All Forum Comments
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 issues with colors/sharpness at 21/02/2007 - 16:55
ok, here's my final thoughts on this; does it not seem strange that there are numerous people that are dissatisfied with the quality of the photo's produced by the M20 when it's left to it's own devices? If it was a case of the settings requiring tweaking on all these P&S type camera's then this issue would raise it's head every time somebody buys a P&S (or maybe rather the first time they buy a P&S) which I presume is not the case. Therefore would it not be reasonable to suppose that there is an elemental flaw in specifically how the Optio M20 is working? From my experience in different environments my M20 takes a 'poor' (in relative terms) photograph more often than not.
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 Poor Image Quality at 20/01/2007 - 07:01
Quote:
Hi Jim,
Hope you don't mind, but I had a little play with one of your images, and I don't think it's worked out too badly. I've de-saturated, added contrast, sharpened it a little and added a little noise to it, to simulate grain.
I did try and get the colour version enhanced, but I couldn't get it just right.. that's more down to my lack of skill than anything else. I guess one of the experts here could easily do it.
I think it works, mainly because B&W is normally looked as an image more than a technical exercise.. and it gets rid of CA.. very easily.
If it's any good, I'll send you the full sized version back of course, as it's your photo.
Cheers
Liam
No, that can't be my shot, you must have gone to the same place (Osmaston Park, Derbyshire) and stood in the exact same place and taken a new photo Nicely done :thumbs up:Hi Jim,
Hope you don't mind, but I had a little play with one of your images, and I don't think it's worked out too badly. I've de-saturated, added contrast, sharpened it a little and added a little noise to it, to simulate grain.
I did try and get the colour version enhanced, but I couldn't get it just right.. that's more down to my lack of skill than anything else. I guess one of the experts here could easily do it.
I think it works, mainly because B&W is normally looked as an image more than a technical exercise.. and it gets rid of CA.. very easily.
If it's any good, I'll send you the full sized version back of course, as it's your photo.
Cheers
Liam
Jim
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 Poor Image Quality at 19/01/2007 - 19:33
Quote:
JimN,
Because the CCD in a camera like the M20 is much smaller than that in an DSLR, noise becomes much more of a problem, so on the M20 ISO200 is far noiser than ISO200 on the K10D, therefore when you carry out your tests for the best possible image, try to keep the ISO set to the minimum that the camera allows (ISO64), then use a tripod or other support if necessary.
Cheers, I've now got my green button set to change the ISO so I'll play with that. This is the same photo from my test with ISO 64.JimN,
Because the CCD in a camera like the M20 is much smaller than that in an DSLR, noise becomes much more of a problem, so on the M20 ISO200 is far noiser than ISO200 on the K10D, therefore when you carry out your tests for the best possible image, try to keep the ISO set to the minimum that the camera allows (ISO64), then use a tripod or other support if necessary.
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 Poor Image Quality at 19/01/2007 - 15:55
Quote:
<snip>
You have done just about everything you could to make this picture come out badly.
But of course, it's the camera's fault, not the photographer's.
I don't know why people buy the cheapest camera they can find, and expect, with no effort on their part, to produce pictures like Cartier-Bresson (look him up).
The computer in the human brain is much more powerful than the one in a cheap point and shoot camera (in most cases!). So harness the power of the big computer, and see what it can do.
Sorry to be rude, but people who blame their equipment annoy me. It's the workman that counts, not the tool.
George
lol, you won't get any argument from me and no apologies necessary. (I suppose I could say that the photo wasn't taken by me as I'm the archer, but I would probably have used the same set-up so it makes no odds ) <snip>
You have done just about everything you could to make this picture come out badly.
But of course, it's the camera's fault, not the photographer's.
I don't know why people buy the cheapest camera they can find, and expect, with no effort on their part, to produce pictures like Cartier-Bresson (look him up).
The computer in the human brain is much more powerful than the one in a cheap point and shoot camera (in most cases!). So harness the power of the big computer, and see what it can do.
Sorry to be rude, but people who blame their equipment annoy me. It's the workman that counts, not the tool.
George
I am now embarking on the journey of how to use the camera sensibly (with the help of the numerous pointers supplied here) and hopefuly produce much better works out of it as a result.
Cheers
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 Poor Image Quality at 19/01/2007 - 15:33
First phase of my experiments to try and get a decent photo out of the M20 (which obviously shouldn't be necessary for a camera of this sort, let's hope Pentax pick up on this).
Low to medium light conditions (indoors)
Default program mode:
http://www.nurcombe.net/photos/103_1801/IMGP0120.JPG
ISO: 200 (Auto)
FNumber: 4.6
Best results achieved:
http://www.nurcombe.net/photos/103_1801/IMGP0123.JPG
ISO: 200 (Manual)
FNumber: 3.1
Low to medium light conditions (indoors)
Default program mode:
http://www.nurcombe.net/photos/103_1801/IMGP0120.JPG
ISO: 200 (Auto)
FNumber: 4.6
Best results achieved:
http://www.nurcombe.net/photos/103_1801/IMGP0123.JPG
ISO: 200 (Manual)
FNumber: 3.1
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 Poor Image Quality at 19/01/2007 - 06:52
Many thanks Ammonyte, that's a very interesting point; it's definitely the lower size images that have the worst image quality. This one is 2.7Mb and proportionally better. The biggest I can find is 3.35 Mb and the picture is much much better.
The settings were definitely at max size & max quality when the original picture was taken, the light quality was not brilliant as it was under some trees.
I'll have a play with the ISO and see if that helps.
The settings were definitely at max size & max quality when the original picture was taken, the light quality was not brilliant as it was under some trees.
I'll have a play with the ISO and see if that helps.
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 Poor Image Quality at 17/01/2007 - 19:10
I'm in similar position, got an M20 just before Christmas and quality appears to be well below my yonks old 3.2MP Canon. There's an example image from mine here.
Comment by JimN posted on Optio M20 Poor Image Quality at 17/01/2007 - 16:16
It would be nice of Nikon to release a firmware upgrade to fix these issues, but as they have just released the M30 (with almost the same specs as the M20) I can't see this happening.