Just got my A2 - first pictures

KentO · Feb 20, 2004

Hi,
After reading a lot on this forum for some months, I finally took the step!

I bought an A2 today, and I have so far played with it for a couple of hours - indoors at night only.

My first impression of the EVF is that it is as good as I hoped. This is really a big improvment. I tried the different settings (Quality/Motion). According to the manual Quality means 30 fps, 640x480, Motion means 60 fps 640x240. I tried changing the setting back and forth, and the difference is not that big - at least not at first sight.

I also made som shots at different ISO for comparsion, see gallery:
http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2

I bought the camera in Sweden, the price was SEK 9995 including VAT. This corresponds to (without VAT) EUR 870 or $1100. The price diffrence to A1 is only about $125. In the store I bought it, they even had the A1 at the same price! (but they would lower it now).

Regards,
Kent

LeifShutter · Feb 20, 2004

Na, just kidding. But give some pics with LIGHT! When does the sun come up??

RitzCamera.com doesn't honor its promises--Pass the word.

odiemutt · Feb 20, 2004

Please take some shots around the house using flash. Go grab a mongrel dog off the street, give it a nice meal, and then take some pictures

KentO said:
Hi,
After reading a lot on this forum for some months, I finally took
the step!

I bought an A2 today, and I have so far played with it for a couple
of hours - indoors at night only.

My first impression of the EVF is that it is as good as I hoped.
This is really a big improvment. I tried the different settings
(Quality/Motion). According to the manual Quality means 30 fps,
640x480, Motion means 60 fps 640x240. I tried changing the setting
back and forth, and the difference is not that big - at least not
at first sight.

I also made som shots at different ISO for comparsion, see gallery:
http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2

I bought the camera in Sweden, the price was SEK 9995 including
VAT. This corresponds to (without VAT) EUR 870 or $1100. The price
diffrence to A1 is only about $125. In the store I bought it, they
even had the A1 at the same price! (but they would lower it now).

Regards,
Kent

LeifShutter · Feb 20, 2004

odiemutt said:
KentO said:

Hi,
After reading a lot on this forum for some months, I finally took
the step!

I bought an A2 today, and I have so far played with it for a couple
of hours - indoors at night only.

My first impression of the EVF is that it is as good as I hoped.
This is really a big improvment. I tried the different settings
(Quality/Motion). According to the manual Quality means 30 fps,
640x480, Motion means 60 fps 640x240. I tried changing the setting
back and forth, and the difference is not that big - at least not
at first sight.

I also made som shots at different ISO for comparsion, see gallery:
http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2

I bought the camera in Sweden, the price was SEK 9995 including
VAT. This corresponds to (without VAT) EUR 870 or $1100. The price
diffrence to A1 is only about $125. In the store I bought it, they
even had the A1 at the same price! (but they would lower it now).

Regards,
Kent

Click to expand...

LeifShutter · Feb 20, 2004

So far, the noise looks just like the Sony 828. Not bad at all. Sharpness(what I can see!) looks pretty good too.

David Martin · Feb 20, 2004

KentO said:
Hi,
After reading a lot on this forum for some months, I finally took
the step!

I bought an A2 today, and I have so far played with it for a couple
of hours - indoors at night only.

My first impression of the EVF is that it is as good as I hoped.
This is really a big improvment. I tried the different settings
(Quality/Motion). According to the manual Quality means 30 fps,
640x480, Motion means 60 fps 640x240. I tried changing the setting
back and forth, and the difference is not that big - at least not
at first sight.

I also made som shots at different ISO for comparsion, see gallery:
http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2

I bought the camera in Sweden, the price was SEK 9995 including
VAT. This corresponds to (without VAT) EUR 870 or $1100. The price
diffrence to A1 is only about $125. In the store I bought it, they
even had the A1 at the same price! (but they would lower it now).

Regards,
Kent

Would you try some shots with the contrast set to -2, and sharpness at soft?

I feel that a series at those settings would look better for noise at the higher ISO's
Some people shots would be nice, too!
What is the lag in the EVF?- 1/10th sec. or imperceptible?
--
Regards,
DaveMart
Please see profile for equipment

Don Erway · Feb 20, 2004

fotog said:
Na, just kidding. But give some pics with LIGHT! When does the sun
come up??

Sun comes up in May...

--
Don Erway
http://www.pbase.com/derway/kona_underwater_g2

Tom Arvisais · Feb 20, 2004

Fotog:

Awww man, you killed me with that one

It usually takes a bit to make me LITERALLY LOL, but that was funny! "Just cancelled my order at Dell..." - what a hoot!
Regards,
Tom

fotog said:
Na, just kidding. But give some pics with LIGHT! When does the sun
come up??

RitzCamera.com doesn't honor its promises--Pass the word.

