- Location
- Switzerland
- Name
- Matt
Me again ... I just had an insight I want to share. I've been playing around with the FZ1000 - it's one of the cameras that has to wait until SiJ is finished, but it had given me some trouble lately, so I took it out to get things sorted out (I did - it was rather trivial, pilot error). Then, without thinking much, I took an image in the same way I often use the V1: a gear shot *of* the V1 set at my usual spot. Here's what I found.
The FZ1000 not only has twice as many pixels (that's nothing new!), but its RAW files are also loads better at ISO 800 than the V1's. The V1 redeems itself partly because its noise structure is very grain-like, so it's mostly pleasing to the eye, but it's undisputably there at ISO 640 and above - very much so, in fact, and it gets pretty obnoxious at higher ISOs as far as I'm concerned. That's why I use the V1 only at ISO 800 or below. I actually do the same with the FZ1000 and I intend to keep it that way, but there's a major difference: The FZ1000's RAW files are *clean* at ISO 800 - not totally pristine, but they show very good preservation of detail *and* colour, and hardly any loss at hard contrasting edges. It's genuinely impressive. Here's the grab shot I took - zero noise reduction!
Does this devalue the V1? Not really. But it makes me finally understand why people have raved about the 1" 20MP sensors so much.
I'll finish the challenge with the V1, mainly because the camera is totally worth it and fun to shoot. But in February, the FZ1000 will be my regular companion for the kind of photo walk I now use the V1 for and enjoy so much. The EDC camera, on the other hand, will be the Canon G1X III again - but that's another story ...
But you know, it's actually quite telling that it took me 20 days to feel a need to ponder all this. The V1 still does a damn fine job.
Oh, and by the way, I'll use the GF1 with the 20mm f/1.7 for the next "Single in ..." challenge to find out if it can compete ...
M.
The FZ1000 not only has twice as many pixels (that's nothing new!), but its RAW files are also loads better at ISO 800 than the V1's. The V1 redeems itself partly because its noise structure is very grain-like, so it's mostly pleasing to the eye, but it's undisputably there at ISO 640 and above - very much so, in fact, and it gets pretty obnoxious at higher ISOs as far as I'm concerned. That's why I use the V1 only at ISO 800 or below. I actually do the same with the FZ1000 and I intend to keep it that way, but there's a major difference: The FZ1000's RAW files are *clean* at ISO 800 - not totally pristine, but they show very good preservation of detail *and* colour, and hardly any loss at hard contrasting edges. It's genuinely impressive. Here's the grab shot I took - zero noise reduction!
Does this devalue the V1? Not really. But it makes me finally understand why people have raved about the 1" 20MP sensors so much.
I'll finish the challenge with the V1, mainly because the camera is totally worth it and fun to shoot. But in February, the FZ1000 will be my regular companion for the kind of photo walk I now use the V1 for and enjoy so much. The EDC camera, on the other hand, will be the Canon G1X III again - but that's another story ...
But you know, it's actually quite telling that it took me 20 days to feel a need to ponder all this. The V1 still does a damn fine job.
Oh, and by the way, I'll use the GF1 with the 20mm f/1.7 for the next "Single in ..." challenge to find out if it can compete ...
M.