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.
With ambient light and the flash, the wide angle image captured
with the DMC-TZ3 set to its defaults is a touch dark, and some
light fall-off can be observed in the corners. And even setting
the sensitivity to Auto makes little difference, as the camera
remains at the lowest sensitivity setting to capture this subject.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f3.3
Exposure:
Program
Shutter Speed:
1/30 sec.
Res.:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
3.2 MB
Focal Length:
28 mm (35 mm Eq.)
No noise is detectable when the
image is seen at 100% on a monitor, however sharpness is a
touch soft, an effect amplified by the camera's use of the
biggest aperture.
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 full magnification of the zoom, and with the sensitivity
still set to Auto, the camera adjusts sensitivity to 250 ISO
and captures a bright and well-lit image. Even when inspected
at 100% on a monitor, the image shows no trace of noise at
this sensitivity level. Sharpness is excellent, and some very
small details are clearly imaged. As with the wide angle image,
the camera yields very natural and consistent colours.
The Macro mode — which has its own Mode Dial position
on the TZ3 — allows the camera to focus on a subject
that is 5 cm (2 in) from the front element of the lens when
the zoom is at the wide angle end, and 1 m (3.28 ft) at the
maximum telephoto setting.
At the shortest distance, the width of field the camera
captures at the wide angle end is approximately 5.9 cm (2.36
inches) while at the telephoto end, it is 12.6 cm (5.04 inches).
Regrettably, even in the presence
of a lot of light, the macro mode does not give preference to
a small aperture which would maximize the depth of field (the
zone in the image that is sharp).
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.
As noted with the Still Life wide angle shot, at the wide
angle end the DMC-TZ3 captures an image that is a touch soft.
Nevertheless, with a focal length that is equivalent to a
28 mm on a 35 mm camera, the lens is able to capture a large
section of the building. The exposure is perfect, capturing
detail in both the highlights and shadows.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f3.3
Exposure:
Program
Shutter Speed:
1/800 sec
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
3.4 MB
Focal Length:
28 mm (35 mm Eq.)
The image shows no trace of barrel
distortion, as is also the case when the subject is near, and
shows no trace of any 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 of the zoom, a slight pincushion distortion
can sometimes become visible if there are straight image elements
aligned close to the edges of the frame. On the other hand,
there is no detectable chromatic aberration, even with a subject
such as this, which contains strongly contrasting zones. The
exposure is excellent, and details can be seen easily in both
the shadow areas, and those that are directly lit.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f4.9
Exposure:
Program
Shutter Speed:
1/400 sec
Resolution:
3072 x 2304
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
3.3 MB
Focal Length:
280 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 DMC-TZ3 allows the camera to capture exposures
as long as 8 seconds, sufficiently long to capture an image
of an urban scene at night.
But to see first hand what the camera can capture using the
longer exposure times available using the Starry Sky
mode, which has a maximum exposure time of 60 seconds, a photo
of a poorly lit area of the city's quay was captured with
a 60 second exposure. Worth noting, both the Night Scenery
mode and the Starry Sky mode control the white balance.
The image the camera produces
is much brighter than reality and contains a lot of details
that are completely invisible in the darkness. Moreover, the
camera is able to capture colours accurately, such as the
colour of the handrail in the foreground.
The noise reduction system clearly eliminates most of the
noise gathered over the course of the exposure, but not all,
as can be seen in the sky area, in the image section taken
from the full size photo and shown below.
Test Photos
