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2021-12-13 In Praise of Digital vs Film (UPDATED, v3)

2020-06-16 Hooray! Adobe Camera Raw Now Has Option to Always Use Sidecar XMP files with DNG

2019-12-30 Too-High Pixel Density on 5K and 8K Displays Impedes Image Sharpness Assessment

2019-11-28 Need Advice/Help with Phase One Capture One Pro Sharpening Tools (UPDATE with reader comments)

2019-09-21 Exploring Frame Averaging for Sony A7R IV (Updated with reader comments)

2019-04-07 Panasonic S1R: How Much to Sharpen During Raw Conversion in Adobe Camera Raw + Adobe Camera Raw Enhance Details

2018-12-26 Workflow Tip: Locking DNG Files to Prevent Modification by Lightroom/Photoshop, Greatly Reduces Backup Time

2018-10-06 Nikon Z7: RAW vs JPEG

2018-07-25 Hasselblad PR: “Real World” Comparison: Nikon D850 with Decrepit Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 Zoom Compared Without Format Equivalence or Validation of Basics

2018-01-24 Sony A7R III: Pixel Shift vs Single Frame on Finely Detailed Subject

Most recent pages at other diglloyd sites:

See also 12 pages at macperformanceguide.com

2018-08-13 2018 MacBook Pro: Sustained CPU Usage vs Performance

2017-07-16 2017 MacBook Pro: Severely Degraded Performance for More than Short Usage

2017-01-01 2016 MacBook Pro: Model Cannot Sustain Performance

2016-07-08 iPhone Panoramas In Depth: Shooting & Post Processing Tips, Numerous Examples up to 11K Resolution

2016-05-17 When Software Crashes It is Immensely Frustrating: Why is Lightroom Crashing?

2014-04-10 MPG Experience: a Month Using the 8-core 3.3 GHz 2013 Mac Pro

2014-03-27 OWC 128GB Memory Kit: Photoshop CC Filters

2014-03-10 2013 Mac Pro: Photoshop CC Filter Crashes Appear to be Due to Apple Graphics Drivers

2014-03-08 Photoshop CC Sharpening Now 3X Slower But ONLY on the 2013 Mac Pro (unmaking the power of the Ring)

2014-01-17 2013 Mac Pro: GPU and Sharpening

2014-01-16 Two GPUs to Rule Them All, and in the Software Bind Them—Photoshop CC Now Sharpens 4X Faster

2014-01-12 2013 Mac Pro: How Many Cores for Your Workflow?

Digital Sensor Technology

Digital capture technology is discrete, and not the same as film..

  1. Effects of Diffraction Blur on Color Aliasing
  2. Blur Inherent to Digital Capture
  3. Are More Pixels Better?
  4. Are More Pixels Better at High ISO?

Post Processing for Sharpness

Making image captures look sharp..

  1. Restoring Sharpness Lost from Digital Capture (RAW)
  2. Restoring Sharpness Lost to Digital Capture
  3. Mitigating Micro Contrast Losses from Diffraction Blur

Color Gamut and Color Space

Color space for digital images. .

  1. Discussion of Color Space in General Terms
  2. Why a Wide Gamut Color Space Matters
  3. How to Check for Color Space Clipping in Photoshop (Gamut Warning)
  4. Installing the DCI-P3 Color Space for Photoshop / Lightroom
  5. Color Gamut Example: Reds and Oranges in Fruit Platter
  6. Color Gamut Example: Green Shirt in Sunlight
  7. Color Gamut Example: Glacial Blue Lake
  8. Wide Gamut Colorspace Reduces Noise, Avoids Posterization

Workflow Tips and technique

An introduction to digital workflow and best practices. .

  1. Sharpening with Topaz InFocus
  2. RAW Conversion: Adobe Camera RAW vs DXO Optics Pro

Photoshop How-To

Working with Photoshop for raw conversion and more. .

