Here Come the ZLRs by Peter Kotsinadelis
Bridging the Gap

As technology continues to improve, so do digital cameras. Many features once reserved for high-end digital cameras are now found on newer consumer cameras. While many of these newer digital cameras still include a full program mode setting that allows the camera to operate as a point and shoot, the experienced photographer can also take advantage of shutter- and aperture-priority modes, manual mode, spot metering, etc. Add to this the improved image quality that you will find in many of these new models, and it makes you question if a small digital camera can provide what you were used to from your old SLR. We selected a few models at various price points to see if this is the case.

Kodak DX6490, left, with lens and flash and, right, on dock

Under $500
We selected four models with two under $500 and two below $900. The under-$500 models were the Kodak DX6490 and Canon PowerShot S1 IS. The Kodak has a street price of $399 and the Canon $499. Both offer fast zoom lenses with 10X optical zoom that ranges from 38–380mm and each had the option of digital zoom that basically uses the central area of the pixels, in a sense cropping the image down to simulate zooming in.

Although the Canon Powershot S1 had 3.2 megapixels (MP) compared to 4MP for the Kodak, the benefit of Image Stabilization provided a greater number of sharp images when using the camera at slower shutter speeds or when at the long end of the zoom lens. The lens was surprisingly fast with an aperture of f/2.8–f/3.1 aperture. It was hard to imagine having a zoom the equivalent of a 380mm f/3.1 lens on a 35mm camera in one neat little package.

Canon PowerShot S1 IS	Fujifilm Finepix S20 Pro

While the Kodak DX6490 did not have image stabilization, it did have an excellent Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon zoom lens, a well known name to many professional photographers. The DX6490 also has the largest LCD display (2.2 inches), located on the rear of the camera and a PC sync connector for use with an external flash, a nice surprise. Considering the Kodak DX6490 has a street price of $399, these features along with a 4MP image sensor, a somewhat more compact design, and excellent optics, provided a welcome surprise. While shooting a rodeo I threw the camera in my bag and took it out to try a few shots. My colleague laughed when he saw it, but his laughter ended when he saw the results as I pulled up the DX6490 images on my computer screen.

One caveat for many of these models when using continuous shooting mode for action or sports photography is the electronic viewfinder (EVF). The EVF cannot keep up with the shooting. The EVF in the Canon Powershot S1 IS would go blank and slowly recycle with subsequent frames but could not keep up with the camera’s 1.7 fps, while the EVF in the DX6490 goes blank leaving you shooting in the dark at 3fps.

Under $900
The other two cameras we looked at were the Fuji Finepix S20 Pro with a street price around $850 and the Nikon Coolpix 8700 with a street price just under $900. As with other fixed lens digital cameras, these models also have an EVF, although they are substantially clearer and brighter, they are still not as good as what you would expect from an optical viewfinder on an SLR.

Nikon Coolpix 8700	Nikon Coolpix 8700 top view	Nikon Coolpix 8700 back view

The Fuji Finepix S20 Pro incorporates Fuji’s fourth generation 6MP Super CCD SR (Super Dynamic Range), the same CCD that is incorporated in the Fujifilm S3 albeit a higher density version. This new CCD has two adjacent pixels (Fuji is now using the term photodiodes) that receive the light reflected off the subject at the same point (see image). The larger of the two receives light faster than the smaller, similar to the way ISO 400 (larger S-pixel) and ISO 100 (smaller R-pixel) films would act. By doing this, the CCD maximizes the captured detail especially in high key bright areas, thus yielding improved exposure latitude and better shadow detail. This arrangement of S and R-pixels results is a dynamic range four times that of previous generation of Super CCDs.

The S20 offers five JPEG file sizes: 1, 2, 3, and 6 MP (Normal) and 6MP (Fine), plus Fuji RAW format. With the S20 set to RAW format, you have a choice of either ISO 200 or 400. You have to turn RAW mode off in order to use ISO settings up to 800. The ISO 1600 setting is only available with a 1MP JPEG setting. The lens on the S20 is a very sharp 6x zoom Super-EBC Fujinon lens equivalent to a 35–210mm f/2.8–3.1 on a 35mm SLR.

The latest in the Nikon’s line up is their 8MP Coolpix 8700 with its 2⁄3-inch 8MP CCD. This camera has the largest image sensor of the group in both physical size and density (8.31MP). While many know this to be the same CCD as used in several other 8MP digital cameras, the Nikon electronics and image processing of the final image are what really count. I like to use the analogy of 35mm film. There are many cameras that use film, however some have better metering systems, sharper lenses, and some photographer use professional film processing. All these contribute to the final image much the same way the camera manufacturers lens and digital image processing do.

