Balko Photo

The Superzooms
Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18, and Olympus SP-560UZ

We all want the most out of our cameras. We want them to “do it all”. Superzooms offer wide angle to extremely long ranges in one fixed lens solution package. That, however, is asking a lot of one lens.

All of these camera models  feature an 18x zoom. The 8mp Olympus and the 8mp FujiFilm both have a 27-486mm f/2.8-4.5 lenses (35mm equivalent). Both will focus to 1 centimeter in Super Macro mode and both show similar testing results for distortion. That will be noticeable at different focal lengths, particularly in images with straight lines.

The 8 mp Panasonic Lumix has a 28-504mm f/2.8-4.2 Image Stabilization Leica lens (35mm equivalent) with shifting lens elements to stop camera shake. It also focuses to 1cm and has very little Barrel Distortion.

For optics, Panasonic rules with a tie for second place to Olympus SP-560UZ, Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd.

It must be remembered that with these cameras, indeed all point and shoot models, one must soot at the lowest ISO possible or you will be dealing with unacceptable noise.

At ISO 64, the Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd has Extremely High (1583) Resolution, and Low (1.7) Noise. At ISO 100, Noise rises a touch to Moderately Low (2.1). At ISO 200, Noise is Moderate (2.9). At ISO 400, Noise is Unacceptable (3.0); aggressive noise control kicks in at ISO 800, bringing it back down to Moderately Low (2.4). At ISO 1600, noise is again Unacceptable (4.0), with a significant Resolution drop to Acceptable (1150). Color accuracy is Extremely High (Average Delta E: 9.4, ISO 64, Auto White Balance.)

At ISO 50, the Olympus SP560UZ also has Extremely High (1660) Resolution and Low (1.7) Noise. Noise is also Low (1.7) at ISO 100. Noise is Moderately Low at ISO 200 (2.3). At ISOs 400 (2.4), 800 (2.4), and 1600 (2.8) Noise is Moderate. Resolution also drops dramatically at ISO 1600, to Unacceptable (900.) Noise is Unacceptable at ISO 3200 (3.1). Color accuracy is Excellent (Average Delta E: 7.7, ISO 50, Auto White Balance.)

At ISO 100, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 has Excellent (1890) Resolution, with Low (1.7) Noise. Noise is Moderate at ISO 200 (2.4). Noise is Moderately Low at ISOs 400 (2.2), 800 (2.1), and 1250 (2.2) and Moderate at ISO 1600 (2.5.) At ISO 1600, Resolution drops to 1325 (Very High). Color Accuracy is Extremely High (Average Delta E: 8.1, ISO 100, Auto White Balance.)

Pop Photo Lab Test Rankings:

1. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 —— Buy at Adorama / Buy at Amazon
2. Olympus SP-560UZ ————— Buy at Adorama / Buy at Amazon
3. Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd ———- Buy at Adorama / Buy at Amazon

Hardly distinguishable from its G7 predecessor in looks, the new 12.1 megapixel Canon PowerShot G9 sports the same optically stabilized 35-210 f/2.8-4.8 6x zoom lens (35mm equivalent), same hotshoe, similar optical viewfinder, slightly bigger 3-inch wide view LCD, but pretty close to identical all around.

The differences are all inside. RAW is back along with an interesting new “Adaptive Noise Control” function in the ZoomBrowser.

The Pros:

• Face detection, including tracking, AutoExposure, and FlashExposure settings.
• Focus-confirm playback enlarges the area of focus for instant confirmation that a shot is acceptably sharp — linked to Face Detect — up to 10x.
• Panning Image Stabilization mode.
• RAW, and the Adaptive Noise Control command in ZoomBrowser/ImageBrowser.
• Bigger, higher-resolution LCD

The Cons:

• Barrel distortion is still a big problem at the 35mm wide angle setting.
• A slow burst rate, especially in RAW.
• Confusing menu-driven options and multi-button/dial configurations.
• Lens barrel intrusion into the optical viewfinder field at wide-angle.
• Only about 80% coverage with optical viewfinder.