  1. Photoshop Color Settings
  2. Photoshop Adobe Camera RAW: Color Space
  3. Photoshop Adobe Camera RAW: Sharpening in Raw Conversion
  4. Photoshop Adobe Camera RAW: Chroma Noise Reduction
  5. How to Correct Color Fringing in Adobe Camera RAW
  6. How to Use Tonal Curves for Image Correction
  7. Localized Contrast Enhancement
  8. How to Downsample and Sharpen an Image
  9. Sharpening with Photoshop Smart Sharpen

Faux HDR and High Dynamic Range

Tips for processing high dynamic range images. .

  1. High Dynamic Range Images and Faux HDR: Discussion
  2. Moderating and Enhancing Contrast with Adobe Camera Raw
  3. Faux HDR: Extracting Shadow Detail with Shadows/Highlights and Curves
  4. Faux HDR: Converting High Dynamic Range Images with Adobe Camera Raw (Nikon D810)

Frame Averaging

Maximizing dynamic range and image quality by minimizing noise via multiple exposures..

  1. Frame Averaging: Post Processing Basics
  2. Frame Averaging Case Study: Granite Dome After Sunset

Expose To The Right (ETTR)

Maximizing image quality, dynamic range, minimizing digital noise. .

  1. Exposure and Noise

Focus Stacking Post-Processing

Post-Processing software and Technique..

  1. Overview of Focus Stacking Software/Processing
  2. Zerene Stacker: Retouching Stacked Images

Diffraction

Getting peak performance from your lens.

  1. Diffraction Limits for High Resolution DSLR (Dolls, Nikon D7100)

Optical Behavior (Case Studies)

Illuminating examples of lens behavior..

  1. Asymmetric Sharpness with Leica 180mm f/3.5 APO-Elmar-S

Monochrome Post-Processing

Finishing touches..

  1. Localized Contrast Enhancement over Entire Image

Workflow

What to do after you shoot..

  1. Raw-file Conversion

Panasonic S1R Image Quality

Aspects of image quality..

  1. Panasonic S1R: How Much to Sharpen During Raw Conversion in Adobe Camera Raw

Panasonic S1R Multi-Shot High-Res Mode

Evaluating Multi-Shot High-Res Mode..

  1. Panasonic S1R: Diffraction Limits for Multi-Shot High-Res Mode
  2. Panasonic S1R: Standard vs Multi-Shot High-Res Mode (Various)

Panasonic Lumix S 24-105mm f/4 Macro OIS

All-arounder entry-level mid-range zoom for L-Mount..

  1. Aperture Series @ 99mm: Mosaic

Nikon D800E

36 megapixels in a compact full-frame DSLR..

  1. D800 / D800E Live View Tip for Better Definition
  2. Examples — Miscellaneous
  3. Examples — Portraits
  4. Examples — Sharpening Portraits
  5. Examples — Downsampling to Competing Sizes
  6. Examples — RAW to TIF Processing

Nikon D800 / D800E Image Quality Best Practices

Image quality best practices and how-to with the Nikon D800/D800E..

  1. Sharpness with RAW vs JPEG

Nikon D800E vs D800

D800E supplement and comparisons with Nikon D800..

  1. D800 vs D800E Optical Low Pass Filter and Wave Plate
  2. D800 vs D800E Sharpness
  3. Examples — D800E — Initial Evaluation
  4. D800E vs D800 (Aerial, Fountain)
  5. D800E vs D800 RAW Sharpening Comparison (Aerial, Fountain)
  6. D800E vs D800 (Dolls)
  7. D800E vs D800 RAW Sharpening Comparison (Dolls)
  8. D800E vs D800 Sharpening Noise (Dolls)

Nikon D800 Monochrome Conversion by MaxMax.com

D800 with the RGB Bayer matrix removed for a true monochrome sensor..

  1. Examples: Pescadero Creek

Nikon D850 Monochrome Conversion by MaxMax.com

D850 with the RGB Bayer matrix removed for a true monochrome sensor..

