Rediculous Camera Comparison - Canon, Leica, Olympus

So I had a bunch of my cameras laying around and I decided to see for myself how different the same picture would look from each. I really just wanted to see how close could each picture be if I had the same intention. Each camera is shot at its base ISO level at F/8. Shutter speed is adjusted to ensure basically the same exposure. I also slightly adjusted white balance to ensure each had roughly the same colors. Focus is on the bench. Tripod stayed put and all the cameras just got traded on the quick release plate. I tried to simulate the same view for each camera. Nothing scientific. If I had a picture in mind, how different would the results be from each camera. The reason I picked this landscape subject is to give each camera a fair chance. Obviously some images are better suited for some cameras than others. This was well within the capacity of each.

So the cameras and lenses used were:

Canon 5DmkII w/24-105 F/4
Canon 5D w/24-105 F/4
Canon Rebel XS (1000D) w/ Tamron 10-24 F/4
Canon G2
Canon A720
Olympus E-pm1 w/14-42 F/3.5-5.6
Leica M8 w/ Voigtlander 21 F/4

And here are the images. Not in the same order. Can you tell which one created the following images? (No peeking at the EXIF yet either!!!)
Ok write down what you think each one is and we’ll check results at the end.

Couldn’t tell? Yeah me neither! Printed even to an 8×10, you would be hard pressed to find fault in any of these against each other.
So here are some observations I made.

Canon A720: Unfortunately this only shoots JPGs. If you keep the camera in “vivid” mode however, its output closely matches other cameras and looks pretty good. Not bad for such a tiny sensor. Most obvious drawback is lack of detail in the leaves and textures in the background.

Canon G2: The G2 foreshadowed what was to come in the famous G line. I have made 11×14 prints from the G2 that look fantastic. I have several 8x10s on my wall from this camera. Shot carefully in manual, you can extract a lot of quality at base ISO. Drawbacks being similar to the A720 since it is a small sensor camera. The overall look from the G2 was surprisingly similar to the much larger sensor canon’s minus the sheer resolution.

Olympus E-pm1: For only having a quarter sensor, the results looked closer to the G2 than the larger sensor cameras. I was a little surprised. The kit lens is the weak point in this shot I believe. I have since been using other lenses on the E-Pm1 and feel there is a considerable gain in quality. I feel m4/3 is at a unique balancing point amongst cameras. They are small and have a lot of potential. If used with care and quality glass you can get some amazing results from a camera that fits in your pocket. In fact this camera is hardly bigger than the A720 once a pancake lens is attached.

Canon Rebel XS (1000D): Canon is a Canon! The file looked very similar to the 5D and 5DmkII. The rebels are surprisingly competent SLRs in my experience. They just lack some of the features of the bigger cameras. If you are on a budget and need a solid SLR…get a Rebel and a good lens! You won’t be disappointed. Don’t have too much to say about this camera. I’m not fond of crop sensors if I have the choice, but i’ve never seen inherently bad results out of these either!

Leica M8: The magical Leica M. Color and tonal rendition looks virtually identical to the original 5D. The Leica shows moire patterning in the tree bark. The Leica had hands down the sharpest file out of camera. Small and fine details were most clearly resolved relative to sensor size. This makes me think having the resolution from the M9 would have been even more remarkable. Lack of an AA filter really makes a difference. The M8 had amazing detail even compared to the 5DmkII. From experience I honestly believe the M9 would fully out-resolve the 5DmkII and create a breathtaking file. Then again, shrink and print and all that benefit just disappeared.

Canon 5D: The 5D is a classic. It was the first affordable full frame camera out there. The camera has a wonderful sensor that shows great detail. Dynamic range and tonality is fantastic. Honestly, I always thought the classic 5D had a look that went missing in the 5DmkII. Funny how closely the M8 and 5D resemble each other’s output.

Canon 5DmkII: The 5DmkII has resolution to spare. That is what so many megapixels will get ya. You can’t really go wrong with such a camera. It’s a sledgehammer though. Huge files and huge weight with a good lens. If you aren’t using it’s actual benefits, you can get similar results with a smaller camera as the pictures show.

I don’t have too much to say about the larger sensor cameras. They do their job flawlessly. The M8 with lack of AA sensor really shines when compared to other cameras. As long as your camera has manual controls, you can really get decent results with no matter what you shoot with. It really comes right back down to your vision and how well you know how to use your tools.

So here is the picture list in the order I presented them!

A. G2
B. A720
C. E-Pm1
D. M8
E. 5D
F. Rebel XS
G. 5DmkII

And just so I don’t have people yellin’ that there really are differences…yes there are. At most print sizes and general screen views you will not see the difference. Here are some center crops to see how difference we are talking about though.

G2

A720

E-pm1

Rebel XS

M8

5D

5DmkII

So that’s it! I got it out of me! No more crazy comparisons like that! Know your tools and pick the appropriate one! Can’t decide…grab the one that feels best and you enjoy shooting most with!