WHAT REALLY IS ISO?

ISO is an English equivalent acronym for the International Organization for Standardization.

Back in the days of film, its sensitivity to light was stated as ISO / ASA, with the value of 100 as "standard" for daylight (daytime) use. The higher the ISO value, the more sensitive the corresponding film is to light, which would allow for the use of a smaller lens aperture, or faster shutter speeds.

When film got "replaced" with the camera's digital imaging sensors of today, the ISO film standard was retained, as a basis for determining the equivalent of the light sensitivity settings of the imaging sensor.

Digital Camera ISO is basically an amplification system for the light signal recorded by the camera’s imaging sensor, giving the equivalent (and often perceived) effect of increased sensor sensitivity.

Adjusting to a higher ISO value would, therefore, allow an image to be taken even under low lighting conditions, without the use of flash or other additional light sources. It can also mean that you can use faster shutter speeds to freeze action that would otherwise have been impossible under the prevailing low lighting conditions.

However, the downside of amplification with high ISO settings is a corresponding increase in digital image noise, shown as grainy, random speckles of colored, unrelated pixels that decrease the image quality of the resulting pictures. 


In order to preserve image quality, the ISO value should only be increased when absolutely necessary. This means that high ISO settings are not always used in the lowest lighting conditions – in fact, when using flash or a tripod, it would be usual to use the lowest ISO settings, such as ISO 80 or 100, to maximize image quality.

VERTICAL STREAKS IN THE PICTURE AREA: CCD BLOOMING

The characteristic VERTICAL (often violet) light streak that you see when pointing the camera at very bright sources of light is called 'blooming.'

Blooming occurs when the electrical charge in a pixel exceeds the saturation level (due to very bright light) and the charge starts to fill adjacent pixels in the camera's digital imaging sensor. Typically CCD sensors are designed to allow for easy VERTICAL shifting of the charge but potential barriers are created to reduce flow into horizontal pixels. Hence the excess charge will preferentially flow into the nearest VERTICAL neighbors, resulting to blooming. 

Recording the image (as a still picture) is a different matter, for it occurs only at a very short period of time, usually at a fraction of a second, and does not get a continuous light reading (unlike when recording video). Therefore, there is no saturation of the pixel charge. This is the reason why the vertical violet streak (blooming) DOES NOT APPEAR in the recorded image of your pictures, but does, indeed, appear when taking video clips.

Blooming is an inherent characteristic of Charge Coupled Device (CCD) sensors, which is the type used in the GE X5 / X500, and is something that GE X5 / X500 users would have to live with.  Cameras, such as most of the dSLRs, make use of CMOS sensors, which are, by their nature, immune to blooming.

BATTERY CHARGING TIMES

In the Philippine market, almost all retailers of the GE X5 / X500 include, as a freebie, a set of four AA-sized Samya Brand NiMH Rechargeable Batteries and a matching Samya Brand AA and AAA-sized Battery Charger, which come from a Chinese manufacturer.

These are ample to provide for power to the camera, but since the Samya Battery Charger is NOT of the automatic type (which shuts itself off after completing the battery charging cycle), you would have to time the battery charging process, manually, yourself, for each and every battery charging instance, following this guide:

Battery Capacity (mAh) / Battery Charger Output (mA) = Battery Charging Time (h)

Thus, taking the Samya Batteries, with a 2100mAh capacity as an example, and the Samya Battery Charger, with a 160mA output, the battery charging time would be as follows:

2100mAh / 160mA = 13.125 hours Battery Charging Time

But since Battery Chargers are NOT 100% efficient, we add another 20% to the battery charging time, just to ensure that the batteries get a full charge. Thus,

2100mAh  / 160mA = 13.125 + 20% (equivalent to another 2.625 hours) = 15.75 hours total battery charging time

Therefore, we have to charge the Samya Batteries, using the Samya Charger, for 15.75 hours for each and every time their charge runs down so that they are no longer able to operate the camera.

