Tesselator wrote:
> The subject of "noise" or "grain" becomes obserdly moot.  In a different
> place in this thread someone asked "what do you think of the sharpness
> of the text on the sighboard" (paraphrased).  I went there to look and
> the first thing that was obvious /to me/ was that it had been smooshed
> by jepeg error.

If it was due to JPEG error, why aren't all JPEG images affected?  Have
a look at this pair:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/a70/samples/IMG_8565.JPG
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/sony_p72/samples/DSC00032.JPG

They are taken at the same place at the same time with the same
resolution, same composition and same subject distance.  The writing is
considerably clearer in the Sony P72 image.

So what's wrong with the A70 image?  Camera shake?  Focusing problems?
Some trick by Canon's infamous DIGIC processor?  At any rate, both
images are JPEG, so this does not explain it.
-- 
    Tore