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PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS:SONY CYBER-SHOT WX5 We purchased this 12.2MP compact camera because it was the only product on the market that met all three of our requirements at the time: 24MM WIDE ANGLE: 28mm is simply not wide enough for too many places we have visited. 1080 VIDEO: 1080 HD at 60 frames per second is noticeably sharper and smoother than 720 30p & 24p. UNDERWATER HOUSING: This camera will be used for scuba diving. 24MM WIDE ANGLE: WX5 has a very useful 24-120mm equivalent 5X zoom, which delivers considerably wider field of view than most compact cameras normally equipped with 28 or 35mm lenses.  The 4000 X 2248 PHOTO shown below can demonstrate that the lens is sharp at the wide end, producing very little chromatic aberration.  1080 VIDEO: The 1920 X 1080 VIDEO FRAME shown above can demonstrate that the 1080 60i HD has far superior sharpness, resolution, and details, comparing to 720 30p or 24p video samples available online. In fact WX5 delivers smooth 1920 X 1080 60i AVCHD and 1440 X 1080 30p MP4 videos that are comparable to our SR11 camcorder. The camera also has optical zooming and continuous autofocus in the Movie mode; however, a little zooming noise can be heard in the video and the zooming action is not camcorder smooth. WX5 is our main video camera for travel and underwater because it is smaller, lighter, and has a much wider lens. The small differences in sharpness and noise levels shown below are hardly noticeable, viewing the 4 clips on HDTV. However, the differences between contrast levels, colors, and focal lengths are quite apparent! The video frames were captured with Sony Picture Motion Browser. Click on the images to see the unedited frames. 
In a battery duration test, I recorded 38 minutes of continuous Full HD video before exhausting the battery, cinematographers should bring extras accordingly. Your milage may vary! CAUTION: DO NOT COVER THE MICROPHONE WITH YOUR FINGER WHILE RECORDING VIDEOS because loud camera noise will be recorded in your movies, causing you to think the camera is defected. Also, since MOST computers cannot play highly detailed Full HD videos without stuttering, one must check the smoothness of the movies on a HDTV before faulting the camera. Video: Underwater Tests - recorded inside the Shark-&-Ray pool, using the Ikelite waterproof case. Length 0:20 (1080 60i AVCHD, iMovie) White Balance and Exposure were adjusted in some clips. Video: Low-light Tests - Evidence of autofocus can be seen in the first clip. The jellyfish were recorded under very dim lighting through thick aquarium glass, so the image quality was affected. People with fast computers will notice how smooth the video is! Length 1:05 (1080 60i AVCHD, iMovie) White Balance and Exposure were adjusted in some clips. UNDERWATER HOUSING: Ikelite makes a compact and lightweight waterproof case for the WX5. The clear housing is very well built, and all of the camera functions are easily accessible. The rear buttons are very close together so it's a good idea to wear the thinnest dive gloves possible. CUSTOM WHITE BALANCE: Since the camera does not have RAW, using Custom White Balance is the best way to obtain the most accurate colors under difficult lighting situations. Also, RAW is currently only available for photos; therefore, people who value videos as much as stills must learn to use Custom White Balance. The three samples below show the difference Custom White Balance can make under 40 feet (12 meters) of water. The first two are straight out of the camera, and the one in the middle has very accurate overall colors! Water hue was added to the third image to match the kelp colors I saw a little farther away.  Click on the image to see underwater photos from Catalina Island Giant Kelp Forest.  Macro: The image on the right was taken at or near the closest focus distance.  SWEEP PANORAMA: This in-camera feature automatically takes and stitches multiple shots to form one ultra-wide image, it will be extremely useful, visiting places like the Grand Canyon or the Great Wall of China. For the next image, in order to position the Black Bird above the cluttered background, I had to get too close to the plane to photograph it with one shot, so Sweep Panorama was the only option. The stitching isn't perfect every time so it's a good idea to take a few shots and choose the best one. This feature will definitely be on our must-have list from now on since it is easy to use and does a great job!  ISO PERFORMANCE: The Exmor R sensor produces decent low-light performance up to ISO 800. Since people don't share photos, pixel-peeping at 100%, the 50% crops can better demonstrate what the noise levels will appear under normal viewing on a 1920 X 1200 monitor. Personally, I won't hesitate, using ISO 400, or even ISO 800 when absolutely necessary, but not ISO 1600 on up. Click on the images to see the 4000 X 2248 photos!  The bottom line is the WX5 is a great little camera with class-leading performance and feature set; however, it is after all a compact point-&-shoot so don't expect dSLR performance from such a tiny lens and sensor. As always, to get the best results for nighttime and indoor shots from a compact camera - use the lowest ISO setting and a tripod. Freezing fast-moving subjects in low light - use a dSLR. |
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Copyright © 1999-2012 Albert Yu. All rights reserved. |
