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Frame sensors1/9/2024 ![]() ![]() The pocketable ZS100 ( read my review) is not as sharp as the 3x-zoom Sony RX100 V, IV or III cameras, but captures close macro at more zoom settings and enormously extends optical telephoto reach 70-250mm, which clearly beats digitally cropping those 3x-zoom rivals. Cheaper alternative: Panasonic LUMIX ZS100 camera (Amazon) (2016, 11oz, 10x zoom, 25-250mm equivalent, 20MP).Upgrading to Sony RX100 VII (2019) focuses even faster. In 2018, the best & brightest pocketable zoom camera was the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI (at Amazon) (11 oz, 8x zoom 24–200mm f/2.8-4.5) - my favorite backpacking camera. Since 2016, 1″-Type sensors optimize the bulk of serious travel cameras, as in the following which capture excellent dynamic range (bright to dark) with exceptionally fast autofocus. I have regularly upgraded my digital cameras every 2 to 5 years because the latest devices keep beating older models. To support Tom’s work:īuy any products at 1″-Type sensor size is now optimal for travel camera portability ![]() “Full-frame 35mm” sensor (36 x 24 mm) is a standard for comparison, with a diagonal field-of-view crop factor = 1.0 in comparison, a pocket camera’s 1/2.5” Type sensor crops the light gathering by 6.0x smaller diagonally (with a surface area 35 times smaller than full frame).Ĭlick here for Tom’s latest camera recommendations.Īs an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. As of 2018, 1-inch Type sensors optimize the size of a serious travel camera. For new digital cameras, a bigger sensor area captures better quality, but requires larger-diameter, bulkier lenses. This illustration compares digital camera sensor sizes: full frame 35mm (which is actually 36mm wide), APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, 1-inch, 1/1.7″ and 1/2.5” Type. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 version IV (Amazon) with bright 25x zoom f/2.4-4 lens, remarkably sharp from edge-to-edge from 24-600mm equivalent.īelow, compare sensor sizes for digital cameras:.Clearly, an evocative image can be created with any decent camera in the hands of a skilled or lucky photographer. For my nature-travel publishing, I prefer a midsized camera with 1-inch Type sensor for superior optical zoom range, good performance in dim light, and sharp prints: The top smartphone cameras can potentially make good 18-inch prints and share publishable pictures. Recent digital sensor advances have shrunk cameras and increased optical zoom ranges while preserving image quality. Legacy sizing labels such as 1/2.5″ Type harken back to antiquated 1950s-1980s Vidicon video camera tubes.įor a given year of technological advance, a camera with physically bigger sensor area tends to capture better image quality by gathering more light, but at the cost of larger-diameter, bulkier lenses. The archaic inch-sizing of camera light sensors is clarified in the illustration and table below, with relative sizes and millimeters. Smartphones compensate for tiny cameras via computational power and instantly-shareable images, but can fumble in dim light or telephoto reach. Sensors smaller than “1-inch” size can support super zoom ranges but worsen image quality, especially in dim light. Cameras using full-frame sensors restrict zoom range or overburden travelers. With a sensor smaller than APS-C, Micro Four Thirds systems have lagged behind the competition for sharp images from a generous zoom range in a compact package. In comparison, cameras using larger APS-C sensors require heftier 11x to 19x optical zoom lenses which struggle to sharpen the edges of the frame. Since 2016, a 1-inch Type sensor size has optimized the portability of sharp travel cameras ( recommended here). ![]()
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