5-megapixel shootout: Image Quality
Having made it into this shootout, the cameras were generally capable shooters. Although, admittedly the Coolpix 5400 felt more zesty. The quick, precise zoom along with the zippy startup time made the 5400 very receptive of whatever your intentions may be. However, this was slightly let down by the rather loud zoom mechanism as well as the slower write times. The Sony V1 had the slowest zoom performance albeit quietest of the lot. If used without the flash, the V1 proved pretty impressive with its shot-to-shot intervals. With flash on, the story changes as the camera is excruciatingly slow despite the prosumer status. The Canon G5, on the other hand, turned in the most balanced performance, offering a good mix of speed as well as better access to commonly used shooting functions.Image quality depends very much on personal tastes. All said, the quality of the images captured were comparable. Strangely, in day shots the Sony and Canon produced images which look strikingly similar, with only certain photos distinguished by the G5's tendency to go into the yellow end of the spectrum. The Nikon 5400 is the oddball in this roundup. Its images were generally very natural looking with the nature pictures coming out the most vibrant.
When it came to night shots, we wouldn't have any other camera other than Sony's V1. When comparing night shots, we were pleased with the V1's results. It didn't make photos too warm or yellowish like the G5 and it didn't go plain and flat like the 5400.
Verdict: In terms of performance, the G5 ranks up top followed by the 5400. The Sony with its slow flash performance brings up the rear. For image quality, Sony fights back and emerges with the crown. This is closely followed by both the 5400 and G5.
1%
4%
