A D800 at last (1 Viewer)

Eric, if you look at your link and check the SCREEN scores, not the normalized PRINT scores, you will see the difference is ALMOST 2 stops across the board. The reason the D800 has a higher overall DxO score is because its normalized values do better at the base ISO.

RJM said:

Eric, if you look at your link and check the SCREEN scores, not the normalized PRINT scores, you will see the difference is ALMOST 2 stops across the board. The reason the D800 has a higher overall DxO score is because its normalized values do better at the base ISO.

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Sure, but the image sizes are very different and you can't ignore the impact of resizing to a common print size. If you look at a D800 image at 1000 pixels you are seeing 1/7 of the width of the total image while the same view on the D3s is 1/4 the image width.

I don't want to get into a debate over resizing, but having a large file that is downsized for use will make a lot of the noise disappear. Likewise if you increase the size of a 12 mp file to 36 megapixels, you will increase the presence of noise and artifacts.

DxOMark uses the same methodology for all their camera testing. It's the only way to get a true apples and apples comparison across sensors of different sizes. Take a look at the actual measurements for ISO performance.

Now it is true that DxOMark does report about a stop and a half difference due to resizing. But it still counts as it normalizes to a common size.

mr_birdman said:

IMO that's because they can be lazy and sit 200m away and crop out to 5% of the original frame instead of becoming better at fieldcraft and get close. 8-P

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I don't have a Nikon but my camera is 24 MP (a Sony a65), for me at least there is more than a grain of truth in the comment about cropping

speckled wood said:

I don't have a Nikon but my camera is 24 MP (a Sony a65), for me at least there is more than a grain of truth in the comment about cropping

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I'm now using a D800 (and D600) after having had 2 x Pentax K5 (16 MP) previously. There is absolutely no doubt that the increased resolution is a valid substitute for even longer lenses !

ericbowles said:

I don't think this is correct. DxOMark reports a very small difference in ISO performance - less than 1/6 stop - between the D800 and D3s. The D3s is a little better in high ISO noise, but falls slightly short of the D800 in terms of dynamic range and color. They are so close as to be equivalent to ISO 12,800.

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Ca...rand2)/Nikon/(appareil3)/628|0/(brand3)/Nikon

One thing to keep in mind is that base ISO for the D3s is 200 while it is ISO 100 for the D4 and D800. That provides a benefit for the D800 in noise, color and dynamic range at low ISO levels.

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I haven't done a direct comparison of the two cameras but my feeling is that I was able to shoot the D3s at higher iso without noise than the D800.
Nikon set the D3s up to 12,800 before you need to select the Hi setting. The D800 is set to 6400 and then the Hi setting.
I'll do a direct comparison soon.
Neil.

Well Jessop's have dropped the UK D800 price to £1796.97 today, the new D810 is expected to be announced on Thursday.

Neil said:

I haven't done a direct comparison of the two cameras but my feeling is that I was able to shoot the D3s at higher iso without noise than the D800.
Nikon set the D3s up to 12,800 before you need to select the Hi setting. The D800 is set to 6400 and then the Hi setting.
I'll do a direct comparison soon.
Neil.

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That would fit with the base iso of the D800 being 100 and that of the D3s being 200. They are optimised differently.