On the positive side, the Sony DSC-HDX (where X=2,5,7,etc.), a point-and-shoot camera with an image stabilized optical zoom varying from 12x to 15x, seems to perform about as well as a p&s can. Here are some pics from the zoo. As you might imagine, in all cases, the animals were quite far away from the camera ( a DSC-H2).
5 comments:
Arun,
Sharpness and contrast are very good. I am surprised the long end performs this well given the compromises in design involved in a lens of this focal length range.
r
Rajan, yes, it is amazing! Of course, we are viewing all this on a low resolution computer screen!
BTW, the Sony DSC-H2 is quite large compared to the usual point-and-shoot.
The autofocus also performs quite well, as in the picture of the black bird, which was more in focus than I expected. I think (I don't know!) where a DSLR would have done better, is e.g., in shallower depth of focus on the bird.
It will be cameras like this that keep DSLRs from being a mass market product.
The dSLR will have isolated the bird. I wonder how the black bird looks on a 100% crop. Then perhaps we can ask if the dSLR would have provided better shadow detail, better sharpness etc.
Also - the dSLR can fire off several frames in succession, something I doubt the Sony DSC-H2 can do.
r
Given all the nature photographs on fredmiranda.com, I do expect that a dSLR with the correct choice of lens would have done really well.
One more area where (I hope!) the dSLR does better is in responsiveness, i.e., the time between triggering the camera and the image capture when the subject is in focus. At least on a film SLR, the camera seems instantaneous compared to the point&shoot digital camera.
The Sony DSC-H2 can do upto 9 frames at 1.3 frames per second, rather slow. However, it can do 640x480 at 30 fps.
All I'm saying though is that the good-enough general purpose performance of point&shoot at a lower price point will keep the excellent, but higher priced dSLR from becoming a mass-market item.
Post a Comment