Evaluating noise with the Nikon D3 and Canon 1Ds Mark III
I commented on Canon EOS 1DsM3 noise in my June June 14, 2008 blog entry. My latest addition to DAP delves into the noise behavior throughout the ISO range with the Nikon D3 and Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III. Read it now (login required).
Nikon D3, ISO 25600, actual pixels
Reader Martin D comments:
I've found your noise and lens reports comparing the D3 and the 1DsMk3 fascinating. It's pretty clear that Canon is cranking up the megapixels because they can, not because they should. This is personally irritating because I'd love to be able to buy a 12 Megapixel 5DMk2. Instead, Canon is offering bodies that deliver an enormous amount of superfluous bytes at the expense of better high ISO performance across the board: how much better could the Canon's contemporary high ISO engineering be with bigger photosites? Will we ever know?
I think it would be interesting for you to try to bring the diffraction picture together with the noise picture and try to define the sliver of circumstances under which a 1DsMk3/5DMk2 deliver an image quality advantage.
DIGLLOYD: Yes, my plan is to follow up the noise research with other topics on the D3 and 1DsM3, including sharpness issues.