Pixiq

Wondering if that new Canon EOS is really as good as the previous model? Shopping for a new camera and want one that produces top quality images? Or maybe you are just curious about how your camera stacks up. Well then, the Imaging Resource’s “Comparometer” is where you want to go. It is a marvelous tool that lets you compare the image quality of every digital camera ever made with every other one. 

The Imaging Resource Comparometer is a device that lets you compare the image quality of cameras at all their ISO settings and in a number of different shooting situations. And it is very easy to use. Simply use the link below and go to the site. Then the first step is to choose your camera # 1. At the Comparometer you’ll see that the workspace has two broad columns. At the top of each is a drop down box that lists camera models. You can select a camera from the drop down list of ”Current” models or the list of “All” models.

As an example, suppose I want to compare the quality of images from my Panasonic Lumix LX3 with those produced by the later LX5. At ISO 400 and higher, the LX3 does not produce great images. I will use the Comparometer to see if the LX5 performs better and therefore is worth the cost of an upgrade. 

At the Comparometer, I click on “All” models on the left column and from that list find the older “Panasonic Lumix DMC LX3” and click on it. This takes me to the LX3 page. Scrolling down this page I see a whole range of comparison images. There are resolution charts, flash shots, a tabletop studio and more. Each of these subjects is shot at all the camera's ISO settings. For every camera listed, the folks at Imaging Resource have done an amazing job and meticulously taken these comparison images over and over again.

I decide to select the tabletop setup shot at ISO 400 and click on it. A new page showing the image comes up in the left hand column. When I click on this image I get the full 100% image file. This picture is larger than the column so I will have to use the sliders to navigate around it. 

With camera #1 one set, I go to the right hand column and select camera # 2, the Panasonic Lumix LX5 from the “Current” models list. When the LX5 page comes up I find the ISO 400 tabletop shot and when it comes up, I click on it to get the 100% image file. 

With both photos loaded, I can see specific areas of the image and place them side by side to compare color and detail. The tabletop setup, for example, includes among other things, bottles with lables, colored thread, a color chart, a box of crayons, and a black coffee cup on a white napkin. Going through these images I can get a very good idea of how these cameras compare in real world shooting and I can see how image sharpness and color accuracy compare from each camera.  

Okay, I will admit that while the Comparometer is very good, it is not perfect. The folks at Imaging Resource do their best to control the variables. The photos are taken with similar lenses but not taken at different aperture settings. Some lenses perform poorly wide open but improve radically stopped down. The Comparometer images are also out-of-the camera JPEGs and photographers who shoot RAW files may object, saying that RAW files are sharper and better indicators of quality. While that's true I think comparing JPEGs is legitimate, if one camera’s JPEGs are substantially better than another’s, I suspect that the RAW files will be too. 

As for my comparison of the LX3 and the LX5 images, I can see that the LX5 is a slight improvement over its predecessor. Checking at various ISO settings I can see that the LX5 has a small edge over the LX3 at higher ISO settings. That’s good but no cigar. I’ve decided to wait for the LX7--if it is ever made—and hope for a big improvement in quality.   

And beware of the Comparometer gentlemen and ladies, for it is addictive. Once you get the hang of it, it can provide you with hours of fascinating entertainment. I think that I have compared every camera I have ever owned with every digital camera ever made. However comparing images takes an emotional toll too as when a camera I had great expectations for turns out to be a dud. But then too, there are those times when a camera’s performance just knocks your socks off.

So give the Imaging Resource Comparometer a try and if you enjoy using the it, please take a minute to support the site with a small donation through your PayPal account. 

To visit the Imaging Resource Comparometer http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM