Ming65 said:
I'm not as keen on the C7070 because of the smaller 1/1.8 sensor as opposed to the 2/3 sensor on the C8080.
If you use the LCD screen then the EVF should not be an issue for you - since the views are similar and you might not even be using the eye-level EVF anyway
Can you please explain why you want a 2/3 sensor?
Is it for the larger chip - therefore in theory larger sensing element/pixel sites - and so lower noise?
The Olympus C-8080 is indeed one of the better 8mp ZLRs - but as a bunch the 8mp were criticised for overall noise - if you look at the detailed review at
dpReview.com (Page:15 Photographic tests) specifically at their comparison noise chart
you'll see that although the C-8080 does well at ISO400 due to noise reduction processing) it does not do as well as the Canon, Minolta, or Nikon at ISO50 - although the differences might be moot in practice.....
Compared to the typical 7mp also tested at
dpReview.com (7mp Photographic tests) specifically the 7mp noise chart -
shows the better 7mp starts at lower noise at ISO50 than the typical 8mp even though they use smaller 1/1.8" sensors -
by being at least one generation newer, and just due to sheer advances in technology.....
Even though the S70 was also criticized for some noise by the only one review site -
Canon S70 review @ dcResource.com said:
QUOTE:
Noise levels are higher than the 5 Megapixel cameras of days past, but not as bad as the 8 Megapixel models that were introduced earlier this year.
UNQUOTE
Whereas in constrast most of the detailed review sites seem toi think the 7mp as a bunch seems to have lower noise than the 5mp - eg:
Canon S70 review @ dpReview.com
QUOTE:
Our first experience of Sony's new 7.1MP chip, as seen in the Cyber-shot P150, was overwhelmingly positive. Not only does it outperform the 5MP sensor it replaces (the 6MP version never really made an impact on compact cameras) in resolution terms, it also seems to control noise more efficiently. Perhaps this is because with such large files noise reduction can be a little more aggressive, perhaps it's simply a less noisy chip. Even more impressive is the new sensor's ability - when used with an accurate exposure system - to preserve detail in both highlight and shadow areas of even the brightest, most contrasty scenes.
UNQUOTE
and the
Canon S70 review @ Imaging-Resource.com said:
QUOTE:
Image Noise: Good image noise levels, a significant improvement over the G5 model. More importantly, a generally fine-grained noise pattern reduces the impact of the noise somewhat. This chart compares the PowerShot S70's noise performance over a range of ISOs against that of other cameras. The G5 is shown for the sake of historical comparison: It's interesting that both the G6 and S70 have lower noise levels than the G5, even though their CCDs have smaller pixels. A lot of what this chart is showing though, is the difference in anti-noise processing, and some of the most important information doesn't appear here. Namely, the impact that anti-noise processing has on subtle subject detail. The G6 and S70 both use the same CCD chip (and I believe the Sony P150 does as well), so the slightly lower noise levels shown in the chart above for the S70 have to come from more aggressive anti-noise processing. This in fact appears to be the case, as I found that the S70 had a slightly greater tendency to flatten-out subject detail in areas of subtle contrast than did the G6. Likewise the Sony P150, only more so: The P150's noise is indeed noticeably lower in magnitude, but that camera is much more likely to lose subtle detail in hair, foliage, etc. Of the three, I prefer the G6's approach to noise reduction, but the S70 runs a close second.
UNQUOTE
Imaging-Resource.com noise chart for the Canon S70 -
7mp Olympus C-7070 review at Imaging-Resource.com -
QUOTE:
Image Noise: Generally good noise performance, a tight grain pattern helps in printed output. Noise was generally pretty unobtrusive with the C-7070. There was some detectable noise in the blue channel even at low ISO settings, but the noise pattern was quite fine-grained, which made it much less visible in prints than it would be otherwise. Noise at ISO 400 was on the high side, and some fine detail was traded away to hold it in check, but the noise pattern was fine enough that even prints at 8x10 inches should be acceptable for most uses. At 5x7 inches, noise will be a non-issue for all but the most critical applications.
UNQUOTE
compare this to the
8mp Olympus C-8080 reviewed @ Imaging-Resource.com
QUOTE:
Image Noise: Better than average image noise, particularly at higher ISOs. Some flattening of detail at high ISOs though. The C-8080 Wide Zoom does a good bit better than the average 8-megapixel camera in the image noise department, at least at higher ISO levels. (All the 8 megapixels I've seen thus far are actually pretty close at low ISO settings.) To achieve this, the 8080 applies more heavy-handed noise suppression in its image processing at high ISOs, trading away some sharpness and resolution to achieve the lower noise levels. Looking at the 8080's images next to those of other cameras though, I think this tradeoff was a wise and largely successful one. While I generally hate to see cameras lose detail to achieve lower image noise, when I compare high-ISO images from the 8080 side by side with those from competing 8-megapixel models, I have to say that the 8080's are much more pleasing to the eye (or at least, less objectionable).
UNQUOTE
from the often insightful -
8mp Olympus C-8080 review at dcResource.com
QUOTE:
The Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom is an 8 Megapixel camera that holds its own against the competition, despite having a lens that doesn't have as much telephoto power as the competition. Image quality is very good, though expect the above average noise and purple fringing that have become hallmarks of 8MP cameras.
UNQUOTE
So from all this - the 8mp 2/3 sensors are NOT less noisy than the 7mp 1/1.8" sensors - they are probably pretty comparable despite the 7mp 1/1.8" having much smaller sensing elements/pixel sites.......so unless there is some other issue - I would say the 7mp 1/1.8" sensors are at least comparable to the 8mp 2/3 sensors in all practical terms for my type of usage.
So does the 1mp extra of the 8mp make any difference?
7mp Olympus C-7070 @ Imaging-Resource.com
QUOTE:
Resolution/Sharpness: High resolution, 1,550 lines of "strong detail."
UNQUOTE
8mp Olympus C-8080 @ Imaging-Resource.com
QUOTE:
Resolution/Sharpness: Very high resolution, 1,600-1,650 lines of "strong detail."
UNQUOTE
7mp Canon G6 @ Imaging-Resource.com
QUOTE:
Resolution/Sharpness: Very high resolution, 1,550 lines of "strong detail." UNQUOTE
7mp Canon S70 @ Imaging-Resource.com
QUOTE:
Resolution/Sharpness: Very high resolution, 1,500-1,550 lines of "strong detail."
UNQUOTE
So again I would say that although the absolute resolution measurements were higher for the 8mp Olympus C-8080 - in practice I'm not too sure if one would notice the difference between it and the better 7mp.........
Lastly pricing - all shipped prices from reputable/"trusted" vendors as found using resellerratings.shopping.com -
7mp Olympus C-7070 (27- 110mm)
$351.00 !!! (I only just noticed this price! amazingly LOW!)
7mp Canon S70 (28-100mm) $403.70
7mp Canon G6 (35-140mm) $493.20
8mp Olympus C-8080 (28-140mm) $493.20
On the surface the 8mp Olympus C-8080 does seem very good value when compared to the Canon G6...... BUT I was surprised by its lowered price and the Olympus C-7070 would seem like a bargain to me and without the objection (for me) for the EVF - having a real optical viewfinder and image quality that's very comparable to the Olympus C-8080
at over $140 less..... hmmmmm.........
Lastly although they are not as comprehensive as the reviews at dpReview.com or Imaging-Resource.com those at dcResource.com are often very insightful and can point out some significant aspects that other site may have missed - I always read these reviews along with the others -
7mp Olympus C-7070 review at dcResource.com
8mp Olympus C-8080 review at dcResource.com
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