On 5/21/2016 9:52 PM, Savageduck wrote:
On 2016-05-21 19:55:42 +0000, Mort said:

Hi,

I would appreciate any comments about this.

I have been using a pair of Canon S-120 pocket cameras for casual and
semi-serious picture taking, especially on the road. I am a long-term
amateur , who remembers working with Kodachrome at ASA 10 and then 25.

I was recently gifted a Canon G7X, which although small is certainly
larger than the S-120. It is said to have a sensor made by Sony that
is larger than that in the S-120 and supposedly allowing sharper
images and better highlight detail.

Scientist that I am, I did some parallel tests under several
conditions: daylight, indoors, flash, distance shots, close-us, etc..
I shoot best quality JPEG.

I then carefully viewed the images, both on my H.D. screen and with
8x10 prints, utilizing a hand magnifier where necessary.

I realize the limitations of testing with a series of only one each,
but there is no way that I could test 10 samples of each camera.

There are issues with your test. To start with you are using JPEG for
making the comparison and for 1/1.7" or 1" sensors, regardless of size,
the differences are pretty much going to be neutralized by in-camera
JPEG processing, and shot for shot I doubt that you would be able to
find much difference between the JPEGs, especially when comparing 8x10
prints. The S-120 was a good quality Canon compact with RAW capability,
so is the G7X. I also have a Cano G11, which uses a 10MP sensor of the
same size as your S-120, and if you threw that into your test I doubt
that you would find much difference between the JPEGs from the three
cameras.

In any event, I found no difference in sharpness, color rendition,
contrast range, and highlight details , between the two. Isn't the
camera with a larger and supposedly superior sensor supposed to give
better results? Are other factors, such as lens quality and software
in camera also of major importance?

Your choice of subject and shooting/lighting environment with those two
cameras are only going to produce subtle differences with JPEGs,
particularly if you didn't use any of the added features of the G7X
which would/should emphasize some differences between the JPEG product
of the two cameras. So, yes, there are other factors in play, and the
best way to make a true comparison is to compare RAW (CR2) files. If you
do that the problem you will have is further disappointment since the
unprocessed RAW files initially will probably not look to your eye as
good as the SOOC JPEGs. The other factor is your familiarity with the
S-120.

For what it is worth, they are both capable and pocketable compact
cameras, and the G7X should have a slight edge in higher resolution,
lower light, shooting at higher ISO, and producing larger prints, but
not by much. I would just start using the G7X more, and see where the
added features start benefiting your shots.


I have a G10 as well as several earlier Canon compacts, the main thing
it gives you is a hot shoe, RAW, and a little more control (plus it
looks a bit more professional). The sensor is still pretty small (don't
have the dimensions to hand). I was interested to see that Canon
actually decreased the pixel count between the G10 and the G11,
presumably to improve the noise at high ISO.

To increase the quality, you really do have to increase the sensor size.
I'd strongly recommend Fuji X cameras, the body of the smaller ones is
not much different to the Canon G series (although inevitably the lenses
are larger).