Compact zoom camera group: Noise reduction
Low contrast detail
Noise tends to build up in digital images, particularly during long exposures or high-ISO shots and noise reduction algorithms are used to identify spurious data and attempt to correct it. However, these algorithms can also tend to blur away fine detail, particularly in areas of low-contrast detail where it is difficult to distinguish between slight differences in brightness and aberrant luminance noise.
This test, shot under low light (approximately 8 EV), shows an example of fine, irregular low-contrast detail to mimic the effects of each camera's noise reduction on subjects such as hair, grass or chain link fences some distance yonder.
| Canon SX 200 ISO 80 |
Canon SX 200 ISO 400 |
Canon SX 200 ISO 1600 |
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| Olympus Stylus 9000 ISO 64 |
Olympus Stylus 9000 ISO 400 |
Olympus Stylus 9000 ISO 1600 |
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| Panasonic DMC ZS1 ISO 80 |
Panasonic DMC ZS1 ISO 400 |
Panasonic DMC ZS1 ISO 1600 |
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| Panasonic DMC ZS3 ISO 100 |
Panasonic DMC ZS3 ISO 400 |
Panasonic DMC ZS3 ISO 1600 |
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| Samsung HZ10W ISO 80 |
Samsung HZ10W ISO 400 |
Samsung HZ10W ISO 1600 |
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| Sony DSC-H20 ISO 80 |
Sony DSC-H20 ISO 400 |
Sony DSC-H20 ISO 1600 |
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As can be seen, some of the cameras - in particular the Samsung and, to a lesser extent, the Canon and Olympus - struggle to render the fine detail even at their lowest ISO settings. The Sony and Panasonics do a slightly better job - all three have rather high levels of sharpening but none of them exhibit the indistinct, blurred patches apparent in the other cameras.
At ISO 400 it's a similar story, with the Canon, Olympus and Samsung having most trouble. However the Sony and Panasonics are also getting themselves into difficulty with detail becoming less distinct and featureless blurred patches appearing. None of the cameras manage to render any fine detail at the ISO 1600 setting (which is very challenging for any camera with a sensor small enough to allow such long-range lenses to be fitted into such small bodies).
The Sony, Samsung and Canon have ISO 3200 settings (though it's an option-limited 'mode' on the Canon), but there's so little fine detail remaining at ISO 1600 that there seems little point demonstrating it here.