  1. Examples: Eastern Sierra Man-Made Structures

Nikon D800E vs Canon EOS 5D Mark III

Comparing the 2012/2013 high-res pro DSLRs..

  1. Canon 5DM3 vs Nikon D800E: Noise (Dolls / Pellegrino)
  2. Canon 5DM3 vs Nikon D800E: Sharpness (Dolls / Pellegrino)

Canon EOS 1D X

18 megapixel big black brick, Canon’s top of the line DSLR..

  1. RAW to 16-bit TIF Conversion in Adobe Camera RAW
  2. How Much Sharpening to Apply

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

22 megapixel successor to the popular 5D Mark II..

  1. Examples — Carrizo Plain
  2. Examples — RAW Processing
  3. 5D Mark III vs 5D Mark II from ISO 50 to 25600 (Last Supper)
  4. Sharpness: RAW vs JPEG

Canon EOS 5DS / 5DS R

50 megapixel successor to the 22 megapixel Canon 5D Mark III..

  1. RAW vs mRAW: Sharpness, Tone, Color
  2. RAW vs sRAW: Sharpness, Tone, Color
  3. Sharpness: 5DS R vs 5D Mark III (Mosaic)
  4. Sharpness: 5DS R vs 5DS vs 5D Mark III vs Nikon D810 (Old Map)

Sony A900

The 24.6 megapixel Sony A900 digital SLR is compared with Canon’ top-of-the-line 21.1MP EOS 1Ds Mark III. A field report including two comparisons with the Canon 1Ds Mark IIII, example images in color and black and white, and the Zeiss ZA 135mm f/1.8 Sonnar. Anti-Shake (SteadyShot) is assessed, as is noise behavior..

  1. Examples
  2. Sony A900 vs Canon 1Ds Mark III at 50mm

Nikon D3x 24.4-megapixel DSLR review

Includes: D3x resolution comparisons (res chart) with Nikon D3, Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III, resolution comparison on outdoor shot with Nikon D3, large examples, large wildlife examples, Nikon 200mm f/2 VR on D3x, long exposure noise ISO series, D3x sensitivity on diffraction, D3x dynamic range at ISO 100 vs ISO 50, D3x vs D3 color and noise..

  1. Diffraction with the D3x
  2. D3x vs D3 and EOS 1DsM3

Noise ×4: Nikon D3x, Nikon D3, Canon 5D Mark II, & Canon 1Ds Mark III

Noise performance of early 2009’ premier digital SLRs. ISOs from 50 through 25600, dark area noise, noise reduction effects, noise versus resolution. Can more smaller pixels beat fewer large ones?.

  1. Processing
  2. Big pixels or small?

Nikon vs Canon: noise and sharpness

Nikon vs Canon: Noise and Sharpness.

  1. Sharpness—creek scene at dusk
  2. Sharpness—extensive comparison

Voigtlander 90mm f/3.5 APO-Lanthar SL II

Medium telephoto with world-class chromatic correction..

  1. Aperture Series: Shimano Drive Train (Sony A7R II)
  2. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Nikon D800)

Voigtlander 180mm f/4 APO-Lanthar

Telephoto with world-class chromatic correction..

  1. Aperture Series: Shimano Drive Train (Sony A7R II)

Pentax HD FA 15-30mm f/2.8 ED SDM WR

Full frame ultra wide angle zoom..

  1. Aperture Series @ 15mm, with Pixel Shift: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)
  2. Aperture Series @ 21mm, with Pixel Shift: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)
  3. Aperture Series @ 30mm, with Pixel Shift: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)

Pentax HD FA 50mm f/1.4 SDM AW

All-new high performance design..

  1. Examples: White Mountains

Pentax smc PENTAX-FA 77mm f/1.8

Full frame medium telephoto..

