to help non-technical users understand the significance of the data. A handful of compact digital cameras have been tested as well. The lab test results are the result of a partnership agreement with DxOMark, which recently went live with objective test results of over 50 digital cameras.
In Adorama’s AIRC Learning Center, the information will be incorporated into field tests, product round-ups such as “The Best Mid-Range DSLRs Right Now”, which went live today and is the first round-up to incorporate the DxOMark information. A review of the Canon G10, which will be posted on Wednesday, will be the first to incorporate full test results. Many existing camera round-ups on the AIRC Learning Center have had the test results added and can be found in the Holiday 2008 Buying Guide. In the coming weeks, all cameras reviewed on the Learning Center which DxOMark has tested will have test results added. New test results will be added as they are completed by DxOMark.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer this image quality data provided by DxOMark,” notes AIRC Learning Center editor Mason Resnick. “This allows us to give objective information about image quality that was obtained under controlled lab conditions. With our editorial team’s decades of experience interpreting such data for consumers, we will be able to explain what the results mean in ways that our readers will understand and use in their buying decision process.”
RAW images produced by DSLRs and a handful of compact cameras are tested for color depth, dynamic range, and digital noise levels at all ISO settings, and are rated based on an overall image quality. Published test results on the AIRC Learning Center are based on in-depth study of extensive data posted on the DxOMark web site. “DxOMark is a boon to serious photographers and is a must for anyone who can understand the data,” notes Resnick. “But most consumers need to have the data translated into understandable language and put into the context of the whole camera and how it compares with competing models. That’s where the AIRC Learning Center comes in.”
Offering test results fits in with the Adorama AIRC Learning Center’s goal of providing meaningful information and advice so Adorama customers can not only make informed buying decisions, but will also have the technical and creative ability to get the most satisfaction out of their photographic equipment.
