The One Inch bandwagon gains momentum
 |
| A million Chinese tourists visit Australia each year. Most use a smart phone for their photos but I think there is plenty of scope for good quality fixed zoom lens cameras. |
In the ‘good old days’ of film there were several formats available ranging from 4x5 inch (about 100x125mm and for the dedicated few even larger formats were possible) through ‘miniature’ (24x36mm now referred to as ‘full frame’) and ‘half frame’ (about 18x24mm) down to the ‘subminiature’ size (8x11mm) used in Minox spy cameras.
Most popular was the ‘35mm’ (actual image size 24x36mm) format because it gave the best balance between imaging capability and cost/size/mass. The vast majority of amateur and professional photographers relied on 35mm cameras taking the ubiquitous 35mm double perforated film in cassettes.
Picture quality was good enough for quite large prints. Even today I make decent 600x400mm prints from scans of my 45 years old 35mm black and white negatives.
Fast forward to the digital era and we discover two key technological developments.
1. Digital sensors are capable of higher resolution than film. In consequence digital sensors can be smaller than film formats yet still capture the same amount of information.
2. There have been dramatic improvements in the capability of zoom lenses for consumer cameras. In the past interchangeable prime lenses were the way to obtain a range of focal lengths. Now a single zoom can replace many primes yet still provide good optical quality.
These two developments are a game changer for camera design. They make it feasible to produce small cameras with small sensors and fixed zoom lenses which are able to deliver a level of picture quality at least equal to the best 35mm interchangeable lens film cameras of the past.
The two big advantages of these new generation fixed zoom lens cameras (FZLC) over the more traditional digital single lens reflex (DSLR) with a 24x36mm sensor and interchangeable lenses are
* They are considerably more compact, lighter and less expensive.
* No lens changing is required.
This raises the possibility that one single piece of equipment might suffice for many individuals’ complete imaging requirements with no need for accessories of any kind.
Which brings us to the big question : Which is the most suitable sensor size for this new generation of FZLCs ?
That would be the smallest sensor which provides a level of picture quality which is sufficient for most users and most purposes.
In other words what sensor size gives picture quality approximately equal to 35mm film of yesteryear ?
I believe and it appears from their products that the camera makers also believe that with current technology the ‘one inch’ sensor is pretty close to that mark or even better.
What’s in a name ? The designation ‘One Inch’ comes from the department of incorrigibly obscure names.
Once upon a time, way back in the 1930’s early electronic video cameras used a type of cathode ray tube called a ‘vidicon tube’ to create an imaging sensor. The size of the tube was described by its diameter in inches. A tube of one inch diameter could accommodate at one end a light sensitive element about 8.8x13.2mm (diagonal 15.9mm) if the 3:2 aspect ratio was used. Vidicon tube technology became obsolete many years ago but for some reason entirely unknown to me camera makers continue to refer to sensor sizes with reference to the vidicon tube which might have been required to house that sensor if anybody still used vidicon tubes which they do not.
By the way the same loopy logic underlies the designation of the ‘Four Thirds’ sensor size. It is the sensor which would have required a vidicon tube one and one third inches in diameter.
Anyway all current cameras having the ‘One Inch’ sensor use the 3:2 aspect ratio, sensor size of 8.8x13.2mm, diagonal of 15.9mm.
This has 37% of the linear dimension and 13.5% of the area of a ‘full frame’ (24x36mm sensor).
It is quite close in size to the old Minox ‘subminiature’ film format.
Nikon 1 Series ILC
Nikon was first into the arena of ‘One Inch’ consumer cameras with the oddly named “1” Series of interchangeable lens cameras (thus named for the sensor size) starting with the V1 and J1 in September 2011.
Unfortunately for Nikon and anyone who bought a “1 Series” camera, which includes me (oops) the “1 Series” was something of a disaster right from the start. Nikon appeared to have no idea whether it wanted the “1 Series” to be a high powered super fast sports/action machine or a Japanese-teenage-facebook-girl fashion accessory. It was neither and fitted no other discernible market niche.
Nikon’s whole approach to the “1 Series” was muddled and confused from the get go and this was obvious from the products which issued forth.
But I think the underlying and more fundamental problem for the “1 Series” ILC system is that the ‘One Inch’ sensor is ideal for cameras with a fixed zoom lens but not as well suited to ILCs.
Sony RX 100 series
In June 2012 Sony released the RX100 compact camera. This was the first FZLC using the ‘1 Inch’ sensor and it created quite a sensation.
