Comparison Sony A7 body vs Canon EOS 5D Mark II body

— Digital compact. This term refers to the simplest variety of modern digital cameras — those that are often called "soap dishes" in everyday life. As the name implies, these models are small in size, so most of them can be carried even in your pocket. Other specific features include a small sensor (see "Sensor Size"), a fixed lens, and a high degree of automation — digital compacts with full manual shooting options are the exception rather than the rule. In general, this type of camera is designed mainly for amateur shooting — in most cases, the image quality is quite sufficient for domestic purposes, but such devices are usually unsuitable for professional photography.

— “Mirrorless” cameras MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera — literally “mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses”) are compact cameras that are a kind of hybrid between compact digital cameras and “DSLRs”. They are not equipped with a system of mirrors, the viewfinder (if any) is made electronic or optical (see below), which allows you to minimize the weight and dimensions of the camera. On the other hand, such devices use matrices of the same class as in SLR cameras, which ensures high quality shooting with a minimum of noise. As the name suggests, MILC cameras also typically work with interchangeable lenses.

— Digital SLR cameras. The most technically advanced class of digital cameras. It got its name from the system of mirrors installed in the...camera body; thanks to these mirrors, light enters the viewfinder directly through the lens (and not through the auxiliary window, as on compact cameras). As a result, the photographer sees what will be shot in real time, with high-quality colour reproduction and high brightness. It is also important that the "SLR" matrix is closed from light most of the time — the light hits it only at the time of shooting, due to which it practically does not heat up and the noise in the resulting image is minimized. The lenses of such cameras are made interchangeable, and many settings, unlike conventional digital cameras, can be set manually.

— For a mobile phone. Cameras designed to be installed on a smartphone as an external accessory and not designed for stand-alone use. Outwardly, such a device resembles a lens with a mount on the phone case; however, inside this “lens” there is a full-fledged matrix, an image processor and a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth wireless module for connecting to a smartphone. The smartphone itself, when used, simultaneously plays the role of a screen and a control device, in addition, footage can be immediately transferred to it. Technically, a similar camera can be connected to another gadget — for example, a tablet: it's not a fact that it can be fixed on the case, but the connection itself is quite possible.

The result shown by the camera in the DxOMark ranking.

DxOMark is one of the most popular and respected resources for expert camera testing. According to the test results, the camera receives a certain number of points; The more points, the higher the final score.

The total number of individual light sensitive dots (pixels) provided in the camera's sensor. Denoted in megapixels - millions of pixels.

The total number of MPs, as a rule, is greater than the number of megapixels from which the frame is directly built (for more details, see "Effective number of MPs"). This is due to the presence of service areas on the matrix. In general, this parameter is more of a reference than practically significant: a larger total number of MPs with the same size and effective resolution means a slightly smaller size of each pixel, and, accordingly, an increased likelihood of noise (especially at high ISO values).

The number of pixels (megapixels) of the matrix directly involved in the construction of the image, in fact — the number of points from which the captured image is built. Some manufacturers, in addition to this parameter, also indicate the total number of MPs, taking into account the service areas of the matrix. However, it is the effective number of MPs that is considered the main indicator — it is this that directly affects the maximum resolution of the resulting image (see “Maximum image size”).

A megapixel is 1 million pixels. Numerous megapixels ensures high resolution of the captured photos, but is not a guarantee of high-quality images — much also depends on the size of the sensor, its light sensitivity (see the relevant glossary items), as well as hardware and software image processing tools used in the camera. Note that for small matrices, high resolution can sometimes be more of an evil than a blessing — such sensors are very prone to the appearance of noise in the image.

The maximum size of photos taken by the camera in normal (non-panoramic) mode. In fact, this paragraph indicates the highest resolution of photography — in pixels vertically and horizontally, for example, 3000x4000. This indicator directly depends on the resolution of the matrix: the number of dots in the image cannot exceed the effective number of megapixels (see above). For example, for the same 3000x4000, the matrix must have an effective resolution of at least 3000*4000 = 12 million dots, that is, 12 MP.

Theoretically, the larger the size of the photo, the more detailed the image, the more small details can be conveyed on it. At the same time, the overall image quality (including the visibility of fine details) depends not only on resolution, but also on a number of other technical and software factors; see "Effective MP number" for more details.

The sensitivity range of a digital camera matrix. In digital photography, light sensitivity is expressed in the same ISO units as in film photography; however, unlike film, the light sensitivity of the sensor in a digital camera can be changed, which gives you more options for adjusting shooting parameters. High maximum light sensitivity is important if you have to use a lens with a low aperture (see Aperture), as well as when shooting dimly lit scenes and fast-moving objects; in the latter case, high ISO allows you to use low shutter speeds, which minimizes image blur. However, note that with an increase in the value of the applied ISO, the level of noise in the resulting images also increases.

The type of bayonet mount — mount for interchangeable lenses — provided in a SLR or MILC camera (see "Camera type"). Bayonets come in different sizes, and interchangeable lens specifications usually indicate which mount it is designed for. Most often, mounts of different types are not compatible with each other, but there are exceptions (sometimes directly, sometimes using adapters).

Also note that one brand can use different mounts for different classes of cameras — and vice versa, one mount can be used by several manufacturers. So, Canon releases cameras with mounts EF-M, EF-S, EF and Canon RF. Leica has Leica M, Leica SL, Leica TL. Nikon has in its arsenal Nikon 1, Nikon F, Nikon Z. Pentax — Pentax 645, Pentax K, Pentax Q. Samsung offers NX and NX-M mounts. Sony cameras have Sony A and Sony E, Fuji has Fujifilm G and Fujifilm X. And as an example of a mount used by different brands, one can cit...e Micro 4/3, which is widespread in Olympus and Panasonic cameras.

The number of scene programs provided in the camera design.

Scene programs are preset settings for some of the most common shooting scenes - for example, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Sunset, etc. In addition to these presets, this list may include special effects and creative tools (such as color swap or fisheye), as well as exposure modes (see below). The presence of scene programs is especially useful for beginners and non-professional photographers, as it eliminates the need to tinker with each setting separately - just select the most suitable program, and all the necessary settings will be set automatically. The more scene programs the camera design provides, the wider its automatic adjustment capabilities.

The highest number of shots a camera can capture “in one go” in JPEG continuous shooting.

The technical features of modern digital cameras are such that during continuous shooting, photos have to be recorded in a special buffer, and only then, after the end of the series, they can be copied to a memory card. This buffer has a limited size, so the number of frames in one series is also limited. At the same time, we note that this indicator is usually indicated for shooting at the highest possible resolution (see "Maximum image size"); at lower resolutions, the volume of each image is reduced, and the number of frames in the series may turn out to be more than stated in the specifications.

JPEG, the most popular digital photography format today, is smaller and requires less processing power than RAW (see "Recording in RAW Format"). Therefore, in a JPEG series, as a rule, more frames are available to the photographer. However, in some models that have two separate buffers (for RAW and JPEG), it may be the other way around.