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My sensor measurement series (G9 and 5D) continues. This time, I measured a Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2, a 8MP camera which was introduced in 2004. How does it compare to a modern 12MP Canon G9?

Konica-Minolta
DiMAGE A2
Canon G9
ISO 64 / 80 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 64 f3.5 1/50 Canon G9 ISO 80 f3.2 1/60s
ISO 100 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 100 f3.2 1/60 Canon G9 ISO 100 f3.2 1/80s
ISO 200 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 200 f3.5 1/100 Canon G9 ISO 200 f3.2 1/160s
ISO 400 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 400 f4.5 1/125 Canon G9 ISO 400 f4.5 1/160s
ISO 800 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 800 f6.3 1/125 Canon G9 ISO 800 f6.3 1/160s
ISO 1600 N/A Canon G9 ISO 1600 f8 1/200s

Up to ISO 100 there is little difference between the cameras. At ISO 200 and above the 12MP sensor of the G9 shows more noise than the 3 year older 8MP sensor of the A2.

According to dpreview.com the DiMAGE A2 has a 2/3″ (8.80 x 6.60 mm) sensor. The G9 sensor is a 1/1.7″ (7.60 x 5.60 mm) unit. In other words: the pixel pitch is much smaller on the G9. Noise seems to be inversely proportional to the pixel pitch, so it is not surprising that the G9 does worse than the A2.

What happens when the images are run through Noise Ninja?

Konica-Minolta
DiMAGE A2
(Noise Ninja)
Canon G9
(Noise Ninja)
ISO 64 / 80 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 64 f3.5 1/50 NN Canon G9 ISO 80 f3.2 1/60s
ISO 100 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 100 f3.2 1/60 NN Canon G9 ISO 100 f3.2 1/80s
ISO 200 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 200 f3.5 1/100 NN Canon G9 ISO 200 f3.2 1/160s
ISO 400 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 400 f4.5 1/125 NN Canon G9 ISO 400 f4.5 1/160s
ISO 800 Konica-Minolta DiMAGE A2 ISO 800 f6.3 1/125 NN Canon G9 ISO 800 f6.3 1/160s
ISO 1600 N/A Canon G9 ISO 1600 f8 1/200s

Up to ISO 200, there is little difference between the cleaned up images. At ISO 400 there is slightly more noise in the G9 image, but the difference is very slight. At ISO 800 the A2 image seems definitely cleaner than the G9 image.

I am surprised that in three years there is no improvement in sensor noise. Well, there might have been if you where to create a 2/3″ 8MP sensor with todays technology, but unfortunately there is no such product.

I continued my sensor noise measurements, this time with a Canon EOD 5D. The setup was the same as previously, the only change being the exact location of the WhiBal card.

Surprisingly (at least to me) there is a little noise evident even at the very lowest ISO settings. Read the rest of this entry »