of barrel distortion
becomes visible when there are straight image elements aligned
on the edges of the frame.
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 exposure the camera delivers using its Multiple
metering — the only metering mode available on the FX30
— is excellent under these conditions. The areas of
the frame that are directly lit by the sun are correctly exposed,
and while the shadow areas are a touch too dark, they retain
details, albeit with a bit of grain.
Overall sharpness is rather good and homogeneous throughout
the image.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f8
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/125 sec.
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
3.2 MB
Focal Length:
28 mm (35 mm Eq.)
Moreover, there is no discernible
barrel distortion, nor is there a chromatic aberration.
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 telephoto end, the metering performs very well, producing
an exposure that avoids any overexposure of the brightly lit
areas, while it prevents the shadows from getting too deep.
There is no visible chromatic aberration along the edges
of strong contrasts, and there is no pincushion distortion.
Some noise is detectable, however, and there is some fuzziness
along the edges of objects.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.6
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/250 sec.
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
3.3 MB
Focal Length:
100 mm (35 mm Eq.)
NIGHT PHOTO
This camera is capable of long exposures, and an image captured
late at night is presented to give an idea of its capabilities.
The Night Scenery mode of the FX30 has
a maximum exposure time of 8 seconds, making it possible to
capture excellent images of well-lit urban scenes.
Even more interesting, however, is the Starry Sky
mode as it allows exposure times of 15, 30 or 60 seconds,
making it possible to capture images of very dark places that
the Night Scenery mode cannot, such as the subject presented
here.
An exposure time of 30 seconds at f2.8 and 100 ISO with this
subject makes it possible to capture an image that reveals
a enormous amount of detail that is completely invisible to
our eyes.
The only source of light in this subject is
a low street light positioned over the plants that line the
path, in front of the light gray building in the background.
The Starry Sky mode fixes sensitivity at 100 ISO to limit
the amount of noise in the image, and sets the white balance
to Auto. And, while the colours the Auto white balance yields
are clearly influenced by the artificial lighting, the overall
result is not too yellow.
A dark-frame noise reduction system is used on the FX30,
and once processed the image contains comparatively little
noise, and remains relatively sharp.
Test Photos
