Sony MVC-CD400Sony expands its CD-equipped camera line, adding a four megapixel CCD, a huge buffer memory, Hologram Autofocus, and a standard hot shoe!<<Video, Power, Software :(Previous) | (Next): Reference: Datasheet>> Page 12:Test Results & ConclusionReview First Posted: 2/20/2002 |
Test Results
In keeping with my standard policy, my comments here are rather condensed, summarizing my key findings. For a full commentary on each of my standard test images, see the MVC-CD400's "pictures" page.
As with all Imaging Resource camera tests, I encourage you to let your own eyes be the judge of how well the devices performed. Explore the images on the pictures page, to see how well the CD400 performed, and how its images compare to other cameras you may be considering buying.
The CD400 performed very well throughout my testing, producing good color accuracy in most instances. The camera's White Balance system handled most of my test lighting well, with the Manual setting producing the best results in most cases. I noticed a slightly warm tint in some shots with the Manual white balance setting, particularly in the Outdoor and Indoor (without flash) portraits, but color was about right. The CD400 did a good job with the Davebox test target, though the subtractive primary colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow) were slightly undersaturated. The CD400 had no trouble distinguishing the tough tonal variations of the Davebox, and accurately exposed the image. Skin tones looked good throughout the testing, without the too-pink magenta tints that sometimes plague digicams. However, I did notice some purplish tints in the blue flowers and Marti's pants in my Outdoor and Indoor portraits. This is a common failing among digicams I've tested though, and the CD400 didn't exhibit the problem as strongly as many cameras.
The CD400 performed well on the "laboratory" resolution test chart. It started showing artifacts in the test patterns at resolutions as low as 600 lines per picture height, but I found "strong detail" out to at least 1,05 lines vertically and 1,150 lines horizontally. "Extinction" of the target patterns occurred at about 1,400 lines.
Optical distortion on the CD400 is a bit lower than average (although, along with most other consumer digicams, still too high IMHO) at the wide-angle end, as I measured a 0.62 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end showed much less distortion, with about 0.19 percent distortion present. Chromatic aberration is also relatively low, showing about three pixels of very light coloration on either side of the target lines. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.) The most evident distortion I noticed was some slight corner softness in a few shots, strongest on the left side of the frame.
I found the CD400's LCD monitor to be a little loose in the Viewfinder Accuracy test, as the monitor showed very slightly more subject area than what was actually captured. I couldn't measure the actual frame accuracy, as the standard measurement lines were just outside the frame in both wide-angle and telephoto images, but the viewfinder is likely very close to 100 percent accuracy. Given that I generally prefer LCD monitors to be as close to 100 percent accuracy as possible, the CD400 performed fairly well here.
The CD400 did very well in the macro category, capturing a minimum area of only 2.3 x 1.7 inches (57 x 43 millimeters). Resolution is high, with sharp details visible on the coins, brooch, and dollar bill. Color and exposure both looked good as well. Some corner softness was visible from the lens, strongest on the left side of the frame, but it's overall not as bad as I'm accustomed to seeing in digicam macro shots. The lens' wide-angle setting also results in a little barrel distortion. The CD400's flash had trouble throttling down for the macro area, overexposing the top portion of the image while underexposing the lower portion. (That close, the flash was strongly shadowed by the lens barrel. A bit further away from the subject, it should do OK.)
Overall, I was pleased with the CD400's performance during testing, and the
image noise levels seemed lower in the produciton model than I'd observed in
the prototype. Color performance was good, and resolution remained high with
excellent detail.
Conclusion
The original MVC-CD1000 CD Mavica was a revolutionary digicam,
with inexpensive storage provided by CD-Rs and the trademark "universal
media" appeal of the Mavica line. The CD400 expands on an already excellent
digicam design, adding significant enhancements, including a larger CCD and
the convenience of a very large buffer memory, not to mention audio recording
and the (surprising) ability to record MPEG video and audio in real time to
the CD-RW drive. I also appreciated the inclusion of the Hologram AF feature.
- And most particularly, I liked the addition of a conventional flash
hot shoe on top of the camera, all that was needed to turn the CD400 into a
true "enthusiast's" camera. Along with its updated features, the CD400
still offers the well-designed user interface and flexible exposure control
seen in other top-end Sony models. The CD400 is really one of the most "universal"
cameras Sony has yet created, offering easy, fully automatic exposure and "scene"
modes when you want them, or full manual control when you don't. It's really
a camera that could be used about as well by a rank novice as by an advanced
amateur, a fact I think will contribute to its popularity in the marketplace.
A nice job Sony, highly recommended!
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