Nikon COOLPIX A - Initial Impressions

Ray Sachs said:
Not since the film days Gary, so I realize I'm reacting more intensely to this camera than some one who'd spent time with a full frame DSLR might. I really wasn't expecting a big difference in anything other than narrow DOF, but I was wrong.

-Ray
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I remember reading somewhere that it takes 50% more pixels to make a visual difference between sensors. Then toss in pixel size and pixel quality ... and it all adds up.

Gary
 
Gary said:
When I get around to it, I'll try some exposure comparisons between a Canon 1D, Oly OM-D, Fuji X-Pro1 and a Minolta IV handheld meter. If the Fuji is off, it sorta messes up handheld metering. Maybe this weekend. Nice write-up Ray. BTW Ray, have you owned/used a FF camera before?

Gary
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There are different standards for calculating ISO for digital sensors. A meter designed for film ISO may not be very revealing.
 
Gary said:
I remember reading somewhere that it takes 50% more pixels to make a visual difference between sensors. Then toss in pixel size and pixel quality ... and it all adds up.

Gary
Click to expand...

Sensor size actually is significant. Most are just focused on detail--I can see this in both photographs and so it must be the same. But if you only need 80 lines per mm rather than 100 lines per mm to resolve something, then the efficiency goes up and you get better contrast. As lenses keep up with the resolution for smaller sensors, their contrast decreases. This is the pop that many see when they use 35mm sensors. Whether that is important is up to the individual. I notice it.

BTW, the reason to go to a larger format is not a narrow DoF, that is simply a point so people can argue on the internet. You go to larger formats for clarity, for want of a better word.
 
Hikari said:
BTW, the reason to go to a larger format is not a narrow DoF, that is simply a point so people can argue on the internet. You go to larger formats for clarity, for want of a better word.
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Yeah, well clarity or whatever you want to call it, particularly at higher ISO, is what's sucking me in with this camera (I'm back on the RX1 again - sorry, wrong thread). I'm trying to figure out how to use narrow DOF somewhat creatively because the camera certainly has loads of it (I've only really used it well in the past with portraits at longer focal lengths), but its not why I tried the camera. But the files that camera produced between the sensor and the lens has me pretty enthralled. And I'm not an IQ obsessed shooter, but that kind of horsepower comes in handy for almost any kind of shooting you want to do. As someone once (or twice or 1000 times) said about cars - there's no substitute for horsepower.

-Ray
 
Thanks, Ray!

If you get bored with your awesome street photography, it would be appreciated if you could give any feedback on using the A for landscapes (infinity focus, corners, etc.). :D
 
Very nice images, thanks. Are these from raw? How is the corner sharpness, distortion, etc since the smaller sizes doesn't show? I guess you have Sigma dp's too. How is the sharpness, micro contrast comparison?

retow said:
A few from Valencia, Spain. It`s not just size which make the little pocket rocket stand out. The lack of AA filter plus a pretty sharp lens produce crisp files with lots of details. The files remind me to the ones from the GXR m-mount, lots of resolution and micro contrast. I hope aperture supports the A`s raw files soon.
Click to expand...
 
retow said:
A few from Valencia, Spain. It`s not just size which make the little pocket rocket stand out. The lack of AA filter plus a pretty sharp lens produce crisp files with lots of details. The files remind me to the ones from the GXR m-mount, lots of resolution and micro contrast. I hope aperture supports the A`s raw files soon.

View attachment 5546

View attachment 5547

View attachment 5548

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Those are great - what is that place? A museum for space age insects?

-Ray
 
Ray Sachs said:
Those are great - what is that place? A museum for space age insects?

-Ray
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It`s the city of arts and sciences in Valencia. This alone makes the city worth visiting, though it offers many more great things to do and see, including, of course, the excellent Spanish quisine and vines.
 
serhan said:
Very nice images, thanks. Are these from raw? How is the corner sharpness, distortion, etc since the smaller sizes doesn't show? I guess you have Sigma dp's too. How is the sharpness, micro contrast comparison?
Click to expand...

It`s all JPEGS since aperture does not support the A`s raw yet. The lens seems sharp corner to corner, though I`m not a pixel peeper. Concerning distortion, will wait until raw support is available. However, micro contrast from the A is impressive. It will replace my Leica X1 which it easily smokes in pretty much everything. Concerning the Sigma`s I have the DP2 and 3 Merrills and nothing short of MF can touch the output from this Foveon sensor imho. But the Nikon A fills a niche as the currently best pocketable wide lens large sensor camera.
 
Thanks. I expect that its small lens is closer to a fisheye like Sony RX100 or Nex 6 pancake:) How is the af comparison?

retow said:
It`s all JPEGS since aperture does not support the A`s raw yet. The lens seems sharp corner to corner, though I`m not a pixel peeper. Concerning distortion, will wait until raw support is available. However, micro contrast from the A is impressive. It will replace my Leica X1 which it easily smokes in pretty much everything. Concerning the Sigma`s I have the DP2 and 3 Merrills and nothing short of MF can touch the output from this Foveon sensor imho. But the Nikon A fills a niche as the currently best pocketable wide lens large sensor camera.
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Also Nikon A DXO sensor score has published, similar to Nikon D7000, better than X100, RX100, G1X as expected, still RX1 is the king:) Of course they don't have any Sigma dp or Fuji X scores there.
DxOMark - Measurement
 
krugorg said:
Thanks, Ray!

If you get bored with your awesome street photography, it would be appreciated if you could give any feedback on using the A for landscapes (infinity focus, corners, etc.). :D
Click to expand...
Kyle,

I stopped on my way to the suddenly infamous brunch with John today and took a couple of different basic landscapes at an AF preserve that I've shot countless zillions of times. So here are two different scenes taken wide open at f2.8 and also at f5.6. I'm not typically that picky about things like corner softness, but I took these same shots with my X-Pro and 18mm lens and I gotta say, the Nikon is MUCH sharper in the corners than the Fuji. This has never been an issue to me before and I don't know why it should be now, but the difference isn't subtle. You can click through to see these full size if you want.

F2.8
View attachment 67140
Coolpix Landscapes by ramboorider1, on Flickr

F5.6
View attachment 67141
Coolpix Landscapes by ramboorider1, on Flickr

F2.8
View attachment 67142
Coolpix Landscapes by ramboorider1, on Flickr

F5.6
View attachment 67143
Coolpix Landscapes by ramboorider1, on Flickr

-Ray
 
You rock, Ray! Thanks for the sample shots and your impressions on the lens!

Ray Sachs said:
Kyle,

I stopped on my way to the suddenly infamous brunch with John today and took a couple of different basic landscapes at an AF preserve that I've shot countless zillions of times. So here are two different scenes taken wide open at f2.8 and also at f5.6. I'm not typically that picky about things like corner softness, but I took these same shots with my X-Pro and 18mm lens and I gotta say, the Nikon is MUCH sharper in the corners than the Fuji. This has never been an issue to me before and I don't know why it should be now, but the difference isn't subtle. You can click through to see these full size if you want.
...
-Ray
Click to expand...
 
This past Sunday I took a number of pictures with the Nikon A (and Sony RX1) at the family Easter gathering, under tough conditions inside a dark floating home with bright windows all around, and I was mightily impressed with the A! I believe that Ray called the A a Ricoh GRD on steroids, and that's just about true. Even though it operates differently than the GRD I can use it for most part in the same way. The JPGs are very good, but I'm anxiously awaiting RAW support. I need to make an editorial pass of the images and tweak the files, but I'll try to post a few pictures here soon.

The only hiccup was that we took a few group photos and with each photo the 10 second timer reset to single shot mode (without the timer). Need to look that one up in the manual :confused:

I'll say it again... it is so nice to have a high quality single focal length 28mm serious compact camera! For me, the A is really a dream, and I'm very glad that I dove in (after hearing about Ray's first impressions).
 

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