The problem is, that with a PARTIALLY DISCHARGED battery, you are not able to know how much charge remains, and thus, are not able to compute for proper battery charge time, when using the Samya Charger. The above formula is applicable only when the batteries are in the fully discharged state.

Automatic Battery Chargers, on the other hand, are able to determine how much charge the batteries would need, even if only partially discharged, and have the added advantage of shutting itself off, after completing the battery charge cycle, preventing battery overcharging, which could damage and/or shorten the battery's service life.

Another important thing to know about rechargeable batteries is that they normally lose their charge (even if not used) at the rate of about 1% per day. Therefore, to get the best performance, it would be best to charge them no longer than a day before your intended use for them.


Low-Self-Discharge (LSD) Batteries, such as the excellently performing Sanyo Eneloop Batteries, on the other hand, are able to retain 75% of their charge, even when left unused for three long years, and could be recharged 1,500 times.  Together with the matching Sanyo 2hr. Quick Charger, the Eneloops make for a good choice to power the GE X5/X500, and other digital devices that require AA sized batteries. 

FIRMWARE UPGRADES: WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT

Modern day Digital Cameras, such as the GE X5 and its younger sibling, the GE X500, are run by software pre-installed by the manufacturer at the factory. These software, usually referred to as 'firmware,' are in charge (together with the camera's 'hardware' component) of most of the functions the camera is capable of.

After the camera is packaged and sold, any improvements (or fixes with software "bugs") that the manufacturer may have on the pre-installed software is optionally offered, usually free of charge, as firmware upgrades, to the specific models affected.

These upgrades are, normally, not required, but does add better functionality to certain camera features or functions, most especially if there were "bugs" (certain defects) with the previous version software that may have been overlooked, during product development.

Except in the case of software fixes, there is usually nothing "wrong" with the pre-installed camera software, and these would function, satisfactorily, as claimed and advertised, even without any (further) upgrades.

It may also be worth noting that these firmware upgrades are model specific, and should not be installed in camera brands or models they are not specifically designed or intended for.

MEMORY CARD ISSUES

A great majority of new GE X5 and X500 users would almost always experience some sort of 'trouble' (though unknowingly) related to memory cards, after making their purchase. Common complaints range from the camera being "unable to read" the recorded image/video files, memory card errors, to the camera 'freezing-up' while normally operating the camera and when using the zoom, the owner being unable to turn it off or use any of the controls, except to open the battery compartment door to forcibly cut off power, and re-start the camera, anew.

This sort of thing happens, and most GE X5 and X500 owners experience this, at a time or two. It is quite reassuring, though, to learn that this not a malfunction or defect connected with the camera, itself, but with the memory card, inserted in it. 

It has been learned, from experience, that certain SD Cards just doesn't seem to function, without issues, with the GE X5 / X500. Some Transcend 4GB SDHC Class 2 Memory Cards (which commonly comes free, with the camera purchase) seem to work fine, but some do not. PQI brand SD Cards have also been stated by some internet forums to have been having issues with the GE X5 and X500, so it would be best to avoid them. 

We have acquired information regarding the possibility of having had a "bad lot" (batch) of SD Cards being delivered and distributed, with the camera, as a freebie. It seems that there are, indeed, plentiful of no-name, no-brand generic memory cards being passed of as a genuine product, hence, the poor performance.

To prevent / avoid potential problems, first, it is recommended by the manufacturer to FORMAT the memory card with the camera's on-board format facility, prior to first use. Secondly, it is also recommended that recorded images / videos be COPIED onto your computer's hard disk drive, prior to editing, and to avoid modifying the memory card contents, in any way, with your computer. 

Finally, it would be advisable to stick with only well known, good quality brands, such as Transcend, SanDisk, Kingston, or TDK Memory Cards with high speed ratings of Class 4, Class 6 or Class 10. Higher Class ratings have higher file write / read transfer rates between the camera and the memory card, thus improving on overall performance. 

It would also be proper to ensure that you are getting a genuine product, by purchasing from reputable dealers, and making sure that what you are buying is in a sealed (intact) and genuine product packaging.