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 DSC-P73 does not appear to have benefited from the same decrease in
the level of compression that we had observed with other recent Sony cameras.
And, with a subject as detailed as this one, the result is that some of
the textures and edge detail are softened by the compression.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f2.8
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/40 sec.
Res:
2592 x 1944
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
2.3 MB
Focal Lgth:
39mm (35mm Eq.)
For this wide angle shot and the
zoomed shot that follows, the camera's flash was set to "+" and
so was the sharpness.
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 and inspected at 100% scale, here again
the image shows some signs of the compression. The edges of the letters
on the old envelope of photographic paper are a bit soft, and the dot pattern
that makes up the grey areas has become a uniform colour.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.2
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/50 sec.
Res:
2592 x 1944
Flash:
On
Quality:
Fine
ISO:
100
File Size:
1.61 MB
Focal Lgth:
117mm (35mm Eq.)
Aperture: f5.6, shutter
speed 1/200 sec.
MACRO PHOTO
The macro mode of the DSC-P73 makes it possible to focus
on a subject 10 cm (3.9 in.) from the lens when the zoom is at
the wide angle setting, and 50 cm (19.5 in.) when the zoom is
at the maximum telephoto setting. With the P73 the combination
of wide angle and macro yields the narrowest field of view, just
under 10 cm (3.9 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.
While the exposure is good in this wide angle shot, the compression and
the soft focus combine to produce an image that is not quite as detailed
as what can be had with other 4 megapixel cameras. Still, the sharpness
is sufficient to produce crisp prints up to a 5 x 7 size easily with a
dye sub printer or a printing service, and 8 x 10 on an inkjet type printer.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f5.6
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/400 sec.
Res:
2592 x 1944
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:.
100
File Size:
1.56 MB
Focal Lgth:
39mm (35mm Eq.)
At the widest angle the lens has
little barrel distortion and what little there is disappears
the moment the zoom is past the widest point.
ZOOM PHOTO
With the zoom at its maximum, the equivalent of a 117mm, the P73 captures
an image without any pincushion distortion. In addition, the exposure is
precise, capturing detail in both the high and low light areas of the frame.
As with other shots however, the sharpness is a bit less than what we've
come to expect from recent Sony cameras, likely due to the JPEG compression
used to store the image.
Photo
Information
Format:
JPEG
Aperture:
f10
Exposure:
Auto
Shutter Speed:
1/80 sec.
Res:
2592 x 1944
Flash:
Off
Quality:
Fine
ISO:.
100
File Size:
1.58 MB
Focal Lgth:
117mm (35mm Eq.)
NIGHT PHOTO
Since this camera is capable of long exposures,
a photo taken at night is included here.
Aperture: 2.8; shutter
speed: 15 sec, 100 ISO.
The DSC-P73, when used in Manual
mode, is capable of a maximum exposure time of 30 seconds.
Set to the widest (brightest) aperture, a 30 second exposure of this subject
is a bit overexposed, even at 100 ISO, the lowest sensitivity of the camera.
A 15 second exposure however, produces an excellent image, albeit one that
is still brighter than what can be seen with the naked eye.
As with other Sony compact digital
cameras, noise reduction is automatically applied to images captured
at shutter speeds of 1/6 second or longer. The noise reduction
process captures a second frame with the same exposure time as
the first, but without opening the shutter. The noise that accumulates
over the second exposure is then used to remove it from the first.
The resulting image is one that shows very little noise, but
a few artefacts from the process.
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Test Photos