Here for the first time was a very small camera, requiring no accessories, which could make professional quality publishable photos outdoors or indoors.
Sony has followed the original with an updated version each year:
RX100 Mk2 June 2013
RX100 Mk3 May 2014
RX100 Mk4 June 2015
Compared to the original, the latest version has an improved RS (stacked) type sensor, a pop up EVF, wider aperture lens and a tilting monitor.
It is also very expensive and many owners find it so small and the controls so cramped that the user experience is not terribly enjoyable.
There are two RX100 (original version) cameras in our household. They make good pictures but tend to stay in the camera drawer because of their unappealing ergonomics.
Update June 2016: An RX100Mk4 has arrived in our house. With an excellent sensor and lens it makes impressively good pictures. But the ergonomics need fresh thinking.
Update June 2016: An RX100Mk4 has arrived in our house. With an excellent sensor and lens it makes impressively good pictures. But the ergonomics need fresh thinking.
Sony RX10 series
The original RX10 appeared in October 2013. This camera’s unique selling proposition (USP) was its 24-200mm (equivalent) constant f2.8 lens.
This was the ‘One Inch’ version of the classic professional photo journalist full frame DSLR body with 24-70mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8 twin lens kit.
Of course the RX10 is dramatically smaller, lighter and less expensive than the full frame kit with no need to change lenses.
The RX10 Mk 2 came along in June 2015 with the new stacked RS sensor but the same body, same poor follow focus ability with continuous AF and same muddled ergonomics. It seems to me that the RX10 Mk2 might have been starved of R&D funding.
Update June 2016: The RX10 Mk3 has been released with a reportedly very impressive FLE24-600mm lens and the same sensor as the RX100(4). But there have been problems reported with AF at the long end of the zoom and low light and mediocre follow focus on moving subjects, which is very disappointing as sport/action is exactly the kind of subject I would want to photograph with a camera like the RX10(3). In addition the same old muddled control layout (with some minor modifications) has been carried over from the Mk2.
Update June 2016: The RX10 Mk3 has been released with a reportedly very impressive FLE24-600mm lens and the same sensor as the RX100(4). But there have been problems reported with AF at the long end of the zoom and low light and mediocre follow focus on moving subjects, which is very disappointing as sport/action is exactly the kind of subject I would want to photograph with a camera like the RX10(3). In addition the same old muddled control layout (with some minor modifications) has been carried over from the Mk2.
Panasonic FZ/TZ
The FZ1000 was announced in June 2014. This is like an upgraded RX10 with the same sensor, longer (16x) zoom range, better performance and better ergonomics. Our family has three of these at the moment. They are our go-to cameras for just about everything.
The FZ1000 gets most things right with few downsides. It is on my evaluation at the time of writing the most versatile and capable ‘One Inch’ camera.
No doubt Nikon is hoping to change that with the DL24-500 (see below).
However I notice that FZ1000 prices have been dropping lately, a sign that a successor is probably in the wings. I would not be surprised if such a successor was released around the same time as the DL24-500.
The Panasonic TZ100 was announced in January 2016 and is due to start shipping shortly.
This fits a ‘One Inch’ sensor and 10x zoom into a genuinely compact body. This camera seeks to redefine what is possible in the Travel Zoom genre (which Panasonic more or less invented).
If this thing has the same picture quality as the FZ1000 it will make a very appealing proposition for the large constituency of photographers, travelling or not, who want compact dimensions, long zoom range, a built in EVF, zippy performance and good picture quality in one convenient package.
Update June 2016: Unfortunately picture quality while good is not quite up to FZ1000 standard. Still the TZ100 is a model which breaks new ground in camera evolution.
Update June 2016: Unfortunately picture quality while good is not quite up to FZ1000 standard. Still the TZ100 is a model which breaks new ground in camera evolution.
Canon G__X series
Canon’s foray into the ‘One Inch’ sector began with the G7X of September 2014. This appears to have been a response to the Sony RX100(3). Unfortunately Canon forgot the EVF. In addition the G7X suffers from excruciatingly slow performance with RAW capture.
Next up was the G3X of June 2015. This has a 24-600mm (equivalent) lens but no EVF, very slow continuous AF and the same slow RAW performance. What on earth were the product development people at Canon thinking ?
Then followed the G5X in November 2015 which has a built in EVF but still the poor RAW performance.
Also in November 2015 came the G9X which is somewhat like the original RX100 with no EVF, very small size and a small aperture lens.
The G7X Mk2 of February 2016 at last sees the introduction of a processor (DIGIC7) fast enough to give reasonable RAW performance. But still no EVF.
