7hi vs. A2

I have just upgraded from the 5mb Dimage 7hi to the 8mb Dimage A2.

According to the manual, in the continuous advance drive mode the A2 records images at 640 * 480 yet the older 7hi records them at 1280 * 960.

I find it hard to believe that an 'upgrade' has an inferior specification with image resolution more akin to a camera phone! How can this be correct? There is a higher resolution option but this only takes 3 images which is hardly continuous shooting.

I use this mode frequently so do I now have to carry to cameras around with me to get desired results.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rob.

--
Cheers, Feri

'I can look at a fine photograph and sometimes I can hear music. Ansel Adams.'

robburne said:

I have just upgraded from the 5mb Dimage 7hi to the 8mb Dimage A2.

According to the manual, in the continuous advance drive mode the
A2 records images at 640 * 480 yet the older 7hi records them at
1280 * 960.

I find it hard to believe that an 'upgrade' has an inferior
specification with image resolution more akin to a camera phone!
How can this be correct?

Click to expand...

7Hi etc. can buffer many frames due to very fast and crude internal processing. The images are interpolated and compressed "on the fly", at the same rate as data is read out from the CCD.

A2, on the other hand, carries out much more complex operations, including noise filtering (a necessity due to smaller pixels) and needs to buffer uncompressed images (each taking 24 megabytes) during the process.

The size of the buffer is well documented ...

robburne said:

There is a higher resolution option but
this only takes 3 images which is hardly continuous shooting.

Click to expand...

If you need high frame rate, try video mode. Unlike 7Hi's video mode, it's actually useful. The resolution of video clips is higher (504x408 vs. 320x240), frame rate is higher (30 vs. 15) and AS removes hand shake, but the biggest difference is AF. In the case of 7xxx camera, focus hunted very noticeably and, as a result, video clips were badly OOF half of the time. The A2 hunts too, but it's far less distracting. All in all, the quolity difference is bigger than you would expect, based on the resolution numbers alone.

Marko

Many thanks for the reply.

At least I now know I had not mis-read the manual. The explanation makes sense but I'm nonetheless disappointed that my upgrade will require that I still have to use my old (in theory) inferior camera.

I take your point re: video mode but to be honest I have professional a video camera for that. I just want high quality rapid action stills.

Many thanks,

Rob.

robburne said:

I just want high quality rapid action stills.

Click to expand...

Rob,

I had the 7Hi and I recently bought the A2 (as alternative to the A100).

The DiMAGEs are wonderful cameras for quiet landscaping and outdoor portrait, faster than DSLRs for sunset Exposure an W/B compensation, but are not appropriate for action photography.

The 7Hi may be is faster in higher resolution than A2, but focusing is awfully slow, not appropriate for action. I would suggest a 1080i HDV Camcorder.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=1871&A=details&Q=&sku=475453&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation .

--
GiorgioPM