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic (Pentax K-1 SuperRes + StdRes)

Pentax smc P-D FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro

Macro lens focusing to life size 1:1 in a normal lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Map of the World (Pentax K-1 SuperRes + StdRes)
  2. Aperture Series: Tiled Water Fountain (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)
  3. Aperture Series: Church Mosaic, Sunlit (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)
  4. Aperture Series: Church Mosaic, Dusk (Pentax K-1 SuperRes)

Pentax smc Pentax-D FA 100mm f/2.8 WR Macro

Macro lens focusing to life size 1:1..

  1. Aperture Series: Map of the World (Pentax K-1 SuperRes + StdRes)

Pentax HD DA Limited 15mm f/4 ED

APS-C wide angle lens equivalent to 22mm on full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Sidelit Barn (Pentax K3)
  2. Aperture Series: Ice on Beaver Pond at Sunrise (Pentax K3)

Pentax HD DA Limited 35mm f/2.8 Macro

APS-C normal lens equivalent to 53mm on full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Map of the World (K-1 Full Frame, SuperRes, Shade Extended)
  2. Aperture Series: Map of the World (K-1 Full Frame, SuperRes, Shade Retracted)
  3. Aperture Series: Mosaic (K-1 Full Frame, SuperRes, Shade Retracted)

Canon 85mm Lenses

Canon’s ultra-fast medium telephoto compared and in the field.

  1. Comparison: Canon 85/1.2L II, 85/1.8, Nikon 85/1.4G

Canon 35mm f/1.4L II

Canon’s updated fast 35mm prime, evaluated on Canon 5DS R..

  1. Aperture Series: Lundy Canyon

Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art

Superwide optimized zoom lens..

  1. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Checkerboard Mesa, Zion

Sigma 24-35mm f/2 DG HSM Art

Mid-range optimized groundbreaking f/2 zoom..

  1. Shootout: vs Sigma 24-105mm f/4A: Colorful Creek

Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art

Sigma’s best portrait lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Extreme Adverse Lighting: Saddlebag Lake Reflections (Nikon D810)

Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art

Fastest 135mm lens yet, with ultra high performance..

  1. Aperture Series: American Hotel, Cerro Gordo (Nikon D810)
  2. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek (Nikon D810)

Sigma Telephoto APO Macro Lenses: 150mm, 180mm

Sigma’s fast telephoto APO macro lenses..

  1. Performance at 1:1 (Doll Face, D800E)
  2. Performance at ~ 1:2 (Doll Face, D800E)
  3. Performance at ~ 1:2.2 (Doll Seated, D800E)

Nikon AF-S 24-120mm f/4G VR

Nikon’s latest wide range zoom with vibration reduction and fixed f/4 aperture..

  1. Mosaic Comparison Notes

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G

Nikon’s fast ultra wide angle..

  1. Aperture Series: Pine Lake Peak, Last Kiss of Sunlight (D810)
  2. Aperture Series: Dusk Glow On Bristlecone Graveyard (D810)

Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED

State of the art design in a fast 24mm lens. Includes full-resolution images at f/1.4..

  1. Examples — Mountains

Coastal Optics 60mm f/4 UV-VIS-IR APO Macro

A superlative multi-spectral lens with perfect color correction..

  1. Aperture Series: Shimano Drive Train (Sony A7R II)

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM

Extreme wide angle zoom..

  1. Examples: Mt Conness Watershed (5DS R)
  2. Aperture Series @ 11mm: Defunct Mining Hotel Bar (5DM3)

Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L II and 24-70mm f/4L IS

Canon’s premium mid-range zooms..

  1. Aperture Series: 24-70/2.8L II vs 35/1.4L (Dolls)

Nikon AF-S 85mm f/1.4G

State of the art design in a fast 85mm lens..

  1. Examples in Yosemite and White Mountains

Nikon AF-S 105mm f/1.4E ED

Nikon’s best-ever f/1.4 lens?.

  1. Aperture Series: Orange Aspen by Towering Monolith (Nikon D810)

Nikon Ultra Wide Zooms

Comparing Nikon 16-35mm f/4 VR, 17-35mm f/2.8, 14-24mm f/2.8, 18-35mm, 24-70mm f/2.8 along with Nikon 20mm f/3.5, 24mm f/2, 28mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4 AIS, and more..

