The P7000 has very nice photo quality, for the most part comparable with its competitors.
Lori Grunin
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Like the G12, the P7000's JPEG noise profile looks OK at ISO 200 and below, but at ISO 400 you start to see color noise creep in (look at the text), and by ISO 800 details simply look mushy.
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Noise, ISO 800
Though the color noise and suppression artifacts are noticeable at ISO 800, depending upon the scene content, the JPEGs can still be fairly usable.
(1/30 sec, f2.8, spot meter, AWB, 28mm)
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Raw vs. JPEG
Processing the P7000's files as raw doesn't seem to buy you any exposure latitude, but does give you better control over contrast and the ability to pick your artifact trade-offs.
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Sharpness
The P7000's lens can be very sharp, and displays surprisingly little fringing in general.
(1/60 sec, f2.8, spot meter, AWB, ISO 200, 28mm)
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Speed
This shot (which I have to admit I kind of like) exemplifies what it feels like to shoot animals with the P7000. Note that in this case the overexposure was my fault; I forgot I'd set exposure compensation to +1.
(1/320 sec, f5, ISO 200, spot meter, AWB, 153mm)
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Distortion
Without distortion control enabled, the P7000's lens isn't bad; it looks about the same as most 28mm-equivalent competitors. With distortion control, it's good. Note that the framing on these might be slightly different; it's not a result of the processing.
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Midrange detail quality
Like a lot of similar cameras, the P7000 tends to produce somewhat crunchy-looking details in places that aren't around the main focus area, especially at wide apertures. I also found the automatic white balance exceptionally cool, even taking into account the generally cool nature of February light and the shade.
(1/125 sec, f2.8, ISO 200, spot metering, AWB, 28mm)
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P7000 vs. G12
White-balance issues aside, it's striking how similar the P7000 and G12's image quality and artifacts are.
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Dynamic range
Though this is an especially extreme example, I think the P7000 seems to clip highlights more frequently than comparable cameras.
