Three Premium cameras, which one gives the best HDR result?
HDR software used was SNS. Same shot taken at around 10am on a bright sunny day. All photos were HDR processed according to taste, because each camera produces a different preliminary result in the SNS. I sharpened all the results to 90-100 for maximum sharpness. The first contender, the Nikon Coolpix A. Once sold at an skyrocketing price of $1400, I got mine for just $300, shortly after Nikon announced that they will discontinue the Coolpix A model. A pity, because I think the Coolpix A really has potential. This is the shot taken with the Coolpix A.
You have to tweak the colors quite a bit. The coolpix A needs fine tuning in the color department in order to get the desired result. Noise in bright conditions is non-existent. The best feature? Detail. The Coolpix A gives a crazy amount of detail even if you zoom in. Think full frame level of detail. This is an absurdly impressive camera. More on zoom details later.
Next is the Canon G1X Mark II. A 1.5-inch sensor beast.
The Canon G1X Mark II in my opinion gives the best OOC Jpegs among these three contenders. It shines the most when it comes to skin tone. Wow the skins tones with this Canon is really impressive. Kind of like what I would get after I tweak a photo in LR. The shot to shot times is slow, but one can get used to that. Low light is great. It does, however, clip highlights easily..but overall a very dependable camera. When it comes ti HDR, it produces great photos, especially in the color department. It is fairly sharp, but as long as you don't zoom in and pixel-peep, you'll be fine.
Lastly, the Panasonic LX7, a really impressive, responsive do-it-all camera
When it comes to shooting performance, the LX7 eats the G1X and Coolpix A alive. That is one of the hallmarks of Panasonic, their shot-to-shot and AF performance is absolutely impressive, and we have yet to see a camera from Canon or Nikon that can compete with Panasonic in this regard. I mostly use the LX7 for video and it truly gives some entry level pro video cameras a run for their money.
For a 1/1.7 inch sensor cam, the LX7 gives impressive results, especially in bright conditions. It is lightning fast, quicker than the G1X and Coolpix A. When the light goes dim, then the LX7 exhibits a weird color output, especially when it comes to skin tones. I'd say that the LX7 is better suited to landscape and nature photography, than for people photography. Here in this landscape shot I'd say that the LX7 stands on equal footing with the G1X Mark II in the color department.
Among all the cameras I have owned, the LX7 gives to worst OOC Jpeg skin tones in poor light. A pity, since if LX7 can only give better color and Canon-like skin tones, then it is truly one of the best cameras ever made.
For a 1/1.7 inch sensor cam, the LX7 gives impressive results, especially in bright conditions. It is lightning fast, quicker than the G1X and Coolpix A. When the light goes dim, then the LX7 exhibits a weird color output, especially when it comes to skin tones. I'd say that the LX7 is better suited to landscape and nature photography, than for people photography. Here in this landscape shot I'd say that the LX7 stands on equal footing with the G1X Mark II in the color department.
Among all the cameras I have owned, the LX7 gives to worst OOC Jpeg skin tones in poor light. A pity, since if LX7 can only give better color and Canon-like skin tones, then it is truly one of the best cameras ever made.
Detail closeup - Tree
Now we do a little pixel-peeping with the results from these three cameras. This may look like a one-sided battle fin favor of the Coolpix A, but initially I expected a fairly even fight with the Canon G1X Mark II, since that one ccomes with a relatively large 1.5-inch sensor.
First, let's take a look at a close up of the tree,
First, let's take a look at a close up of the tree,
Straight away, the Coolpix A simply beats the other two contenders. I CAN COUNT THE LEAVES in this closeup shot. Unbelievably sharp from the Nikon. The G1X and LX7 on the other hand just look like mush in comparison. A bit of a disappointment with the G1X - I'd expect it to stomp the LX7, but it sure doesn't look it is much better than the other. In fact, the LX7 is crisper here. This is maybe due to the sensor size, thereby making everything slightly sharper. Good performance for the Panasonic LX7 against the G1X mark II.
Detail closeup - House
Again, a whitewash. The Coolpix A simply is on another level. I CAN COUNT THE LINES ON THAT BLUE HOUSE. Wow! The G1X Mark II and LX7 simply cannot catch up. Lines? What lines? Again, a poor showing by the G1X Mark II compared with the LX7. Again a case where the smaller sensor LX7 beats a larger sensor cam like the G1X mark II in crispness. The 1.5-inch sensor does not seem to be showing its advantage here against a small sensor compact like the LX7.
Detail closeup - Gate
Great showing by everyone, but the Coolpix A still pulls away with better detail and less noise. Both the G1X Mark II and LX7 both exhibit a fair amount of noise even in bright sunny conditions.
Detail closeup - Houses
Another convincing win for the Coolpix A. Again, I can count the lines on the houses. Everything is sharp and clear. The G1X and LX7 on the other hand gets those details into a blurry mush once again. An outstanding result from the Coolpix A.
Conclusion
The Coolpix A is simply from another planet. It can probably give a full frame digital camera a serious fight when it comes to sheer detail. The G1X Mark II is a bit of a disappointment, simply because it was not able to pull away from the 'lowly' LX7. Side by side, the results from the Canon and Panasonic look essentially the same. What's surprising is the amount of noise present with the G1X. The LX7 on the other hand put up a pretty impressive performance. Despite its small sensor, it was able to produce results comparable to the G1X.
In the real world though, detail is not that significant, especially if you just want to post on FB and instagram. The results from the G1X and LX7 are pretty darn respectable and all the flaws noted here probably won't give the typical shooter that much of a headache. Only when you print on very large prints then one gets to appreciate the crazy amount of detail the Coolpix A produces. More like;y people will note the colors as the main aesthetic factor.. and in this regard, the G1X Mark II and LX7 produces slightly better outputs than the Coolpix A.
Bottomline is if you really want the camera that produces the best amount of detail, then almost nothing beats the Coolpix A when it comes to pure technical detail. The G1X Mark II is a highly dependable shooter, great in low light as well. It only falls short in the AF / Shooting performance department, and its sensor could use an upgrade. The LX7, despite its age, continues to shine and still is a great performer, not to mention it is so light-weight and speedy.
In the real world though, detail is not that significant, especially if you just want to post on FB and instagram. The results from the G1X and LX7 are pretty darn respectable and all the flaws noted here probably won't give the typical shooter that much of a headache. Only when you print on very large prints then one gets to appreciate the crazy amount of detail the Coolpix A produces. More like;y people will note the colors as the main aesthetic factor.. and in this regard, the G1X Mark II and LX7 produces slightly better outputs than the Coolpix A.
Bottomline is if you really want the camera that produces the best amount of detail, then almost nothing beats the Coolpix A when it comes to pure technical detail. The G1X Mark II is a highly dependable shooter, great in low light as well. It only falls short in the AF / Shooting performance department, and its sensor could use an upgrade. The LX7, despite its age, continues to shine and still is a great performer, not to mention it is so light-weight and speedy.