I've just ordered my PDR-M4, but now I've seen that the 800x600 mode produces 'not to good' pictures. Right :

1. Is there a firmware upgrade to fix the problem?

2. If I take a picture at 1600x1200 then resize it to 800x600 inside the camera does it still make bad pictures?

3. Is it a fault with a batch of the cameras?

Regards

Richard

-- Richard Wait (RichardWait@Mail.com), July 30, 2000

Answers

1. There is a firmware upgrade available, but it only claims to increase the smartmedia capacity limit to 64MB cards. If it fixes anything else, it's not mentioned.

2. According to the Imaging Resource review:

"The normal 800x600 resolution mode showed unusual amounts of color aliasing, but the "digital tele" shots were very clean. (The conclusion being that if you really want to shoot lower-resolution images, either shoot at the higher resolution and resize on the computer afterward, or use the digital tele function whenever possible.)"

It seems to me that the in-camera resize might be worth a try as well, unless they process them down through the same routine as the 800x600 shots?

3. I don't think it's a single batch fault. If it's consistent through production it's likely a firmware problem -I can't see how a hardware problem would cause a fault in only the lower res. mode. Most likely it's a poorly designed sub pixel "color interpolation" routine. Just a guess, I haven't actually used an M4. (I have an M1, M5, and M70)

I wonder if it's still a problem? A contact at Toshiba recently informed me they were so popular that they had started producing them again... :-)

Mark Grebner, a fellow forum poster, would probably have the ultimate word on them as he employs several in his business.

-- Gerald M. Payne (gmp@surferz.net), July 30, 2000.

Firmware V2.08 fixes several things, but nobody has said that it addresses the 800x600 quality problem. I think it does slightly alter the way flash is handled, as well as permitting use of 64MB smartmedia. Best advice is to experiment - what bothers you may seem insignificant to others, and vice versa.

I shoot almost everything at 1200 x 1600, so I don't have much experience with the problems at the lower mode. Sorry.

-- Mark Grebner (Mark@Grebner.com), August 04, 2000.