  1. Overview of Nikon 18-35mm f/3.5-5.6 vs Nikon 16-35 f/4 VR

Schneider Kreuznach LS 150mm f/2.8 IF

Medium telephoto 100mm equivalent for Phase One XF system.

  1. Aperture Series: Clearing Snowstorm, Lundy Canyon View to Mono Lake (IQ4 150)

Fujifilm GFX 50S/R Image Processing

Tips on getting the best results..

  1. Sharpening Amount with Adobe Camera Raw
  2. Mitigating Diffraction from f/4 through f/32

Fujifilm GFX 50S Image Quality

Image quality assessments..

  1. Observations on Image Quality vs Hasselblad, Canon, Nikon
  2. SHOOTOUT: Fujifilm GFX vs Nikon D850 vs Sony A7R III: Sunrise, Lundy Canyon Waterfall
  3. SHOOTOUT: Fujifilm GFX vs Sony A7R II: Pescadero Creek, Downstream

Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4 R WR

Ultra wide angle equivalent to 19mm f/3.3. .

  1. Examples: Dana Lakes (GFX 50S)

Fujifilm GF 30mm f/3.5 R LM WR

Compact wide angle.

  1. Aperture Series: Deck Planks

Fujifilm GF 35-70mm f/4.5-5.6

Compact wide angle.

  1. Aperture Series @ 35mm: Huge Laurel Along Alpine Creek
  2. Aperture Series @ 35mm: Lee Vining Creek

Fujifilm GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR

Slightly wide compact normal lens equivalent to 41mm f/2.9..

  1. Examples: Mt Whitney Foothills

Fujifilm GF 63mm f/2.8 R WR

Standard normal lens equivalent to 52mm f/2.3..

  1. Aperture Series: Yellow House (GFX 50S)
  2. Aperture Series: View to Mt Whitney From Alabama Hills (GFX 50S, Focus Variability)

Hasselblad XCD 21mm f/4

18mm equivalent..

  1. Aperture Series: Dark Log in Alpine Creek at Dusk
  2. Aperture Series: Low View Up Alpine Creek

Hasselblad XCD 45mm f/3.5

37mm equivalent..

  1. Aperture Series: Mosaic

Hasselblad XCD 120mm f/3.5

Telephoto macro lens, 99mm equivalent..

  1. Aperture Series: Bleached Log In Creek in Green Forest

Hasselblad XCD 135mm f/2.8

Moderate telephoto..

  1. Aperture Series: Lichen-Covered Granite Slab

Pentax 645Z Image Quality

High end image quality, but what about lenses?.

  1. Pentax 645Z: 50 vs 36 Megapixels (25mm / 21mm, Matched Size)
  2. Pentax 645Z: 50 vs 36 Megapixels (25mm / 21mm, Actual Pixels)

Pentax 645 Lenses (645D tests)

A variety of 645 lens tests on the 645D.

  1. Examples, Various

Pentax HD 35mm f/3.5 AL [IF]

Moderate wide angle lens for Pentax 645..

  1. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek Upstream, Late Blue Dusk (645Z)
  2. Aperture Series: Dolls, Close Range (645Z)

Pentax 645 HD DA 28-45mm f/4.5 ED AW SR

Wide angle zoom for Pentax 645..

  1. Aperture Series @ 28mm: Pescadero Creek Upstream, Late Blue Dusk (645Z)
  2. Aperture Series @ 45mm: Riparian Forest (645Z)

Pentax 645 90mm f/2.8 D FA 645 Macro ED AW SR

Medium telephoto macro lens for Pentax 645 digital and film..

  1. Aperture Series @ 90mm (Dolls, 645Z)
  2. Aperture Series: Decorated Bike (645Z)
  3. Aperture Series: Dual Aspen Trunks (645Z)
  4. Aperture Series: Death Valley Alluvial Fan Near Eureka Dunes (645Z)

Rolleiflex Hy6 Mod 2 Medium Format System

Lens performance at 80 megapixels..

