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G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach

Started 1 month ago | Photos
B Shepard Regular Member • Posts: 125
G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
2

I've owned both these cameras for awhile, and finally got around to testing them for a specific use case - shooting low-light events (like concerts or plays).

I did this test at home in a dimly lit room. I took a shot with each camera at their max zoom and wide open aperture.  I then cropped out an identical area, and up-sized the Canon image to match the resolution of the Sony (as a much tighter crop was needed on the Canon).

Here's the result:

The Canon G5x ii at 120mm f2.8

The Sony Rx100 vi at 200mm f4.5

I was surprised to find the G5x ii actually surpassed the Rx100 with low-light reach.  I did take multiple image from each camera. The Canon was always good, the Sony had various levels of blur, the image I picked for this comparison was the sharpest.

In good light the Sony definitely wins.

Comment & critique:
Please provide me constructive critique and criticism.
Canon PowerShot G5 X Sony RX100 Sony RX100 VI
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Jon_T
Jon_T Veteran Member • Posts: 6,393
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
1

B Shepard wrote:

I was surprised to find the G5x ii actually surpassed the Rx100 with low-light reach.

Why?

All one has to do is look at each images EXIF Data to see that the G5x II ISO is 4000 ISO, and the Rx100 VI is 6400 ISO.

Ditto for the G5X for being sharper "IF" shots were handheld; most likely to the shorter focal length and 1/60th shutter speed, vs. the Rx100 VI @ 200mm EFL and slow 1/25h shutter speed.

Also the 6400 ISO with the rather small "1-inch TYPE" Sensor will deteriorate small details. Even with RAW images with "1-inch TYPE" Sensor cameras, for best IQ I try to keep upper ISO limit to 1600 ISO; with 3200 ISO being the max—I also use DXO PL 6.

For any "worth while" comparisons need to use tripod, IS OFF, the SAME distance, focal lengths, aperture, and ISO settings. (For static test shots shutter speed irrelevant on IQ tests)

If you've looked at lens tests, (all things being as equal as possible) nothing new that a shorter zoom range lens will do better than a longer zoom range lens.

Hence why the "Pro" DSLR/ Mirrorless are generally a 3X zoom range.

The Canon Pro 24-70 mm f/2.8 L lenses have no "IS" to maintain lens alignment.

Jon

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OP B Shepard Regular Member • Posts: 125
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
2

Lol, I'm trying to test the cameras in real-world conditions. I can't take a tripod into a concert venue, LOL!!!

Jon_T
Jon_T Veteran Member • Posts: 6,393
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach

B Shepard wrote:

Lol, I'm trying to test the cameras in real-world conditions. I can't take a tripod into a concert venue, LOL!!!

LOL!!

I was replying to the contents of your post ...

"... I was surprised to find the G5x ii actually surpassed the Rx100 with low-light reach.. ..."

DUH! If you're so knowledgeable, should not have been "surprised" that the G5X II with f/2.8 would do better than RX100 VI with f/4.5 in low light.

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OP B Shepard Regular Member • Posts: 125
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
1

Well, I figured the test would favor the Canon due to aperture (and hence ISO), but the Sony has so much more reach... so yeah it was surprising. I don't see why that is controversial.

Jon_T
Jon_T Veteran Member • Posts: 6,393
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach

B Shepard wrote:

Well, I figured the test would favor the Canon due to aperture (and hence ISO), but the Sony has so much more reach... so yeah it was surprising. I don't see why that is controversial.

It's not; just your method of testing is not "apples-to-apples"; if really that important to you; at the next concert take both cameras and do a truly "... in real-world conditions ...".

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OP B Shepard Regular Member • Posts: 125
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach

That'd be sweet, but not likely to happen. I'm lucky to get in with a single camera.

Jon_T
Jon_T Veteran Member • Posts: 6,393
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach

B Shepard wrote:

That'd be sweet, but not likely to happen. I'm lucky to get in with a single camera.

Just use a "little" ingenuity and take some pics at similar subject distances and lighting conditions.

What I've done for for over 40 years.

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OP B Shepard Regular Member • Posts: 125
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach

wow.

larkhon Regular Member • Posts: 248
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
3

The OP doesn't need to test both cameras at a concert nor does it have to be a Pro grade review/comparison in order to be meaningful. Let's not be snobbish about it.

Until recently I owned both cameras and I would use them in concerts too. First of, the Sony shot is either blurry because of the slow SS or because it's been resized to 1.8mp (which is unnecessary, in my opinion, you want full size here, as you can also crop further). I'd do both shots at least at 1/60s (I find anyway 1/100s or 1/125s are better for concerts where the artist is moving).

Then, from a practical point of view, you are not going to crop every image to match the 200mm from the Sony. Myself, I can hardly find the time to sort and fix my concerts pics... even if the Canon is sharper reach wins it every time, unless you expect difficult lighting or it is a smaller venue and you can do portraits/isolate a band member at 120mm.

My two cents...

Jon_T
Jon_T Veteran Member • Posts: 6,393
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach

larkhon wrote:

The OP doesn't need to test both cameras at a concert nor does it have to be a Pro grade review/comparison in order to be meaningful. Let's not be snobbish about it...

Really?

