Performance
The monochrome mode is ideal for moody landscapes such as this
Images are natural in their colouring and don’t suffer from oversharpening or high-contrast processing that affects many cheaper compacts. It is possible to get some wilder effects, though, using the various scene modes. Some of these can be appealing, such as the miniature mode and the selective colouring. Detail is well maintained and there is minimal fringing in the high-contrast regions.
At high sensitivities the images are clear and well coloured, although noise reduction is obviously playing its part and luminance noise is evident on close inspection. The AF system has no problem locking on and is bolstered by a powerful AF beam in low-light situations. The low-light scene mode is impressive despite its lower resolution, but for the sake of an extra stop it is probably not worth the increase in noise.
The LCD screen is a slight letdown, not for its size, as this already fills most of the rear panel, but more for the resolution and colour. The screen appears quite contrasty, which doesn’t show the images at their best, and with a 230,000-dot resolution it lacks the detail for critical appraisal.