The Coolpix 8700 has an 8X Zoom-Nikkor equivalent to a 35–280mm f/2.8–4.2 lens on a 35mm SLR lens with built-in macro capability. This particular lens has Nikon’s Super Integrated Coating (SIC) and two glass molded ED (Extra-Low dispersion) glass lens elements that help provide for a sharp image. There are also optional accessory lenses that will provide a fish-eye, wide angle, or super telephoto with a 1.5X factor, the equivalent of a 420mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Jet image taken with Canon PowerShot S1 IS

Price, Quality and Use
While we could write many pages on every feature of each of the cameras we reviewed in this article, what we have learned about them is far more important than technical details. One of the more interesting points to note is that all of the cameras had image sensors that were smaller than those you would normally find in pro-level digital SLRs. These smaller image sensors did have more noticeable noise especially at the higher ISO settings. The more expensive the camera, the larger the number of pixels and with that the larger the image sensor. And generally speaking, the larger the image sensor, the less noise we saw, especially at the ISO 400 setting.

A second comment is the multi-shot capability with focus tracking, something you would use primarily for action photography. While all worked fairly well, the higher-end cameras had much clearer electronic viewfinders and were better able to recycle the EVF faster in order to show you the next image as you took the next sequential image. With any of these cameras there are always tradeoffs. You don’t get something for nothing. For features you gain there is always something you may lose. Case in point, the Canon S1 Pro IS is a very nice 3.2MP camera. You gain Canon’s ingenious image stabilization and the excellent color reproduction of the Canon DIGIC chip, but you will also have a smaller LCD screen and no means of connecting to an external flash.

	Fuji S20 AWB

The Kodak DX6490 does not have image stabilization, but with its 4MP image sensor you gain about 30 percent more pixels along with an excellent Schneider Variogon zoom lens, larger LCD screen, and PC sync connector for an external flash. So the decision of which camera to buy and use would need to be based on features needed. For example, if you plan to use the long end of the zoom most often, or take images primarily indoors with existing light, then image stabilization is a feature you should seriously consider. If not, at a street price of under $399 the Kodak DX6490 is a real bargain.

In the under $900 category, the Fuji S20 Pro was an excellent performer and was the easiest of the group to use. Everyone I showed the camera to was amazed at how simple it is to operate. The S20 Pro has a lens with a shorter focal length than the Nikon Coolpix 8700, but it also has Fujifilm’s new fourth generation Super CCD SR that produced excellent images with detail even when images were overexposed by two full stops. The trick here is that you need to use Fuji’s RAW mode to obtain these results. Setting RAW off will result in JPEG files that will allow you to pull detail out with images overexposed no more than one stop.

Nikon 8MP

The Nikon Coolpix 8700 was the camera with the largest CCD in the group and at the same time the greatest number of pixels at eight million. It is a densely packed CCD and the images were excellent. Enlarging the images I captured with the Coolpix 8700 there was no question that it really delivered on quality. Nikon has equipped this camera with excellent optics, a terrific range of accessory lenses, and a hot-shoe that is fully compatible with their newest i-TTL flash technology. It was also the only camera of the group that could also record TIFF images. On the downside, many photographers whom I showed the camera to found the user interface difficult. Instead of dials, the camera uses a series of buttons and one dial to cycle through the options each button provides. The accessory lenses were very sharp and added a great deal of versatility; however, when you add each one, you have to set the camera for that specific lens accessory and only the digital zoom is operable.

	Nikon 8700 817

Perspective of a Photographer
As technology improves, digital cameras are getting better and less expensive. If you are used to an optical viewfinder, an EVF will take some getting use to. When you move an EVF-equipped camera up and down, unlike a conventional optical viewfinder, the image of an EVF will appear to jump. This is caused by the electronics trying to keep up with the movement in reproducing the image for your use.

This new breed of digital cameras are more than capable in providing terrific results, easily the equivalent, and in some cases better, than what we have seen from first- and second-generation digital SLRs. There is also the benefit of substantially longer battery life than the previous generation of ZLRs and many digital SLRs. Yet even with improved image quality and longer battery life there is still higher shutter lag times to consider. This is most noticeable in the lower end models where taking a photo is still basically click and wait before the shutter releases. Bear in mind lag times don’t always tell the full story as you have to include autofocus time as well in order to understand how much of a delay there really is before the shutter is finally released and the image captured. For example, shutter lag times for the Nikon Coolpix and Fujifilm S20 are basically identical at about 700–750 milliseconds—for comparison the EOS D60 has a shutter lag time of 100 ms—but the Fuji operated faster—something I attribute to a faster AF system.

Fuji S20 Normal	Fuji S20 Plus 1

The battery life in all the ZLRs is much improved over previous generations. Several professional photographers have considered using higher-end cameras like the Fujifilm S20 Pro and Nikon Coolpix 8700 in their business. A common question is: Can the images of these cameras compare to those of the current generation of digital SLRs? In short, no. Although in certain applications they can equal the quality, there is still a higher noise level relative to the sensitivity (ISO) settings. Additionally, the photographer must consider the longer shutter lag times as mentioned previous. The Fuji or Nikon would serve well in the studio under controlled lighting conditions at lower ISO settings. For use on locations, this would really be up to the individual style and what the photographer is expecting from the resulting images.

Peter Kotsinadelis is a writer/photographer living in Pleasanton, CA. He may be reached at peterk727@ cgmail.com/.