DxO Crowns New Compact Camera Champion

2013.05.23

This week DxOMark released new rankings for several recent cameras, including the Nikon Coolpix P330 which is now the highest-rated small sensor digital camera with a score of 54.

The score breaks down as 21 bits of color-depth, 11.7 EVs of dynamic-range and low-light rating of 213. As said in the DxOMark report, the first two numbers are excellent and compare well even to large sensor cameras.

The low-light performance of 213 is still the second highest among small-sensor cameras, just behind the Fuji X20 which gets 245, yet is far behind what large sensors can deliver. However, the X20 falls short from the P330 on both other metrics which leaves it with a score of 50. This corresponds to about small but visible difference in final output.

The other compact ranked is the large sensor Pentax Ricoh GR which features a large 16 MP APS-C sensor paired with a fixed 28mm F/2.8 lens. This one scores a 78 which, as expected, puts it in high-end DSLR territory. Despite a high-performing sensor, it falls short on the low-light side with a 972 rating. Top APS-C sensors score in the 1200+ range significantly better and even the recently reviewed Nikon Coolpix A makes it at 1164.

• Digital Camera