--
Regards,
Tom

KEITH-C · Feb 21, 2004

....... for posting these pictures. They are very useful because they are all of the same scene & have a wide dynamic range.

One question, however, did you have the white balance set to tungsten?

--
Keith-C

Karl C · Feb 21, 2004

LeifShutter said:
When does the sun
come up??

In Sweden there are places where the sun never comes up in winter ...so could be a problem :0)

Karl
http://www.pbase.com/karlc

David Martin · Feb 21, 2004

KEITH-C said:
....... for posting these pictures. They are very useful because
they are all of the same scene & have a wide dynamic range.

One question, however, did you have the white balance set to tungsten?

--
Keith-C

Exifer says that it's on Auto. Of course, I don't know how the colour compares to the actual scene.
Why not download exifer - it's free!
--
Regards,
DaveMart
Please see profile for equipment

KEITH-C · Feb 21, 2004

David Martin said:
KEITH-C said:

....... for posting these pictures. They are very useful because
they are all of the same scene & have a wide dynamic range.

One question, however, did you have the white balance set to tungsten?

--
Keith-C

Click to expand...

Exifer says that it's on Auto. Of course, I don't know how the
colour compares to the actual scene.
Why not download exifer - it's free!
--
Regards,
DaveMart

Member said:
I did load exifer but had to prune my disc as it's run out of space - I need a new computer!! I have too many imaging programs that I am reluctant to delete!

If it was taken on auto WB then that is the problem. Auto is not really recommended - the specific WB presets always give better results.

In tungsten lit interiors the human eye always tend to auto-correct & ignore the yellow colour cast. The camera is probably rendering an accurate image but one that we tend not to like. Sometimes the use of auto levels will provide a quick fix but it is more reliable to use the colour temperature presets.

Keith-C

alphaex32 · Feb 21, 2004

I wanted to compare what the noise would look like at the 5mp A1 resolution, so I decided to try the following on your ISO400 shot. I first applied neat image and then downsized to 5mp using genuine fractals, then I applied neat image again with some sharpening and the results are very good compared to ISO400 A1 shots after neat image:

http://www.pbase.com/image/26243225/original

I'm jealous, but ill keep enjoying my A1 anyway

Visor Blue · Feb 21, 2004

KentO said:
After reading a lot on this forum for some months, I finally took
the step!

I bought an A2 today, and I have so far played with it for a couple
of hours - indoors at night only.

Congratulations! Can you tell us if it has f/11 as a setting? Thanks!

--
------------------------------------
Digital Cameras - Current: Canon G2, Minolta D7i
Previous: Apple Quicktake 100, Olympus C2000, C2020, Canon G1,
Canon EOS 10D
Film - 35mm - 8X10
Next: Sony 828 or Minolta A2?

LeifShutter · Feb 21, 2004

Where is this this guy? It's been 19 hours since his first post. Think he's out shootiing?

Visor Blue said:
KentO said:

After reading a lot on this forum for some months, I finally took
the step!

I bought an A2 today, and I have so far played with it for a couple
of hours - indoors at night only.

Click to expand...

Congratulations! Can you tell us if it has f/11 as a setting? Thanks!

--
------------------------------------
Digital Cameras - Current: Canon G2, Minolta D7i
Previous: Apple Quicktake 100, Olympus C2000, C2020, Canon G1,
Canon EOS 10D
Film - 35mm - 8X10
Next: Sony 828 or Minolta A2?

--

Beauty is in the eye of the Bee-holder...

KentO · Feb 21, 2004

Hi,
Thanks for your responses.

I´ve been out shooting today, and the weather has been sunny today, so I have posted more interesting pictures, all taken at ISO64. I have been looking for purple fringing in my pictures, but I don´t see that much of it. There is some in the first picture of my gallery however. Btw, I had to remove the previous pictures to make room for these ones.

http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2/

EVF: It seems that the EVF itself can produce a better quality image than the camera can produce as a live preview. If you look at a picture in play mode there is less noise and better color than you see when using it as a viewfinder. It is good as a viewfinder, but even better for reviewing your pics. I tend to use the Quality (30 fps) setting all the time since you do see a difference in image quality.

And yes, it has f11.

So far I am very pleased, but I still have a lot to explore...

Kent

TardisDukr · Feb 21, 2004

The pictures are very good, but the A2 has the same problem as the 828, purple fringing. I will not buy an A2 I still like my A1.

KentO said:
Hi,
Thanks for your responses.

