Toshiba PDR-M81Toshiba steps into the 4-megapixel arena with a value-priced, full-featured model.<<Video, Power, Software :(Previous) | (Next): Reference: Datasheet>> Page 12:Test Results & ConclusionReview First Posted: 08/24/2001 |
Test Results
In keeping with our standard policy, our comments here are rather condensed, summarizing our key findings. For a full commentary on each of the test images, see the PDR-M81's "pictures" page.
As with all Imaging Resource camera tests, we 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 PDR-M81 performed, and how its images compare to other cameras you may be considering buying.
Overall, the PDR-M81 produced nice looking shots, with a fairly accurate color balance most of the time. The camera's White Balance system did well throughout most of our testing, handling a variety of light sources without too much trouble, though we noticed a slight magenta cast in many of the shots. (We primarily used the Auto WB setting.) The PDR-M81 had some trouble with our Indoor Portrait (without flash), producing color casts in response to the incandescent lighting. Color balance looked pretty good on our Davebox target, with the PDR-M81 distinguishing tough tonal variations, though the large color blocks are a little undersaturated. The PDR-M81 also reproduced the blue flowers in our Outdoor and Indoor test shots with purplish tints, a common problem among digicams (these blues are hard to accurately reproduce). Given our evaluation model's prototype status, we won't be too picky about color. (There's some room for improvement, but we'd expect that from a prototype unit.)
The PDR-M81 performed well on our "laboratory" resolution test chart. It started showing artifacts in the test patterns at resolutions as low as 650 lines per picture height, in both horizontal and vertical directions. We found "strong detail" out to at least 1,100 lines, and "extinction" of the target patterns didn't occur until about 1,400 lines. This is a bit off the best performance we've seen from competing 4-megapixel models, but not too bad. While the resolution was good, the M81's images were characterized by a slight softness, and marked softness in the corners. Again, not terrible, but also clearly not in the top tier of 4-megapixel cameras on the market.
Optical distortion on the PDR-M81 is a bit lower than average at the wide-angle end, as we measured an approximate 0.59 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end fared much better, as we found only two pixels (0.08 percent) of barrel distortion there. Chromatic aberration was moderate, showing about three pixels of coloration along 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 PDR-M81 offers great exposure control, from a full Manual mode to control over ISO and metering options. The camera performed well in our low-light test, capturing bright, usable images at light levels as low as 1/4 foot-candle (2.7 lux) at the 100 ISO setting (images were still usable at the 1/16 foot-candle (0.67 lux) setting, though slightly dim). At the 200 and 400 ISO settings, images were bright and usable as low as 1/16 foot-candle (0.67 lux). At all three ISO settings, the camera's Auto white balance had some trouble interpreting the dim light source, and produced very magenta images from 1/16 to one foot-candle.
The PDR-M81's optical viewfinder was a little tight, showing approximately 82 percent frame accuracy at wide-angle, and about 83 percent at telephoto. The LCD monitor fared much better, showing approximately 96 percent of the image area at wide angle, and approximately 97 percent at telephoto. Since we generally like to see LCD monitors as close to 100 percent accuracy as possible, the PDR-M81 performed well here, but could use some improvement in its optical viewfinder.
The PDR-M81 performed very well in the macro category, capturing a minimum area of just 3.30 x 2.20 inches (83.8 x 55.8 millimeters). Resolution was very good, with a lot of detail in the coins and brooch. Details were just slightly soft, and corner softness was again present. Though slightly magenta, overall color looked good. The flash had trouble throttling down for the macro area, overexposing the image, with the strongest intensity on the right side of the frame.
Overall, the PDR-M81 prototype performed nicely, providing excellent exposure control and nice image quality, with good color and great resolution.
Conclusion
Based on our testing, the PDR-M81 seems well-suited for photographers who are interested in taking good pictures at an affordable price. It includes most of the features and exposure capabilities demanded by the photo enthusiast, with the most noticeable missing feature being a connector for external flash units. In the current 4-megapixel digicam field, it isn't a leader in any category of performance or image quality, but it isn't far off the mark in any aspect. Given Toshiba's aggressive pricing strategy, the PDR-M81 may offer a good value for those on a limited budget who are interested in buying a full-featured 4-megapixel digicam. If you can afford the higher prices, you'll get better pictures from a Sony S85 or Olympus C-4040 Zoom, to name just two. But if you have a more modest budget, we think you'll be quite happy with the results produced by the PDR-M81.
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