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By Mike Collins and Jonas Bugatsch
Editors@digitalreview.ca

 

June 5th, 2003

With the recent introduction of both the 5MP Canon Powershot G5 and the 5MP Nikon Coolpix 5400, we have received a number of emails asking how these two cameras compare against each other.

To assist in the decision making process, we have completed a brief overview of the Nikon Coolpix 5400 compared to the Canon Powershot G5. Below are some of our personal observations on the advantages of each camera.


Specifications
Nikon CP 5400
Canon G5

Body design

Single body with flip-out LCD

Single body with flip-out LCD

Ergonomics

Compact body with grip design

Compact body with grip design

Lens zoom

4 x optical zoom, 28 - 116mm equiv.
ED lens element

4x optical zoom, 35 - 140 mm equiv.

Lens aperture

F2.8 - F4.6

F2.0 - F3.0

Effective Resolution

5.1 MP effective, 1/1.8-inch-type

5.0 MP effective, 1/1.8-inch-type

Max resolution

2592 x 1944

2592 x 1944

Aspect ratio

4:3 or 3:2

4:3

Lower
Resolutions

5M (2592 x 1728 3:2)
2M (1600 x 1200)
1M (1280 x 960)
PC (1024 x 768)
TV (640 x 480)
Small Pic (320 x 240, 160 x 120) 		1600 x 1200
1024 x 768
640 x 480

Image modes

TIFF, JPEG (RAW as of 06/14/04

RAW, JPEG

JPEG modes

Fine, Normal, Basic

Super Fine, Fine, Normal

Digital Zoom

Max at 4 x

Max 4 x

Sensitivity

Auto, ISO 50, 100, 200, 400

Auto, ISO 50, 100, 200, 400

AF mode

Single, Continuous

Single, Continuous

AF focus areas

5 selectable FlexiZone AF/AE

AF distance

Normal: 50 cm
Macro: 1 cm to infinity

Normal: 50 cm
Macro: 5 cm – 50cm (W), 15cm (T)

AF bracketing

No

Three shots with minor tweaks in focus

AF / MF confirmation

Yes

Yes

Auto bracketing

Yes, 3/5 images, +/-2 EV

Yes, 3 images, +/-2 EV

WB auto bracket

Yes

No

WB fine tuning

Yes

No

WB manual preset

One setting

Two settings

Neutral Density Filter

No

3-stop cut (ND 0.9)

Noise reduction

Yes, menu option

Yes, auto above 1.3 sec exposure

Exposure modes

Auto, P, A, S, M, Movie, 15 Scene modes

Auto, P, A, S, M, Movie, 6 Scene modes

Auto Exposure Best Shot Selector
(AE-BSS mode) 		3 modes based on: Highlight, Shadow or Histogram

No

Best Shot Selector Mode (BSS)

Yes

No

Metering

256 segment, Center-Weighted,
Spot, Spot AF Area

Evaluative, Center-Weighted, Center Spot, Off-Center Spot

AE Lock

Yes

Yes

AE compensation

+/-2 EV in 0.3 EV steps

+/-2 EV in 0.3 EV steps

Shutter speed

8 - 1/4000 sec (plus 10 min Bulb)
1/8000 sec to 1/30 sec in Ultra HS (high speed) mode

15 - 1/1250 sec all apertures, 1/2000 sec @ f4.0 or higher

Aperture priority

10 positions in 1/3 EV increments

13 positions

Continuous Shooting

Continuous H (3 fps max 7 frames) @ Fine resolution
Continuous L (1.5 fps max 18 frames)
5 shot buffer mode (Last five) 		Continuous H (2.0 fps max 14 frames) @ Fine Resolution
Continuous N (1.5 fps max 14 frames) @ Fine Resolution

Time-lapse movie mode

Yes Yes

Quick review

Yes

No

Contrast control

Yes

Yes

Saturation Control

Yes

Yes

Sharpening Control

Yes

Yes

Movie clips

 640 x 480, 70 seconds with audio
320 x 240, 3 min with audio 		320 x 240, 3 min with audio
160 x 120 , 3 min with audio

User memories (Custom)

2 selectable

2 selectable

My Camera Function

Customized start-up with the My
Camera function 		Customized start-up with the My
Camera function

Self timer

3 or 10 seconds

10 seconds or IR remote

Remote control

Optional accessory MC-EU1

Supplied IR remote

LCD

1.5" Vari-Bright TFT LCD, 134,000 pixels, 270 degree rotation. Brightness and Hue control.

1.8" Vari-Angle LCD, 118,000 pixels, 270 degree rotation

Viewfinder

Optical

Optical

Histogram

Yes + Quick review

Yes play review mode only

Play magnification

1.2x - 6.0x

2x - 5.0x

Flash Modes

Auto, Red Eye Reduction, Fill flash, Flash off, First and second curtain sync, Strobe Flash

Auto, Red Eye Reduction, Fill flash, Flash off, First and second curtain sync

Flash range

15 feet Wide

16.5 feet Wide

External flash

Hot-shoe, Supports a variety of Auto Nikon Speedlights

Hot-shoe, Supports E-TTL Speedlites

Power

Nikon EN-EL1 Lithium-Ion rechargeable or 2CR5

Canon BP-511 Li-Ion rechargeable or new BP 512 battery (design diff)

AC adapter

Optional

Supplied

Storage

Compact Flash Type I or II

Compact Flash Type I or II

Storage supplied

16 MB

32 MB

Microdrive supported

Yes

Yes

Colour Exposure mode

Saturation Control (-2 to +2 adjustment range and B&W selectable from menu)

Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, B&W

Weight w/o battery

320 g

410 g

Direct printing

DPOF support, Exif 2.2

Exif 2.2, Direct print with select Canon printers. In camera cropping possible.

