Kodak DC5000Familiar 2 megapixel electronics in a super-rugged case make a *true* take-anywhere camera!<<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & FlashReview First Posted: 09/10/2000 |
Exposure
The DC5000 offers two metering modes to help obtain the best exposure for your images even in the face of backlight surrounding the subject. The modes include a Multi-Pattern option that examines the entire image area to determine the best exposure. This setting will generally be the best choice for everyday pictures. Conversely, the camera is also equipped with a Center-Weighted setting that bases its exposure decision primarily on the central portion of the frame, while de-emphasizing the background. The Center-Weighted mode will be most useful for shooting portraits shots, or for dealing with backlit subjects.
A Sharpness feature is included that allows you to choose between three sharpness options: Sharp, Standard, and Soft. The Sharp option highlights the edges of your image making them stand out; the Standard option leaves the image as captured and makes no sharpness adjustment; and the Soft option blurs the edges in your picture so that they blend in with the background. (This is a little different than most digital cameras we've tested with "sharpness" options: Most seem to simply turn off the sharpening function in the "soft" mode, while the DC5000 appears to actually blur the image somewhat when this option is selected.) Contrary to some cameras we've tested though, we found the sharpness variations on the C5000 fairly subtle. (In our opinion, some cameras really overdo the sharpening a bit in the "sharp" mode, reducing its utility. Kodak's more subtle approach seems more useful.)
The White Balance feature of the DC5000 lets you capture images under special lighting conditions (fluorescent, evening, or tungsten light, for example), or create a special color effects. Normally, the Auto option would be used for everyday pictures and, in most cases, produces images of more than acceptable quality. Under some circumstances, when taking pictures out-of-doors, or under daylight lighting conditions, the Daylight option may be preferable: The difference between the two is pretty subtle when shooting normal subjects, but the "daylight" option would avoid color shifts due to a preponderance of a particular color in the subject.) When capturing images indoors, two white balance options are available: Fluorescent, to correct for the green cast caused by most household fluorescent lights, or Tungsten, to correct for the orange cast frequently seen when capturing images under tungsten lighting. We were particularly impressed with how well the DC5000's white balance system did at removing the strong yellowish cast from the tungsten lighting used in our "indoor portrait" test shot.
Through an LCD menu option, you can dial in exposure compensation from -2EV to +2EV in .5EV increments. The DC5000 is also equipped with another LCD option that locks the exposure and white balance settings when the shutter is tripped for the first shot in a series, or when the Shutter button is half-pressed for the first time after selecting the option. This Exposure Lock feature works especially well for capturing a series of images that require consistent exposure and color balance between them. (For instance, images that will later be combined together to create a panorama.)
Besides the normal exposure modes, the DC5000 sports two special modes, to take either black & white or sepia-toned images. The black & white option produces smaller file sizes for a given quality level than is possible for color pictures. The "sepia" option recreates the look of old-time photos, which were often rendered in shades of brown, as a result of treating the prints in a sepia toning solution.
Like the DC280, the DC5000 provides an "Auto-ISO" function. When enabled (via an LCD menu selection), this option allows the camera to increase its effective ISO rating in low-light conditions from its normal value of 70 to an apparent value of ~140. (A guess on our part, based on the approximately one-stop increase in shutter speed with it enabled.) We were surprised though, that this option doesn't appear to improve the absolute low-light limit of the camera at all: Whether it is engaged or not, the camera is only capable of good exposure down to a limit of about EV 10 (8 foot-candles or 88 lux). Since this sort of ISO increase is achieved by simply boosting the amplification of the signal from the CCD sensor, the noise level of the image is increased also. It's likely then, that Kodak chose not to create a camera that would take obviously noisy pictures in lower light conditions, preferring instead to maintain their image-quality standard, while settling for a less-aggressive low-light capability. Regardless, under typical room lighting conditions, the 1-stop shutter speed increase provided by the Auto-ISO function is very welcome when shooting people-pictures indoors.
Lastly, after an image is captured, the QuickView feature displays the image on the LCD. At this point, you can choose to delete the image immediately and re-shoot, or, if you do nothing, the image will be stored to the cameras picture card. (The QuickView feature can be turned off to conserve battery life.)
Flash
The built-in flash of the DC5000 has a specified working range 1.6 feet to 9.8 feet in wide-angle mode, and 1.6 feet to 7.9 feet in telephoto mode. In our tests though, we found that the flash worked just fine out to at least 10 feet, even in telephoto mode, and so regard Kodak's rated spec as a little conservative. The "customizable" flash settings include auto flash, red-eye reduction flash, fill-in flash, and off. The flash settings are fairly flexible in that you can choose a different setting for each shot, or you can set a default flash setting in Camera Setup mode. The default setting holds through camera power cycles and can be helpful if you regularly shoot images requiring a specific flash option. In common usage, changing a flash setting on the run is so simple, it's not a problem, but the selectable default setting is nonetheless a convenience.
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