It's the lens, stupid


You want a fast lens. One that can capture as much light, wide-open, as possible.

My first digital camera was a Kodak DC4800 (at left) , which had a 28mm wide-angle lens. Its widest aperture was f2.8. That was about the standard on digital cameras in 2000, when this camera was introduced.

Photo enthusiasts from the film era wanted "fast" lenses that captured as much light as possible. The standard 50mm lens on an SLR clocked in at f1.8 -- a full stop faster than the DC4800's. But few camera makers brought fast lenses to compact digital cameras, except with the (long-discontinued) Olympus C-5050 and Canon G2.

Those fast lenses today are almost a bygone thing. The last fast lens on a compact camera was the Canon G6, which retained a very good f2.0 lens.

Most digital SLRs today come with kit lenses that start at a pokey f3.5. The Kodak M1033 in my pocket shuffles in at f3.1. The top-line Z1015IS mimicks the DSLRs with a wide-open f3.5.

It appears camera makers are hoping their cameras' light-sensitive sensors will compensate for these slower lenses. But remember, most compact digital cameras have pixel-packed sensors no larger than a thumbnail. It's hard to imagine any mass-market sensor picking up the slack for a slower lens.

My advice: shop around. Look at the specs. If you find a camera with an f2.8 lens that meets most of your needs, I'd bet you'll get a better yield of low-light images -- with less digital noise -- than a similar camera with a slower lens.

And it's all about the lens.

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