Olympus E-P2 versus Panasonic GF1 at DxO mark!
DxO mark just posted their latest sensor test of the Panasonic GF1 and Olympus E-P2. As expected there is only a marginal difference.
Just for fun I added a link to the triple comparison between the GF1+E-P2+the new Canon 550D (T2i).
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Comment from BornBad: if i understand correctly, noise levels ...
Comment from Robbie_e-p1: @RAY
Yes the E-P1's Raw files contain...
Comment from Ray: Tom,
"E-P2 is better at the noise. Pr...
Comment from AT: It is true that the JPEG processing of P...
DC Wells
2 years ago |If you click on the data points for ISO sensitivity, you will see that the nominal ISOs vary greatly from the measured ISO. The GF1 usually is measured higher; the EP-2, lower. Does that mean that a photo comparison at nominal IOS levels will not be reliable?
For example, the GF1 at a nominal 3200 ISO has higher measured ISO (4500+) than the EP-2 at 6400 (4100+). Assuming approimate IQ equivalence at the same measured ISOs between the camera, the overstatement of ISO would seem to allow Olympus to claim that its camera is better because it has about a one-stop advantage in ISO image quality, when in fact it is simply a matter of radically exagerrating its ISO.
Do I have this right?
c_dere
2 years ago |yes, DC Wells, you’re right: if you search over the DPreview forums, they talked a lot about this: also in the review it was noted. so it’s no so clear which one is better
Tom
2 years ago |E-P2 is better at the noise. Probably by 2/3 of a stop or so.
Panasonic has rigged their ISOs to confuse their customers and potential customers. When shooting JPG the engine is not as refined as the Olympus system, and Olympus has a much better method for dealing with noise.
Get ready to work you azz off in RAW format with the Panasonic models. I prefer not to work that hard to get good results.
Robbie_E-P1
2 years ago |Nope.. If you check out the DPReview of the Panasonic GF1 it states that the E-P1 RAW files are consistently cleaner (less noise) than the GF1 raw files. It’s in the RAW Noise section.
@DC Wells.. If DXO mark was right about GF1 iso 3200 compared to E-P2 iso 6400, then wouldn’t the E-P1 have less noise at 6400 than the GF1 at 3200? But that’s not the case. DXO is a bunch of crap IMHO.
Don’t look at false numbers that seem like they have been pulled out of a cloud, look at real world photos! Photos will tell more than DXO mark can ever tell you about a camera.
AT
2 years ago |It is true that the JPEG processing of Panasonic is not very good with GF1. Anyway, the quality is definitely better with shooting and processing from RAW.
Ray
2 years ago |Tom,
“E-P2 is better at the noise. Probably by 2/3 of a stop or so.”
that’s exactly what DxO data explains: Oly’s real ISO sensitivity is less than claimed (e.g. “3200″ is actually only 2040) , while Panasonic’s ISO sensitivity is more than claimed (“3200″ is actually 4500!) . That’s why one could think that Oly has less high-ISO noise than Pana, but as a matter of fact it doesn’t!
Robbie_e-p1
2 years ago |@RAY
Yes the E-P1′s Raw files contain less noise than the GF1′s raw files. Go to the DPReview GF1 review in the RAW noise section and read it yourself. DXO is a bunch of crap quite honestly. Like i sad before, according to DXO, the E-P1 has lower noise in its 6400 ISO than the GF1 at 3200 ISO and that’s certainly not the case.
BornBad
2 years ago |if i understand correctly, noise levels can be compared in the SNR18% tab. there the 3 cams are very comparable, at least at iso100-1600.
the graphic of measured vs manufacturer noise simply sais, that the gf1 can shoot at about 1 iso stop lower, or faster shutter speed – getting same amount of light into the picture.
so for shooting the same picture at same shutter speed and same noise, you have set different iso levels in the cams.
in my oppinion the way canon and olympus giving too high iso could help users pick the right iso setting, because they have one stop more between iso 100 and measured high iso (eg 3200). on the other side, noise comparisons in standard reviews between manufacturers cleary let canon and olympus look better than they are. reviewers should add the needed shutter speed and aperture. this way the sensitivity of the sensor/engine could be compared.