Bigger Better Faster, or is it???

[trooperman]

Hi all, i have just puchased this week a Nikon p510 with 42 X zoom 16 mpix
My neigbour owns a fuji finepix s2980 with 18 X zoom 14 mpix
We have done the pepsi challenge and to my shock the images on the two cameras appear the same although the Nikon picture quality was far superior due to the extra 2 mpix.
Could someone explain to me as why the Nikon does not increase the size and get up closer than my friends Fuji.

Confused
Trooperman

[nimbus]

2mp will in itself make little or no difference in quality, in fact it could make it poorer. It is a false belief that pixel count is the be all and end all to quality. With regard to your question, I don't understand what exactly you mean

[PhilW]

As said the number of megapixels is never a guide to image quality, and in fact is often inversely proportional with higher MP being worse quality because of increased noise from cramming too many photosites onto a tiny sensor (especially in with small compact or bridge cameras)

I'm confused by your question regarding zoom though. With both cameras at the same spot you ought to me able to zoom much more tightly into a scene with 42x vs 18x magnification. I think the 42x is around a focal length of 1000mm in 35m terms - so a very very long lens

[P_Stoddart]

Well it must get abit closer because has twice the focal length at the top end.

Like others have said the extra 2MP make little difference.

But bear in mind the Nikon starts at 24mm not 28mm (35mm equiv) so if you compare them using a 28mm as a base the P510 is 35x on the same scale to the 18x of the Fuji.

To clarify the specs:

Fuji 28mm-504mm (35mm equiv)

Nikon 24mm-1000mm (35mm equiv)

So at the top end it just under double focal length. You should see things fill the frame more on the Nikon.

[trooperman]

"So at the top end it just under double focal length. You should see things fill the frame more on the Nikon."

This is my point, both these cameras fill the frame virtualy the same, although as i stated the quality is clearer and better colour.

Gavin

[Stevet]

Both of these cameras have the facility to use 'digital zoom', with the Fuji having a much greater range than the Nikon.

So using optical zoom only, the difference should be as you expect, but with digital zoom the fuji can give greater reach, but with the downside of a greater reduction in quality - sounds like what you describe.

HTH