Still, it is a great-looking advanced compact camera, with full manual controls and RAW capture that can sync with Canon EX-series hotshoes at 1/250 second (normal sync) plus high-speed sync up to 1/2500 second. It can also shoot in 16:9 aspect ratio, and capture video at up to 640 x 480 px at 30fps or 1024 x 768 px @15fps. The microphone also has a digital wind filter function for outdoor shoots. Oh, and it’s not just a still and compact video camera — the G9 can also be used as a digital audio recorder — for two straight hours at three sampling rates, 11.025kHz, 22.050kHz and 44.100kHz.

Image Quality has greatly improved over the G7, so much so, that forget the sales on the older model - get the G9.

Pop Photo Lab Tests

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This firmware update (Version 1.0.5) incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1. When playing back images just after recovering from Auto Power Off, the display now shows the last image played back.
2. During remote shooting, images are now displayed on the camera’s LCD monitor right after they are taken.
3. Corrects a warning message in Korean that appears when updating the firmware.
4. Corrects errors in the Spanish menu screens.
5. Corrects a phenomenon that prevented printing with some print systems.
6. Corrects a rare phenomenon in which file numbers or image numbers were sometimes skipped.

The Version 1.0.5 firmware being released this time is for cameras with firmware up to Version 1.0.4. If the camera’s firmware is already Version 1.0.5, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

Holy Cow! A 4.5mm fisheye from Sigma!

* The first 180 degree circular fisheye lens designed specifically for APS-C size digital SLR cameras
* Fast F2.8 maximum aperture making it ideal for low light photography
* Minimum focusing distance of 13.5cm and a maximum magnification of 1:6
* SLD glass minimizes color aberration
* Equipped with HSM with full-time manual focus override
* Equisolid angle projection method is possible for art and scientific use

Press Release

The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 4.5mm F2.8 EX DC CIRCULAR
FISHEYE HSM lens.

This autofocus circular fisheye lens has an angle of view of 180 degrees in all directions. It is exclusively
designed for digital SLR cameras with the APS-C size image sensor. When used in conjunction with digital
SLRs with APS-C size image sensors, it produces circular image within the frame.

The F2.8 large aperture value produces a bright image in the viewfinder and allows photographers to take pictures in low light conditions, making it an ideal lens for Astrophotography and Aurora photography. Due to the quantifiable angle/area relationship it produces, this lens can be used for scientific and arts applications such as solid angle measurements of cloud distribution over the sky or vegetation distribution of the forest.

The minimum focusing distance of 13.5cm/5.3inch and maximum magnification of 1:6 make it particularly
useful for close-up photography. SLD ?Special Low Dispersion? glass provides effective compensation of
chromatic aberration. Sigma’s Super Multi-Layer Coating minimizes flare and ghosting. It is equipped with
an inner focusing system that creates high definition and good image quality over the whole frame. The HSM ?Hyper Sonic Motor? ensures fast and quiet autofocusing and allows full-time manual focus override by rotation of the focus ring.

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Lens Construction (groups) — 10
Lens Construction (elements) — 13 [3 aspheric elements - 1 Super UD element]
No. of Diaphragm Blades — 6
Minimum Aperture — 22-27 (1/3-stop increments 22-29)
Closest Focusing Distance — 0.24m [9.5"] at all focal lengths
Maximum Magnification — 0.17x at 22mm setting
Filter Diameter — 77mm (thin polarizer required for 10mm use)
Maximum Diameter x Length — 83.5mm x 89.8mm [3.3" x 3.5"]
Weight — 385g [13.5oz]

The Canon EF-S 10-22/3.5-4.5 USM is Canon’s widest lens for Digital SLRs. It is equivalent (on a 1.6x sensor) as a 16-35 zoom has on a full frame 35mm camera. The 10-22 works only on APS-C sized bodies; it will not work on full frame cameras such as the 5D.

Construction is excellent with a good and solid feel to it. Focus is very fast using Canon’s ring-type USM motor, which also allows full time manual focusing without having to switch from “autofocus” to “manual” mode. The lens does not change length when zoomed and the filter mount does not rotate, facilitating the use of a polarizer.

