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.
At the wide angle end of the zoom, and with the sensitivity set
to 80 ISO, the flash yields an homogenous exposure and only the
slightest trace of light fall off can be detected in the corners
of the frame. At this distance, approximately 2m (6.5 ft) from
the background cloth, the flash is almost at its maximum reach
for this sensitivity.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f2.8
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/60 sec
Res.:
2560 x 1920
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
80
File Size:
2.1 MB
Focal Length:
35 mm (35mm Eq.)
Colours are captured faithfully,
but some details are obscured by the compression and a bit of
noise is discernible.
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 maximum telephoto setting of the lens, which is the equivalent
of a 105mm, the brightest aperture of the lens is f5. Set to
80 ISO, the lowest sensitivity of the FX5, the resulting image
is a bit dark. Therefore the sensitivity is set to Auto so that
the camera can increase it as necessary to capture a brighter
image.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.0
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/60 sec
Res.:
2560 x 1920
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
80
File Size:
1.9 MB
Focal Length:
105 mm (35mm Eq.)
While some noise can be seen in
some of the uniformly coloured areas, the sharpness of the image
is impressive and the camera captures detail in the cloth's texture,
and the printed pattern of the old photo paper envelope.
Aperture: f2.8, shutter speed 1/30 sec., 80 ISO.
MACRO PHOTO
When set to the Macro mode, selected with the Mode dial,
or the Simple mode, the DMC-FX7 is capable of
focusing on a subject 5cm (2 inches) from the front of the
lens when the zoom is at the wide angle end. While at the
telephoto end a minimum distance of 30 cm (1 ft) is required.
The wide angle end provides the narrowest field of view,
5cm (2 inches) while the telephoto end yields a field of view
of 10 cm (2 inches).
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.
For this outdoor shot, the multi-zone metering of the FX7 yields
a very well exposed image. Both the darker elements of the
building, and the directly lit paving stones in the foreground,
reveal a lot of detail.
Colours are natural and there is no visible barrel distortion,
nor is there any chromatic aberration. However, a bit of noise
can be seen in the shadow areas.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.6
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/200 sec
Resolution:
2560 x 1920
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
80
File Size:
2.2 MB
Focal Length:
35 mm (35mm Eq.)
ZOOM PHOTO
Zoomed in, the 105mm equivalent focal length captures an
area that contains a greater component of shadow areas. The
metering is precise, and the camera is able to capture a reasonable
amount of detail in the shadows while maintaining generally
consistent colours with those of the wide angle shot. Here
again, some noise can be seen in shadow areas of similar colour.
Worth noting, the images show no chromatic aberration, nor
any pincushion distortion.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.0
Exposure:
Normal
Shutter Speed:
1/80 sec
Resolution:
2560 x 1920
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
80
File Size:
2.3 MB
Focal Length:
105 mm (35mm 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 FX7 is capable of an 8 second
exposure when set to the Night Scenery mode. With this
mode the camera's white balance is set to Auto. CCD
sensitivity is manually set to 100 ISO so as to limit noise,
but still produce an image that is slightly brighter than
what the 80 ISO setting would yield.
While the image the camera captures is sufficiently bright,
it has a visible salmon colour cast, caused by the combination
of tungsten and sodium vapour light sources.
It is however possible to alter the overall
tone of the image post capture, using software that allows
adjusting the colour tone of the photo by picking a specific
white point.
Worth noting, the noise reduction system is efficient and
eliminates most of the noise that would otherwise appear over
the course of an 8 second exposure.
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Test Photos
