"Sunlit" Portrait:
(This is my new "Outdoor" Portrait test - read more about it here.)

Good overall color and exposure, with high resolution and a lot of detail. Image noise is a little high in the shadows, but good results overall.

• Exposure compensation: +0.5 EV, lower than average.
• Contrast/Tone: A little high, creating harsh skin tones, but still fairly good midtones considering the camera's limitations.
• White Balance: Auto is best, though slightly warm toned. Daylight was warmer.
• Color accuracy: Good, blues are dark, reds a bit over saturated and magenta-tinted. Still good overall though.
• Skin tones: Pretty good, though warm.
• Resolution/sharpness: Good, a little soft from noise reduction.
• Shadow detail: Low with moderately high noise.

To view the entire exposure series from zero to +1.0 EV, see files L50VOUTAP0.HTM through L50VOUTAP2.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

Good overall exposure, despite slightly high contrast, and good resolution and detail.

• Exposure compensation: None, lower than average.
• Exposure/Tone: Good with the default setting, though contrast is slightly high again, same effect on skin tones as above.
• Detail: Stronger and better defined.
• Distortion: Good, 3x zoom lens avoids distortion close-in like this.

To view the entire exposure series from zero to +0.5 EV, see files L50VOUTFACAP0.HTM through L50VOUTFACAP2.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

Normal Flash Default Exposure

Slow-Sync Flash Default Exposure

Pretty good exposure with the default setting in the normal flash mode, though just a hint dim. Still, good overall results. Slow-Sync setting results in a strong orange cast.

• Exposure: Good at the default exposure, (+0.5 EV setting resulted in too strong highlights). Slow-Sync setting produced similar exposure.
• Flash balance with room lighting?: Warm casts with both flash modes.
• Color: Pink skin tones, dark colors in bouquet

To view the entire exposure series from zero to +1.0 EV in the normal flash mode, see files L50VINFP0.HTM through L50VINFP2.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

To view the same exposure series in the Slow-Sync flash mode, see files L50VINFSP0.HTM through L50VINFSP2.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

Auto White Balance

Incandescent White Balance

Warm color with both white balances, and average exposure compensation required.

• Exposure: +1.0 EV adjustment needed, about average
• White Balance: Auto and Incandescent settings very similar, Auto less warm.
• Color: Skin tones warm, blue flowers very dark and purplish, others flowers pretty good, though warm.

To view the entire exposure series from zero to +1.5 EV, see files L50VINAP0.HTM through L50VINAP3.HTM on the thumbnail index page.

ISO Series:
The L-500V produces fairly low image noise at the 100 ISO setting, and noise only mildly increased at the 200 setting. At ISO 400, noise is much higher and brighter, however.

Auto White Balance

Daylight White Balance

Good color and detail, though some blurring in the left corners of the frame.

• Sharpness/Detail: Very high, strong fine detail.
• Sharpness in Corners: Left corners quite blurry, but right are consistent with the frame.
• Color: Auto nearly accurate, Daylight much warmer.
• Detail lost to anti-noise processing?: Relatively slight, noticeable in brick patterns and finer foliage.

High resolution and strong detail, though a limited dynamic range.

This image is shot at infinity to test far-field lens performance, and to present a near-infinite range of detail to the camera. NOTE that this image cannot be directly compared to the other "house" shot, which is a poster, shot in the studio.

• Sharpness/Detail: Very good.
• Sharpness in Corners: Very good, no noticeable blurring.
• Color: Good.
• Dynamic Range: Loss of detail in highlights, though shadows are good.
• Detail lost to anti-noise processing?: Little or none in this particular shot.

Resolution Series:

ISO Series:

Lens Zoom Range

A good 3x zoom range.

The L-500V's focal length range of 34-102mm equivalents is typical of most point & shoot digital cameras. It corresponds to a moderate wide angle to a pretty good telephoto.

	Wide Angle
	3x Telephoto
	Digital Telephoto

Auto White Balance

Daylight White Balance

Nearly accurate color with the Auto white balance, and very high resolution and strong detail.

• White Balance: Auto most accurate, though slightly cool. Daylight overcompensates with a warm cast.
• Color: Slightly cool, but good. Fairly accurate blues. Overall color is pretty good.
• Sharpness/Detail: Very good. (Almost beyond the limits of the poster though.)

Standard Macro Shot

Macro with Flash

A very small macro area with great detail. Flash has trouble up close though.

• Minimum Macro Area: 1.70 x 1.27 inches (43 x 32 millimeters)
• Softness in corners?: Some, but not too bad. (Most cameras get fairly soft corners in macro mode.)
• Flash performance in macro mode?: Difficulty at this close range, strong overexposure.

Auto White Balance

Daylight White Balance

Good color, though slightly warm, and a good overall exposure as well.

• White balance: Auto setting slightly warm, though most accurate overall. Daylight very warm.
• Color Accuracy: Pretty good color accuracy, considering the slight warm cast. Good saturation.
• Shadow detail and noise: Moderate detail in the briquettes, moderately low noise.

ISO Series:

Low-Light Tests

Sensitive enough for average city street lighting at night, but you'll need the flash for anything darker.

• Exposure limit: One foot-candle. (About as bright as typical city street lighting at night.)
• Autofocus Limit:
• White Balance: Warm in the darker exposures, though not bad at one foot-candle.
• Noise Levels: Fairly low, with good results even at ISO 400.
• Detail loss to anti-noise processing?:
• General Notes:

(Note: If you'd like to use a light meter to check light levels for subjects you might be interested in shooting, a light level of one foot-candle corresponds to a normal exposure of two seconds at f/2.8 and ISO 100.)

	1 fc 11 lux	1/2 fc 5.5 lux	1/4 fc 2.7 lux	1/8 fc 1.3 lux	1/16 fc 0.67 lux
ISO 100	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8
ISO 200	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8
ISO 400	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8	1/2 sec f2.8

Flash Range Test

A weak flash, dim at eight feet, and increasing falloff from that point on.

Flash range at telephoto lens setting: Eight feet.

8 ft	9 ft	10 ft	11 ft	12 ft	13 ft	14 ft
1/45 sec f4.9 ISO 100	1/45 sec f4.9 ISO 100	1/45 sec f4.9 ISO 100	1/45 sec f4.9 ISO 100	1/45 sec f4.9 ISO 100	1/45 sec f4.9 ISO 100	1/45 sec f4.9 ISO 100

ISO-12233 (WG-18) Resolution Test

High resolution, 1,300 lines of "strong detail." Lower than average barrel distortion at wide angle.

• Resolution: 1,300 lines both vertically and horizontally
• Artifacts begin at: ~1,000 lines
• Extinction point: ~1,650 lines
  
  
• Barrel/Pincushion distortion: 0.6 percent barrel at wide angle, 0.2 percent pincushion at telephoto
• Chromatic Aberration: Low at wide angle, very low at telephoto
• Corner Sharpness: Good at wide angle.
  
  

Resolution Series, medium focal length

Wide Angle	"Fine" JPEG	"Normal" JPEG	"Economy" JPEG
2,560 x 1,920	L50VRES2560F	L50VRES2560N	L50VRES2560E
1,600 x 1,200	L50VRES1600	-	-
640 x 480	L50VRES0640	-	-

 Resolution Test, Zoom Series

2,560 x 1,920 (Fine, Wide Angle)	L50VRESW
2,560 x 1,920 (Fine, Telephoto)	L50VREST