Canon EOS-10DCanon revamps their hugely popular D60 SLR, with ahost of improvements and a dramatic price cut!<<Video, Power, Software :(Previous) | (Next): Reference: Datasheet>> Page 12:Test Results & ConclusionReview First Posted: 02/27/2003 |
Test Results
While Canon told me that there could be minor tweaks made to the camera
between the unit I was given and the final production models, they felt that
any such changes would be minor. Based on the excellent performance turned in
by my test unit, I'd have to agree. Still, there's a remote chance that production
models may differ.
In keeping with my standard test policy, comments given here summarize only my key findings. For a full commentary on each of the tests, see the EOS-10D's "Pictures" page. Also, for more "pictorial" sample images, check out the Gallery Page, with a number of shots taken by resident Pro Gibbs Frazeur.
As with all Imaging Resource product tests, I encourage you to let your own eyes be the judge of how well the camera performed. Explore the images on the pictures page, to see how the EOS-10D's images compare to other cameras you may be considering.
- Color: The EOS-10D turned in a nearly flawless performance
in terms of color. Its photos were just about spot-on accurate in daylight,
and it did very well even under the extreme color cast of the household incandescent
lighting of my "Indoor Portrait" test. Colors were hue-accurate
and neither under- nor oversaturated. I did feel that its skin tones in the
outdoor shot were just slightly yellowish, but the effect was quite minor.
Its white balance system did very well with most lighting sources, even under
the very dim lighting of my low-light tests. To my eye, the manual white balance
option often resulted in very slight cool (blue or green) color casts, but
again the effect was minor. Overall, really excellent, accurate color.
- Exposure: The EOS-10D's exposure system performed very
well in the majority of conditions I tested it under. It was considerably
more accurate than most with the high-key, high-contrast "Outdoor Portrait"
shot, requiring little if any positive exposure compensation. Most of its
other outdoor shots were properly exposed as well, without any manual compensation.
The one shot it seemed to have trouble on was the "Indoor Portrait"
test (under household incandescent lighting), where it required 1.0 - 1.3
EV of positive compensation, more than average. Tonal range was excellent,
with very good tonality in both highlights and deep shadows, and the Parameters-menu
contrast adjustment covers a very useful range, with appropriately-sized steps
between settings. On my "Davebox" test, the 10D had no trouble distinguishing
the subtle pastel tones on the Q60 target, while still holding excellent detail
in the deep shadows. Overall, an excellent performance, although I would have
liked to have seen more accurate exposures on the indoor portrait test.
- Resolution/Sharpness: The EOS_10D did an excellent job
on the "laboratory" resolution test chart, helped by the excellent
characteristics of the Canon 100mm f/2.8 macro lens that I used to test it
with. It didn't start showing artifacts in the test patterns until around
900 lines per picture height, and they were very faint even at that point.
I found "strong detail" out to at least 1,400 lines horizontally
and 1200 vertically, although there was still meaningful detail beyond that
point. "Extinction" of the target patterns didn't occur until about
1,550 lines. As I observed in other shots with the10D, the image is just slightly
soft, but takes unsharp masking very well in Photoshop.
- Closeups: This isn't properly a category that would apply
to an SLR body, since it's a function of the lens that you use with the camera.
Still, I went ahead and shot my macro target with the 100mm Canon macro lens,
and found that it captured a very tiny minimum area of only 0.96 x 0.64 inches
(24 x 16 millimeters). Resolution was exceptional, with very strong detail
in the fibers of the dollar bill.
- Night Shots: This was an area where the 10D really shone,
but also one where it revealed some of its limitations as well. It captured
really beautiful, clear, bright, and low-noise images all the way down
to the 1/16 foot-candle (0.67 lux) limit of my test, at all ISO settings,
from 100 to 3200. However, I found that the autofocus system only worked reliably
down to somewhere between 1/2 and 1/4 foot-candle. (This is about one and
a half stops darker than typical city streetlighting.) With the 550EX speedlite
attached, the strobe's AF-assist illuminator would let the 10D focus in total
darkness, but the camera by itself was somewhat limited. - I'd really like
to see an AF assist light on the camera itself. Perhaps on the next generation?
Back on the noise issue, this looks to be one of the 10D's real strengths.
At lower ISO settings, it seems to perform about the same as the D60, but
once you get to ISO 400 and beyond, the 10D walks away from its predecessor.
In moderate lighting (where the AF system has enough light to focus by), the
10D will be a stellar performer, as it's images at ISO 1600 (and even 3200)
are amazingly "clean."
- Viewfinder Accuracy: The EOS 10D's through the lens viewfinder
showed about 96 percent frame accuracy, just slightly above Canon's assessment
of 95 percent accuracy. I personally prefer viewfinders to be as close to
100 percent accuracy as possible, so feel that the EOS 10D falls just a little
short here. - But this is the level of frame coverage that most competing
cameras offer, so no points off in this area.
- Optical Distortion: Again, this is a function of the
lens, not the camera body. Still, it deserves noting how well the Canon lenses
performed throughout my testing. Lenses are one area where quality really
shows...
- Battery Life: Canon didn't send me one of their AC adapter
units with the 10D, so I couldn't perform my usual in-depth power testing.
That said though, Canon claims that the 10D will deliver slightly better
battery life than the D60, which was an excellent performer in this area.
(Still, there's no excuse for not purchasing a second battery along with your
10D - I promise you'll never regret it!)
Conclusion
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