There is very little noticeable vignetting at any focal length or aperture, which for a superwide lens is excellent performance.

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Features
Lens construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
Diagonal angle of view: 104° -57°
Focus adjustment: Inner focusing system with USM
Closest focusing distance: 28cm
Zoom system: Rotating type
Filter size: 77mm
Weight : 500g, 1.1 lbs

The Canon 17-40L is a high quality, moderately-priced ultra wide angle zoom lens. It is the lightest L lens currently made (1.1 lbs / 475g) and is the smallest L zoom lens currently produced (3.3″ x 3.8″ / 83.5mm x 96.8mm). Having that L designation means it is of the highest quality and offers weather-resistant construction, and can be used on full frame as well as cropped sensor cameras.

This lens focuses as close as 11 inches (0.28m), and offers both Canon’s full-time manual focus and a powerful ring-type USM for fast and silent AF. It has a constant f/4 maximum aperture, and offers the choice of screw-in 77mm filters or a holder in the rear of the lens for up to three gel filters.

It resists flare very well. Colors and contrast are very good, but expect some CA (chromatic aberration) in the full frame corners below 24mm. A 7-blade circular aperture delivers excellent OOF (out of focus) blur quality, AKA “bokeh.”
The focal length multiplier inherent with today’s crop of D-SLRs is pushing people to ultra wide angle lenses for normal wide angle use. The 17-40 is about as good as it gets for wide angle photography. Many people could settle for a prime lens for their wide angle needs, but I have not discovered any primes that are better in the 17mm or less focal length.

Although not as fast as the Canon 16-35L F2.8, the Canon 17-40 lens is generally regarded as a comparable lens in terms of image quality. The biggest difference between them being price, the Canon 17-40L lens is much less expensive at almost half the price.
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At slightly over one pound, the build quality of the Sigma is actually good. The two inner lens tubes extend smoothly. The rubberized zoom ring operates well as does the focus ring. The front element does not rotate so using a polarizer is not a problem.

The Sigma uses a conventional AF micro-motor which works quite fast and the OS (Optical Stabilizer) works as advertised; it can give you an extra potential equivalent to about 3 f-stops. There’s only a single mode OS-switch (on/off) but the lens is able to detect panning which is different compared to Canon’s IS implementation.

Typical for extreme range zooms the Sigma exhibits a fairly heavy amount of barrel distortions at 18mm (~3.2%), but on the wide end, the problem is actually very well controlled with only slight to moderate pincushion distortions.

Bottom line is that this lens operates best stopped down and is not a low-light lens. But for $500 it shines in bright light, and as such, is a good buy. If looking for gorgeous bokeh and/or low-light performance, go for a 2.8. Otherwise…

BUY now at Adorama  // SHOP B&H Video

Note: I have this lens and cannot say enough good things about it. Not only is it compact and light weight, but it produces fantastic images!

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Listing at $5000, this is far from cheap or even affordable for most, but Pop Photo has just stated this to be the “greatest camera Nikon has ever built.”

What makes it so are…

1. Rock-solid build and sophisticated design.
The ergonomic body has water and dust resistant seals keep weather out. The shutter is made of a Kevlar with a 300,000-cycle rating.

2. Super-sensitive, full-frame sensor.
A 12.1MP full-frame (23.9×36mm) sensor. Need I say more? Yes, Canon does have its new 21.1 MP EOS 1Ds Mark III, but that is another step above the D3 (along with an extra $3000).

3. Highly advanced 51-zone AF system.
The 15 cross-type and 36 horizontal sensors can be grouped into zones, and new capabilities include tracking subjects by color or brightness. Using 3D Focus Tracking, it can even group multiple AF zones in a variety of patterns of your choice.

4. Sharp, tough 3-inch LCD monitor with live view.
The 3-inch monitor has a protective tempered-glass cover over the 920,000-dot (307,000-pixel) screen .

5. Rapid-fire performance and unique features.
Great light sensitivity, fast focus, and a burst capability of 9 frames per second offers features for everyone. And the dual CF card slots are a bonus.

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