My reply was simply if "anyone" wants to do a "IQ comparison" between two cameras the test parameters (subject, lighting, exposure) need to be the same, or test results are useless. (Garbage In, Garbage Out)

... Until recently I owned both cameras and I would use them in concerts too. First of, the Sony shot is either blurry because of the slow SS ...

User error.

... or because it's been resized to 1.8mp ...

Again user/ settings error. My RX10 IV has never resized the sensor's 20 MP image to lower size; nor I have read any posts by any users in the "Sony Cyber-shot Talk" forum stating this.

The RX100 VI/ VII images posted by "experienced" users in the "Sony Cyber-shot Talk" rebuke your comments.

Obviously (basic photography) in low lighting conditions a camera using lens with f/1.8~f/2.8 max apertures should do better than another camera using lens with max f/2.8-f/4.5 apertures.

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larkhon Regular Member • Posts: 248
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
1

Jon_T wrote:

larkhon wrote:

The OP doesn't need to test both cameras at a concert nor does it have to be a Pro grade review/comparison in order to be meaningful. Let's not be snobbish about it...

Really?

My reply was simply if "anyone" wants to do a "IQ comparison" between two cameras the test parameters (subject, lighting, exposure) need to be the same, or test results are useless. (Garbage In, Garbage Out)

This is completely irrelevant. It isn't about comparing the IQ of two cameras, it's about putting them in a tough, real life situation and see which one gets the best shot. In this case to match the Canon's f2.8 1/60s ISO 4000 the Sony had to go 1/25s ISO 6400 resulting in a blurry shot.

... Until recently I owned both cameras and I would use them in concerts too. First of, the Sony shot is either blurry because of the slow SS ...

User error.

Not an error, a choice. I would have used the same SS but then the exposure would have been different.

... or because it's been resized to 1.8mp ...

Again user/ settings error. My RX10 IV has never resized the sensor's 20 MP image to lower size; nor I have read any posts by any users in the "Sony Cyber-shot Talk" forum stating this.

An experienced user would have thought the OP had resized the picture with a software, I don't know where you got this idea that the camera was doing it??

The RX100 VI/ VII images posted by "experienced" users in the "Sony Cyber-shot Talk" rebuke your comments.

Then again, you can always have a bad copy or have a very specific use case.

Obviously (basic photography) in low lighting conditions a camera using lens with f/1.8~f/2.8 max apertures should do better than another camera using lens with max f/2.8-f/4.5 apertures.

Yes but you see, experienced users would want to see if reach can trump the faster aperture on a shorter lens. And even after years and 20000 shots taken with compact cameras at concerts, I'm still performing similar experiments myself, because things are not always that simple.

For instance, I'd dismiss a camera like a TZ90 with it's small sensor, soft and slow lens based on its performance and potential IQ. However in the case of a concerts where the scene is 100m away its reach is more helpful than a faster lens/bigger sensor.

Jon_T
Jon_T Veteran Member • Posts: 6,393
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
1

larkhon wrote:

Jon_T wrote:

larkhon wrote:

The OP doesn't need to test both cameras at a concert nor does it have to be a Pro grade review/comparison in order to be meaningful. Let's not be snobbish about it...

Really?

My reply was simply if "anyone" wants to do a "IQ comparison" between two cameras the test parameters (subject, lighting, exposure) need to be the same, or test results are useless. (Garbage In, Garbage Out)

This is completely irrelevant. It isn't about comparing the IQ of two cameras, ...

Re-read the OP's FIRST post about his "TEST" in a ROOM which my replies were 'mainly' to, in addition to OP comments on concerts.

... it's about putting them in a tough, real life situation. ..

Been shooting in "real life" conditions for over 40 years.

If one cannot get shots right in practice shooting, they're not going to get right in "tough real life situations".

... Until recently I owned both cameras and I would use them in concerts too. First of, the Sony shot is either blurry because of the slow SS ...

User error.

Not an error, a choice. I would have used the same SS but then the exposure would have been different.

DUH! That's when experience helps you to make make the right choices; not excuses.

... or because it's been resized to 1.8mp ...

Again user/ settings error. My RX10 IV has never resized the sensor's 20 MP image to lower size; nor I have read any posts by any users in the "Sony Cyber-shot Talk" forum stating this.

An experienced user would have thought the OP had resized the picture with a software, I don't know where you got this idea that the camera was doing it??

Sorry I do not ESP to read anyone's thoughts. That's not the way you post read:... "

... First of, the Sony shot is either blurry because of the slow SS or because it's been resized to 1.8mp (which is unnecessary, in my opinion," ...

Nothing indicating of PP.

Any knowable photog would have known the results of downsizing to 1.8 MP beforehand.

The RX100 VI/ VII images posted by "experienced" users in the "Sony Cyber-shot Talk" rebuke your comments.

Then again, you can always have a bad copy or have a very specific use case.

I've read through quite a few of your past posts, and look at your images in your DPR Gallery, your the typical type that's 'All TALK' and 'No WALK'; with nothing more than excuses and manure.

Hence not going to waste my time with any further replies — I've added you to my profiles' "Ignore User".

Bye

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larkhon Regular Member • Posts: 248
Re: G5x ii vs Rx100 vi / Aperture vs Reach
2

Well, if I had 40 years of photography behind me I'd probably be less rude to people I don't know and I'd try to push people to do better rather than point out their flaws. Otherwise it is pointless to excel at something...

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