Andrew Fildes wrote:
> ....
> 12mp compacts are just plain ludicrous.
>
I disagree. That surprised me when it happened. But experience trumps
pre-conceived ideas.
As I wrote before, direct comparison of images of the same subject
proved to me that the 12 mp A650 is a better 6 mp camera than the 6 mp
F30 for all uses I would put them to except for moving subjects in low
light.
According to the Thom Hogan review Mike just posted about, the G10
slightly ups the lowest ISO image quality of the G9 (Which is the same
imaging system as the A650.)
There's nothing wrong with lots of pixels, if they are decent ones, even
half decent. As long as I can down sample and beat the best 6mp digi I
know of, where's the down side?
The up side for me is flexibility. As someone already pointed out, lots
of pixels means lots of possibilities for cropping without ending up
with too few pixels. Last Wednesday, I was off to meet some friends for
lunch. It had just stopped raining, so I jumped in the convertible and
drove down. As I stepped out of the car, I noticed a small plant trying
to survive in a crack in the pavement.
Doomed, of course, as this iss a quite busy street, but I liked the
image, with the plant and street still quite wet and the sun lighting
them. OK, sure, If I had an assistant to block traffic for a few
minutes, I could get down on my knees on a wet street, take a really
careful, thoughtfully composed shot - and go to lunch with wet, dirty
pants from the knees down. Or I could go home, get the big camera and
hope the light hasn't gone off... - yeah, right.
As it was, I pulled the A650 off my belt, leaned down a bit, just took a
shot before the wave of cars from the light that just changed roared up,
walked on and was exactly on time for lunch (All other participants were
women, so I was alone for a while. ;-) )
Here are the results of the grab shot:
Full frame - 12 mp - doesn't do much for me. It puts it in perspective,
but it's a bit blah for me.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=Miscellaneous&image=IMG_1169a.jpg>
Cropped to about 23% - 2.8 mp - I get a composition I rather like, with
plant in relation to worn paving. Details of the oil slick on the water
become clear, and I like the red rock in the lower left.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=Miscellaneous&image=IMG_1169crr.jpg>
Finally, at full, original pixels, I get a composition that focuses on
the plucky, but doomed plant. There seems to me to be enough detail
resolved to make the image work at web image size.
<http://galleries.moosemystic.net/MooseFoto/index.php?gallery=Miscellaneous&image=IMG_1169fp.jpg>
I just don't see how I lose anything by having 12 mp, but I do see how
much I gain.
Moose
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|