Overall Canon’s contribution to the ‘One Inch’ scene has thus far been underspecified, underperforming and disappointing.
My impression is that Canon is labouring under several impediments which I see as:
* Attitude. The notion that built in EVFs, brisk AF Continuous performance and brisk RAW performance are somehow optional or not required for this type of camera represents in my view a complete misunderstanding of the likely buyers of this camera type. A corollary to this is:
* Camera centric product development when they should be engaged in user centric product development. If DSLR users expect, require and get built in viewfinders and handles, fast AFC and fast RAW performance why on earth would ‘One inch’ FZLC users not want these things ? They are mostly the same people after all and they are looking for a user experience similar to that provided by a DSLR. Canon actually promises this in its promotional blurb but totally fails to deliver on its own promises.
* Quite possibly a lack of technological capability particularly for continuous autofocus. Nikon has on chip PDAF+CDAF, Panasonic has DFD which works quite well, Canon has thus far only had plain CDAF on all the Powershots including the ‘One Inch’ group.
Nikon DL series
All the ‘One Inch’ cameras from Sony, Panasonic and Canon to date have used one or other version of the Sony sensor.
But Nikon used a sensor from Aptina for the first few 1 Series models.
Now the new DL series of FZLCs, announced in February 2016, also appear to be using a sensor not from Sony (the pixel numbers are different) but so far I have not heard where the DL sensor is coming from.
The DL trio each uses the same sensor and each has on chip PDAF just like the 1 Series cameras.
This gives the Nikon DL cameras their unique selling proposition which is dramatically fast (20fps) continuous capture with autofocus on each frame. Not even the most expensive DSLRs can equal this. Mind you I don’t quite understand who actually needs AFC at 20fps. I wonder if this is yet another case of camera makers providing us with some feature because they can (like Panasonic post focus) rather than features we might actually want and be able to use productively.
We shall see in due course whether these cameras are accurate as well as fast.
The DL series also introduces a product development concept which seems logical and coherent to me.
The DL18-50 is the compact wide angle model,
The DL24-85 is the compact general purpose model which will suffice for most requirements of most photographers, apart from the lack of a built in EVF, see below.
The DL14-500 is the long zoom/travel zoom/all-in-one model which is not compact but has a higher specification and greater range of capabilities than the other two.
This looks like a much more considered use of the ‘One Inch’ sensor than Nikon managed with the 1 Series ILCs.
The naming system is based on the equivalent focal length range, which buyers might be able to understand, unlike the muddled mess of meaningless numbers which we see in the Canon G___X range.
Unfortunately neither the 18-50 nor the 24-85 model has a built in EVF.
Some people apparently think this is OK. However I live in Sydney where on a bright sunny or bright/cloudy day outdoors all my cameras are basically unusable if I try to operate them using just the monitor.
I suspect this will be particularly a problem for the 24-85 which buyers will expect to be able to provide a good user experience in all conditions.
Panasonic manages to include a useful EVF in its compacts like the LX100 and the TZ range.
If Panasonic can do it so can Canon and Nikon.
Update June 2016: The DL series is officially 'delayed' maybe until year's end with no firm ETA announced. This is said by Nikon to be the result of the recent earthquake in Japan.
Update June 2016: The DL series is officially 'delayed' maybe until year's end with no firm ETA announced. This is said by Nikon to be the result of the recent earthquake in Japan.
What’s missing ?
Most of the ‘One Inch’ sensor cameras covered in this little round up (apart from the dismally underperforming Canons) are interesting and I expect will find favour with buyers.
But there is one camera type which could be based on the ‘One inch’ sensor which we have not yet seen.
This is the advanced, semi pro type model with an f1.2-1.8 or f1.4-f2 lens and full specification to suit the advanced user. I suspect that when camera buyers come to realise that this sensor size has a lot to offer that such a semi-pro model might find enough buyers to justify the cost of producing it.
Summary
There are now 16 ‘One Inch’ FZLCs from 4 makers with more to come, I am sure.
The bandwagon is rolling.
I believe that this type of camera will make entry level ILCs (both DSLR and MILC) redundant sooner rather than later. The better FZLCs are smaller, lighter and more capable than many entry level ILCs. Several have a lens two stops faster (wider aperture) than ILC kit lenses.
The camera makers have an interesting problem. If they convince the market that a good ‘One Inch’ FZLC might be more suitable for many photographers than an ILC with kit lens how will that affect the viability of consumer level DSLRs and MILCs ?
We shall see.
