Landscape photographers often carefully compose their images and choose the optimal time to shoot. This type of photography commonly involves mounting the camera on a tripod and using the lowest possible ISO setting to minimize noise, thus maximizing image quality.
Unless there is motion, relatively long shutter speeds are not an issue with a tripod. What is paramount is dynamic range, especially because photographers will often aim for detail in high-contrast settings, juxtaposing bright sky with shadowy foliage, mountains, etc. Ideally, the dynamic range of the camera should be greater than the dynamic range of the scene, otherwise either details in shadows are lost or highlights are burned.
Dynamic range falls rapidly with higher ISO settings, as any analog or digital amplification performed will increase the noise in the darker areas, making it harder to distinguish between fine levels of contrast.
Maximum dynamic range is the greatest possible amplitude between light and dark details a given sensor can record, and is expressed in EVs (exposure values) or f-stops, with each increase of 1 EV (or one stop) corresponding to twice the amount of light. Dynamic range corresponds to the ratio between the highest brightness a camera can capture (saturation) and the lowest brightness it can capture (typically when noise is more important than signal, i.e., a signal-to-noise ratio below 0 dB).
This scale is open, as actual dynamic range between absolute darkness and a specific level of light is infinite.
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The new "advanced compact" category that adds DSLR features (such as RAW output, manual operation, and interchangeable lenses) to classy, compact-style cameras, continues to be populated with new models—e.g., Canon Powershot G11 and S90, Olympus EP1 and EP2, Panasonic GF1, Leica X1, etc.
In this review we focus on the evolution of sensor characteristics and performance within this category, considering the Canon Powershot G11 and S90 and the Olympus E-P1 models in particular, and show how top models are catching up with entry-level DSLRs in terms of RAW image quality.
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