Effective resolution is pretty much identical between the cameras (The
5D even uses the same sensor as the Pentax and the D50 uses a variant of
that sensor). The big advantages of the other cameras are in Write
Speed, buffer size and AF speed. The DS2 wins on ergonomics, size and
viewfinder. The 5D is also an oddball (good viewfinder, Anti-Shake, but
otherwise fairly similar in performance to the others).
Is PopPhoto still claiming that the XT does 3.2fps?
PopPhoto's DSLR tests are not well done, they've repeatedly claimed
ludicrous or simply inaccurate results, and seem to pick winners based
merely on advertising revenue. I stopped reading them a while back
because their reviews were so divorced from reality (the Rebel XT review
was the breaking point, really badly done)
-Adam
dick graham wrote:
The main "gimmicky feature" they found the Pentax lacking was
RESOLUTION! I find that pretty damn important.
DG
At 08:55 PM 2/11/2006 -0500, you wrote:
Jack Davis wrote on Sat, 11 Feb 2006 05:48:55:
For those who may be curious, or even care, the March '06 issue of Pop
Photo has a performance comparison between Canon XT, Konica Minolta
Max. 5D, Nikon D50, Olympus Evolt E-500 and the Pentax *ist DS2.
While this listing is alphabetical, the order is a hint at the
article's results. I'll skip the tedious details, but forward a
final comment in their
"Bottom Line" summary. "Pentax needs a hot new rig (say, 8-10MP) in
its
lineup".
Well, I agree that Pentax could use a new 8-10MP body in their
lineup, but I found their analysis of the DS2 and its competitors
somewhat superficial. They didn't seem to note the reasons so many
find it attractive - the excellent (for a DSLR) viewfinder, the light
but solid construction, and the excellent ergonomics. Instead, they
seemed to zero in on some of the gimmicky features that it lacks.
These quickie comparos always seem to fall short of getting to the
heart of the matter. I suspect that the rankings are driven more by
marketplace popularity and advertising revenues than anything
else... They did have a favorable review of the DA14 in the same
issue, though.
Regards, Jim