I´ve been out shooting today, and the weather has been sunny today,
so I have posted more interesting pictures, all taken at ISO64. I
have been looking for purple fringing in my pictures, but I don´t
see that much of it. There is some in the first picture of my
gallery however. Btw, I had to remove the previous pictures to make
room for these ones.

http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2/

EVF: It seems that the EVF itself can produce a better quality
image than the camera can produce as a live preview. If you look at
a picture in play mode there is less noise and better color than
you see when using it as a viewfinder. It is good as a viewfinder,
but even better for reviewing your pics. I tend to use the Quality
(30 fps) setting all the time since you do see a difference in
image quality.

And yes, it has f11.

So far I am very pleased, but I still have a lot to explore...

Kent

Will Rose · Feb 21, 2004

Thanks a lot to Kent for posting these pics.

I see a lot of purple fringing (although admittedly not as much as the Sony 828). A lot more than on the A1 or 7hi.

I also see a general lack of sharpness. It might be a focusing problem, but I saw similar softness in some of the Minolta sample pics.

The sample pics for the Canon Pro1 on the Canon web site look a lot better than what we've been seeing from the A2, IMO.

I was really looking forward to the A2, too.....

KentO said:
Hi,
Thanks for your responses.

I´ve been out shooting today, and the weather has been sunny today,
so I have posted more interesting pictures, all taken at ISO64. I
have been looking for purple fringing in my pictures, but I don´t
see that much of it. There is some in the first picture of my
gallery however. Btw, I had to remove the previous pictures to make
room for these ones.

http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2/

EVF: It seems that the EVF itself can produce a better quality
image than the camera can produce as a live preview. If you look at
a picture in play mode there is less noise and better color than
you see when using it as a viewfinder. It is good as a viewfinder,
but even better for reviewing your pics. I tend to use the Quality
(30 fps) setting all the time since you do see a difference in
image quality.

And yes, it has f11.

So far I am very pleased, but I still have a lot to explore...

Kent

LeifShutter · Feb 21, 2004

Well, they don't have nearly as much fringe as the Sony, although it's hard to compare with the limited sample set. The images do look a little soft, but that hardly incriminates the camera. Could easily be the user.

Time will tell.

Will Rose said:
I see a lot of purple fringing (although admittedly not as much as
the Sony 828). A lot more than on the A1 or 7hi.

I also see a general lack of sharpness. It might be a focusing
problem, but I saw similar softness in some of the Minolta sample
pics.

The sample pics for the Canon Pro1 on the Canon web site look a lot
better than what we've been seeing from the A2, IMO.

I was really looking forward to the A2, too.....

KentO said:

Hi,
Thanks for your responses.

I´ve been out shooting today, and the weather has been sunny today,
so I have posted more interesting pictures, all taken at ISO64. I
have been looking for purple fringing in my pictures, but I don´t
see that much of it. There is some in the first picture of my
gallery however. Btw, I had to remove the previous pictures to make
room for these ones.

http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2/

EVF: It seems that the EVF itself can produce a better quality
image than the camera can produce as a live preview. If you look at
a picture in play mode there is less noise and better color than
you see when using it as a viewfinder. It is good as a viewfinder,
but even better for reviewing your pics. I tend to use the Quality
(30 fps) setting all the time since you do see a difference in
image quality.

And yes, it has f11.

So far I am very pleased, but I still have a lot to explore...

Kent

Click to expand...

--

Beauty is in the eye of the Bee-holder...

David Martin · Feb 21, 2004

KentO said:
Hi,
Thanks for your responses.

I´ve been out shooting today, and the weather has been sunny today,
so I have posted more interesting pictures, all taken at ISO64. I
have been looking for purple fringing in my pictures, but I don´t
see that much of it. There is some in the first picture of my
gallery however. Btw, I had to remove the previous pictures to make
room for these ones.

http://hem.thalamus.nu/~gvp012191/A2/

EVF: It seems that the EVF itself can produce a better quality
image than the camera can produce as a live preview. If you look at
a picture in play mode there is less noise and better color than
you see when using it as a viewfinder. It is good as a viewfinder,
but even better for reviewing your pics. I tend to use the Quality
(30 fps) setting all the time since you do see a difference in
image quality.

And yes, it has f11.

So far I am very pleased, but I still have a lot to explore...

Kent

Thanks for the post - that is starting to give us a much better idea.

I wonder if you could comment on how much lag there is in the EVF- if you look through that, and at the scene with your other eye, is the delay in the EVF perceptible?

We were hoping that that had been reduced to negligeable proportions - but early indications are that it is still substantial, and so it would be difficult to use the A2 for sports.
I notice that your sharpness and contrast are both set to normal, as is your EV.

For those scenes it appears that the default sharpening is rather harsh, and the DR is quite difficult in some of those shots.

I'm wondering if it would be possible to take a couple with the sharpening at soft, the contrast at perhaps -2 and the EV at -1?
Thanks again!

--
Regards,
DaveMart
Please see profile for equipment

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