[Leica] Sigma DP1

[drodgers at casefarms.com (David Rodgers)]

Didier wrote:

>>Anyway, no camera, not even the high end Nikon DSLRs, can compete with
the best Canon DSLR modes in terms of high ISO noise.<<

I wonder how much of this is related to processing algorithms, and how
much is inherent in the hardware. And if software/firmware related, are
there tradeoffs? If so what are they?

Noise was a big issue when I first started scanning. Over time I've
learned to manage noise quite well by tweaking software -- Vuescan, MSU,
Silverfast and Nikonscan. Some tradeoffs include loss of shadow detail,
higher contrast and loss of highlight separation. And with color maybe
some unwanted color shifts some of which are tough to fix in PS. 

With (scanning) software there's always a tradeoff, the degree of which
depends. Every image is different. Sometimes noise isn't a bad thing.
It's not like one solution is right for everything. If only I could
limit my photography to one type of film in Sunny 16 conditions :-) 

I've always wondered how camera manufacturers determine what tradeoffs
to accept, under what conditions. One camera can't do everything well. 

The Fuji F31fd I just bought is a pretty amazing low light P&S. But
files are JPEG only. There's no raw option so post processing is
limited. Thus images out of the camera had better be decent. In general
they are for what the camera is -- a really good snapshot camera, or
maybe a little beyond, that's inexpensive. But I'm still waiting for
large camera image quality in a compact, just like we have with film.
Cameras like the DP1 may be getting closer, but I'm guessing things will
continue to improve.

DaveR