One of my favorite writers on photographic technique is Dante Stella. As I started back into photography a few years ago, his opinionated essays served as benchmarks for me as I explored cameras and materials. Dante has an extremely practical and grounded approach to photographic instruments.
Most of the essays on the site were written several years ago during the development stage of the digital photography revolution. While it was clear that he was using the best of the available digital SLRs (Kodak DCS 14n and a Nikon D2x), he was not accepting the supposed virtures of digital over film without question. It was interesting to me that his writing became more and more infrequent in the last couple of years as, in my opinion, digital equaled or surpassed film with regard to sensitivity, resolution and image quality. With the D300 perhaps even dynamic range. Then this year Dante wrote a full-on endorsement of the Leica M8. It almost moved me to take the leap and purchase one, but I decided that Nikon DSLRs are, for now, a more economical solution to the digital capture challenge and film was still working well in my Leica M6ttl.
But Dante has also been a fan of small 35 mm cameras like the Konica Hexar and Contax T. So it was with a sense of anticipation that I started reading his first published take on a compact digital camera, the Leica D-Lux 3. I bought a Nikon P5000 for my wife last spring and have been experimenting with it lately.
I can only urge you to read his practical and grounded approach to a digital compact. For example, here’s his view on auto ISO.
Dante StellaThe camera has an auto ISO function (based on light level) and an “intelligent” ISO setting (based on, among other things, subject movement). These seem to push for high ISO, even in bright light, a practice that increases noise and decreases dynamic range. I would suggest forgetting about either of these two settings. It’s easy enough to change ISO via the main menu. Just remember this rule. Inside, ISO 400. Outside, ISO 100. See? There’s your intelligent ISO setting…
As to image quality, I think his view on compact cameras equals mine- at ISO 100 to 400, quality at the 10 megapixel level equals color film. You never wanted to enlarge ISO 400 color film to 8×10 because of grain and you don’t want to enlarge a compact sensor at ISO 400 to 8×10. My D300 can produce fine 8×10’s at ISO 800 and 1600 becomes dicey- two stops better than color film. Monochrome, digital or film, is more forgiving.
In the end, as a travel camera, he gives it a “Thumbs up”.
I see the end of the era here in 2007 where film is now to be used for it’s look- like choosing oils or pastels over photography. Photography is now dead as a recording medium and has become a fine art, joining painting and drawing. Digital Image Harvesting is now how we record the world.