Noise, resolution and sensitivity
Images: There is little sign of vignetting at f/2.8, and the distortion control corrects barrel distortion
With the same size and type of sensor, as well as an identical number of pixels, it isn’t surprising that the Nikon Coolpix P7100 has very similar capabilities to the Canon PowerShot G12, although it comes up slightly short in JPEG files. At ISO 100 in raw format, the P7100 reaches the 24 marker on our charts, but only 20 in JPEG format.
The ISO range is 100-3200, and can be extended to ISO 6400 in ‘Hi’ mode. Luminance noise creeps in at ISO 200, but only really increases from ISO 800. As I had expected, noise is noticeable from ISO 1600, and in the highest ISO setting resolution detail is compromised at the 16 marker. Magenta chroma noise is prominent at ISO 3200 and 6400.
Resolution, Noise & Dynamic Range: These images show 72ppi (100% on a computer screen) sections of images of a resolution chart, captured using the lens set to an equivalent of 105mm. We show the section of the resolution chart where the camera starts to fail to reproduce the lines separately. The higher the number visible in these images, the better the camera’s detail resolution at the specified sensitivity setting.