Dimensions
(inc. Grip)

(4.3 x 2.9 x 2.8 in)
(w x h x d)

4.8 x 2.9 x 2.8 in)
(w x h x d)

Interface

USB 2.0 (FS)

USB 1.1

Image Orientation Sensor

No

Yes

Included Software

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, NikonView 6.0 with "One Touch Red Eye Fix" and Arcsoft Panorama Maker

Canon Zoom Browser EX, Photo Stitch Software, Canon Remote Capture (Computer connected capture), File Viewer Utility 1.0

Optional Accessories

0.8x (22mm equivalent) wide angle lens converter WC-E80, NEW Fish-eye lens converter FC-E9, Accepts 77mm filters with HN-CP10 hood, Slide/Negative copy adapter ES-E28, TC-E15ED 1.5x telephoto converter, Program remote MC-EU1, Wireless SB-30 Speedlight Flash

Bayonet-mount lens adapter, WC-DC58N wideangle converter, Macro lens converter 250D, TC-DC58N telephoto converter (1.75x)
Support for both Macro Ring Light MR-14EX and Macro Twin Light unit MT-24EX. Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2


Main advantages of Nikon CP5400

  • Better wide-angle lens coverage incorporated @ 28mm. Ideal for group shots of people, landscapes and architecture
  • High-end, professional grade Nikkor ED optical lens
  • Clearer 1.5" 134,000 pixel Vari-bright LCD screen (Backlight LED). Brightness and hue adjustment possible.
  • 15 user-friendly 'Scene' modes vs. 6 on G5
  • Macro @ 1cm vs. 5cm
  • Faster continuous shooting with 3 fps (frames per sec) @ Fine resolution vs. 2.0 fps.
  • 10 min Bulb feature and faster shutter speed at 1/4000 sec
  • 5 Shot Buffer Mode (saves last 5 images captured when the shutter is pressed continuously)
  • AE-BSS mode: Auto Exposure Best Shot Selector mode based on Highlight, Shadow or Histogram
  • Best Shot Selection mode (BSS) ideal for close-up
  • Small Pic feature great for email or web use
  • NikonView 6.0 software with exclusive "One Touch Red-Eye Fix" technology and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 software supplied.
  • System accessory advantage with: WC-E80 0.8x wide angle lens converter (22mm equivalent in 35mm terms), NEW Fish Eye lens converter FC-E9, Slide/Negative Copy Adapter ES-E28, Program remote MC-EU1
  • Quick review mode
  • New Strobe Flash mode
  • 640 x 480 TV Movie mode (with audio)
  • 3:2 aspect ratio (equivalent to 35mm format)
  • WB auto bracketing and fine tuning capability
  • USB 2.0 (FS) full speed compatible
  • Optional single-use lithium battery 2CR5 can be used for back up (when AC source is not available for charging i.e. field work)
  • Stand-alone battery charger supplied vs. camera plug in charging with G5
  • CP5400 is about 28% lighter than the G5

Main advantages of Canon G5

  • Stronger telephoto lens range at 140mm vs. 116mm
  • Brighter lens at F2.0 - F3.0 compared to F2.8 - F4.6 with CP 5400
  • RAW recording available from product launch date

  • FlexiZone AF/AE for focus area selection
  • Canon's DIGIC processor technology
  • AF bracketing mode: Three shots with minor tweaks in focus
  • Built-in Neutral Density Filter: 3-stop cut (ND 0.9)
  • Up to 14 frames in Continuous H advance mode
  • E-TTL external flash support

  • 1.8" LCD size versus 1.5" LCD on the CP 5400 (Note: the G5 screen, however, contains 118,000 pixels vs. 134,000 pixels on the CP 5400)

  • Image Orientation Sensor: Vertically captured images are automatically displayed in the correct format when viewed
  • Two settings can be stored in WB manual preset vs. one on the CP5400
  • 32 MB starter CF card supplied vs. 16MB
  • Supplied Infrared Remote

  • AC adapter supplied

  • Up to 245mm telephoto equivalent with optional TC-DC58N optical lens converter

  • Direct Print Capability with select Canon Printers. In camera image cropping is possible.
  • 32 MB starter CF card supplied vs. 16MB
  • Canon Remote Capture Software: Shoot while connected directly to a computer
  • Support for both Macro Ring Light MR-14EX and Macro Twin Light unit MT-24EX. Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2


We recommend the 'Short Course' Digital Camera companion guides by Dennis Curtin. Click on the book covers above for more details or see here for a complete list of book titles.


Looking at the specifications above, it can be seen that there are a number of advantages for each camera. Which camera to buy is a personal choice and depends on a number of factors. We recommend that you look at what is important to you.

 
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