Not surprised. Because such statement was made in the 60s when 35mm hoped to replace the large format; in the 90s when digital hoped to replace 35mm; perhaps while approaching 2020, what is the chance that PnS (of course not F200EXR) will replace DSLR - a dream?
By and large at the moment, the gap with the better DSLR is still significant, particularly with the premium lenses. However, for laymen shooting, some DSLRs seem to be giving way to PnS in dpreview provided you have not esteemed yourself too highly than those guys there. Need to avoid bringing out specific model now because some have taken offence if to reflect on a few comments here. Or, you can also refer to other reviews if you think dpreview is not objective enough. Can we be possibly objective if to insist reviews are wrong, our comments and hearsay are correct?
I hesitated awhile whether to touch on sensor size because of one potentially common misconception but let me make the mistake and hear out from the rest.
For a sensor resolution of 10Mp
is 35mm 3.5x sharper than 4/3", 35mm (864sqmm) vs 4/3" (243qmm) ?
is 4/3 5.5x sharper than 1/1.7", 4/3 (243sqmm) vs 1/1.7" (44sqmm) ?
The answer may lie with larger sensors having the benefit larger pixels but not necessary larger number of pixels. The larger pixels bring out the potential of higher sensitivity, better signal to noise ratio and wider dynamic range but that has nothing to do with higher resolution which many would have wanted. For a given amount of background noise, larger pixel can tolerate higher signal to noise ratio and thus less noisy, particularly at lower level of photon influx. They can detect much lower and higher influx of photons over a given exposure time (at the same aperture) to enhance the sensitivity. They also have capacity of a greater volume of photon before being saturated, hence better discrimination in terms of wider dynamic range. Meaning to say, for the same resolution, it is possible for PnS to produce pictures comparable to DSLR only if the constraints in light conditions from its smaller sensor are well addressed by technologies and in an experienced hand (maybe you want to try confidently singling out the DSLR and PNS shots above).
As for optics, the quality in smaller lenses has improved substantially in recent year if you make some identical picture comparison. Also, it seems the difference between fixed and zoom lenses is less significant in digital cameras in many reviews unlike the 35mm days. Or is it the top premium optics is of little use in current digital cameras because the excellent optical resolution cannot be fully exploited by current meager pixel counts. In fact, my take is if to go beyond 20Mp and into 100Mp, when compared to the impractical bulk of DSLR becoming off-bit in the generations to come, the potential in funding the high res pixel count pursuit is more probable with PnS cost spreading mass-production, given its awaiting enormous market just like what the Korean did with LCDs in the early millennium.
So, if technology increasingly addresses the issue of sensitivity, noise, dynamic range, better and more compact optics, will the era of large lens, large aperture and large sensor eventually belongs to the minority, just like the existing large format cameras. Have technologies not proven to bring to the common folks computers, IT, cellphones etc which were once only for the rich now not just at a much affordable price, but with a far greater capabilities the coming reality to cameras?
Perhaps, many big brands might be unfairly trying for as long as possible to sustain a hefty profit from their established empire of pricey DSLR and peripherals, even making many to think that any PnS having DSLR benefits have be expensive. Can anybody rule out there is no deliberate stifling of such technological potentials in PnS because of competitively low-profit margin of mass-produced PnS. Who knows Samsung is trying to break these unfair practices with its EX-1 following the humble attempt by F200EXR and I hope many more to come.
Or have some us been permanently cropped out by the big brands to believe the competitively priced PnS can never beat DSLR and their more profitable DSLR will never be overtaken by PnS?
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