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Disappointed so far with A85

B

BB Gun

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jan 14, 2004
Messages
1,551
Got the A85 to replace my A40.

Somehow it doesn't seem as sharp as the A40. Sports mode is a waste in anything other than direct sunlight - too much grain otherwise, it must boost the ASA to 400. I used it on a partly cloudy day, and the shots in sunlight look fine, but the shots when the sun was behind a cloud were wayyyy to grainy for my taste.

Even flash images in the gym at ASA100 get some grain. I can't post any sample pics right now, but I will in the next day or two.

I got pretty good at figuring out how to use the A40 after 4000+ pictures, but the A85 is different enough that I'm having a hell of a time figuring out the right settings to use to get clean and sharp pictures.

BB
 
Use the non-auto modes if the automodes are causing grain, I never once had major issues with my A80 (exact same CCD and specs, just no rotatable screen).
 
misan-thrope said:
I never once had major issues with my A80 (exact same CCD and specs, just no rotatable screen).
Click to expand...
The A80 has a bigger imager than the A85. The A85 has the same size imager as the A75 and 1 MP more, which is why it has more noise.
 
Yep, the A40 has a better sensor/pixel combination. In many cases it's tough for these newer cameras to match up with their older competitors!

The A40 was a great camera for its time (and still is) which is showing as you've essentially "ugraded" to a camera that has shortcommings in comparison.

Why did you upgrade to the A85, for larger prints?
 
The ability to get a bit "closer" on the soccer field.

Gave me more blow up room for 4x5 sized prints, and end-of-year award certificates and picture collages.

Guess I shoulda gone with a camera that had a higher optical zoom and maybe 3 megapixel resolution.

I'm still hoping I can learn to work around what appear to be the faults of this camera.

Same settings, only slightly different lighting conditions:

http://www.baynefamily.info/photos/IMG_0025.JPG (sun)

http://www.baynefamily.info/photos/IMG_0029.JPG (partly overcast, 5 mins later)

I guess my lesson is use the manual settings instead of relying on the auto settings. Runing a 1/250 or 1/500 and making sure the ISO stayed at 50 or 100 would probably have produced better pics.

Also, its not as sharp as I'd like. At full size, way too fuzzy - at least on these 1/1000 shutter speed pics. AND I'm also somewhat annoyed at the AiAF - too many zones, and it doesn't reliably focus on what I want it to, so I shut it off today. Hopefully that will fix that particular issue.

On the other hand, it didn't do too badly on shutter priority mode in a poorly lit gym...
http://www.baynefamily.info/photos/IMG_0029a.JPG Still grainy, but MUCH better than the A40.

Guess I just gotta learn its idiosyncracies.

BB
 
That's what its advertised as. But... hmmm.... 1703x2271 = 3867513 which is not quite 4 MP, is it? More like 3.7 MP.

I've got it set on its largest format.

Damn!

yet another issue.

:(

BB
 
it's more like 3.86 mp, which is close enough to 4.0.
there was a thread about this a little while ago -- there are some unusable pixels at the edge of the camera's sensor that advertisers count when telling you the MP count. kind of deceving, but what can you do. :rolleyes:
 
Nope. I was being charitable. Divide by 1024 twice, not 1000.... and you get 3.69 MP :p

I hear ya on the edge sensors. I guess its always been true. My A40 is a 2.0 MP camera, but its actually only 1.83 MP

BB
 
MattsOnlyHope said:
Wow, even my A70 takes better pictures... Something is wrong with that cam.
Click to expand...
I don't think so...

The camera is most likely fine. The sensor is too small for 4MP.
 
Thats one of the reasons I didn't get the A95.

I haven't had a chance to play with it some more yet. I'll keep ya posted with more pics as I get to them.

BB
 
BB Gun said:
Thats one of the reasons I didn't get the A95.

I haven't had a chance to play with it some more yet. I'll keep ya posted with more pics as I get to them.

BB
Click to expand...
The A95 has less noise than the A85. The A95 has a larger sensor than the A85. The A95 has the same size imager as the A80, which is bigger than the A70/75/85.
 
The new images look much better, but are a little over-exposed, and yeah the focus is a little out. P&S camera's weren't ever really meant for sports action photography though, so don't feel bad if they are a bit blurry. :p
 
Yeah, I focus on a spot, and hope the action passes through it. :) sometimes I get lucky, most often, not. :)

I'm still not happy with the graininess in the darker areas (see the siding of the apartment building in the second pic, and the grey roof on the right in the first pic) but on the whole, much better. Next time I'll bias the exposure down a click or two, though I can correct it well enough in PSP.

BB
 
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