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Introduction
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01.Product Tour
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02.Color
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03.Noise
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04.Resolution
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05.Video
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06.Sample Photos
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07.Playback
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08.Hardware
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09.Controls
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10.Design & Handling
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11.Canon SX120 IS Comparison
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12.Nikon L100 Comparison
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13.Panasonic ZS3 Comparison
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14.Conclusion
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15.Photo Gallery
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16.Comments
Kodak EasyShare Z950
Previous: Page 2
ColorNext: Page 4
ResolutionNoise
Noise was low at all ISO levels, though high ISO images look a little flat thanks to noise reduction.
Noise (12.14)
The Z950 did an impressive job of keeping the noise in images low. Even at the higher ISO settings, we didn’t see too much of the speckling that often comes to dominate the images that many cameras take in low light. However, this good noise performance does come at a cost; the Z950 is doing some processing to remove the noise, which gives higher ISO images a flat, almost watercolor look. See below for examples. More on how we test noise.
To test the low light performance of cameras, we take a series of photos at different ISO levels in both bright light (3000 lux, about the same as a typical sunny day) and in low light (about 60 lux, equivalent to a typical indoor light level). As you can see from the graph above, the noise is a little higher in the low light situation, but in both tests, the amount of noise stays relatively low as the ISO increases.
| Noise Comparisons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 100 | ISO 400 | ISO 800 | ISO 1600 | |
| 60 Lux |  |
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| 3000 Lux |  |
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Compared the Z950 to other cameras, we found that it has much lower noise than most; some cameras (such as the Panasonic ZS3) show much more noise at higher ISO levels, but the Z950 stays significantly lower.
ISO (6.00)
The ISO range of the Z950 starts at 100 and goes up to 1600 at full resolution. If you don’t mind limiting yourself to a resolution of 3.1 megapixels, you can increase this up to an ISO setting of 3200.
| ISO Comparisons | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Kodak EasyShare Z950 | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Nikon Coolpix L100 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
| ISO Low | |||
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ISO 100
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ISO 80
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ISO 80
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ISO 80
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| Kodak EasyShare Z950 | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Nikon Coolpix L100 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
| ISO 200 | |||
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| Kodak EasyShare Z950 | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Nikon Coolpix L100 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
| ISO 400 | |||
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| Kodak EasyShare Z950 | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Nikon Coolpix L100 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
| ISO 800 | |||
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| Kodak EasyShare Z950 | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Nikon Coolpix L100 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
| ISO 1600 | |||
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| Kodak EasyShare Z950 | Canon PowerShot SX120 IS | Nikon Coolpix L100 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings.
Shop for the Kodak Z950
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