  1. Aperture Series: Water Worn Boulders (Schneider 50/2.8 Super Angulon PQS)
  2. Aperture Series: Creek Meanders Through Boulders (Schneider 50/2.8 Super Angulon PQS)
  3. Aperture Series: Up the Creek (Rolleiflex AFD 80mm f/2.8 Apogon PQS)
  4. Aperture Series: Glistening Rocks (Rollei APO-Symmar 90mm f/4 Makro PQS)

Mamiya DL28 medium format 28 megapixel system

The Mamiya DL28 offers the Mamiya 645 AFD III, the new Sekor AF 80mm f/2.8D lens and the Leaf Aptus-II 6 digital back. Image quality is outstanding and the DL28 should definitely be considered by anyone looking into medium format..

  1. Main: overview, ergonomics, noise, infrared,
  2. Sharpening in Leaf Capture

Leica S Examples

Examples and comparison from the various lenses.

  1. Comparison: Leica S2 vs Nikon D3x Deconvolution Sharpening
  2. Leica 180mm f/3.5 APO-Elmar-S — Asymmetry

Leica 24mm f/3.5 Super-Elmar-S ASPH

Extreme wide angle with ultra high performance..

  1. Aperture Series: Hoover Wilderness Drainage (S006)

Leica 30-90mm f/3.5-5.6 Vario-Elmar-S ASPH

All-arounder zoom for Leica S.

  1. Aperture Series @ 30mm: Mossy Boulders in Pescadero Creek (S006)
  2. Aperture Series @ 30mm: Rushing Water (S006)
  3. Aperture Series @ 51mm: Pescadero Creek Pool (S006)
  4. Aperture Series @ 90mm: Grass Clumps on Boulders (S006)

Milvus 100mm f/2M

The classic 100/2 Makro-Planar improved..

  1. Aperture Series f2 to f/22: Rock Creek White Stripes and White Peaks

Introduction

Start here to best utilize this guide..

  1. RAW-file Conversion

15mm f/2.8 Distagon

Ultra high performance in an extreme wild wide angle lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Confluence of Branched Creek with Sedges and Boulders (Sony A7)
  2. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Stormy Light (Nikon D810)

ZF.2/ZE 21mm f/2.8 Distagon

Brilliant imaging, even wide open, but with a few quirks. (Review in progress) .

  1. Examples: Lundy Canyon, Before The Snow
  2. Aperture Series: Eroding Ancient Bristlecone Pine (Nikon D800E)
  3. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin Trashed Interior (Canon 5DS R)

25mm f/2 Distagon

Ultra high performance with a fast aperture..

  1. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Trunks (Nikon D800E)

28mm f/2 Distagon

An artist’s drawing tool..

  1. Examples — Outdoor Portraits (Yosemite)
  2. Aperture Series: Mossy Green Boulders Amid Water Polished Rocks (Nikon D800E)
  3. Aperture Series: Creekside Yellow Flowers and Dark Rocks, Lundy Creek (Nikon D810)

35mm f/1.4 Distagon

Strokes of a master..

  1. Examples Near Alpine Creek
  2. Sharpening for f/1.4 and f/2

50mm f/2 Makro-Planar

Versatility in a “normal” lens and macro too!.

  1. Performance on 56-megapixel DSLR Pixel Density + MTF (Nikon D7100 + Sony NEX-7, Blue Doll)

Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon

Ultra high performance apochromatic normal lens, first in the Otus line..

  1. Focus Shift at '56 Megapixels' (Nikon D7100, Dolls)

Otus 85mm f/1.4 APO-Planar Rendering Style

Rendering style, bokeh and 'transparency' without peer..

  1. Aperture Series: Aspen Leaf on Black Rock (Nikon D810)

100mm f/2 Makro-Planar

King of bokeh! Corner-to-corner sharpness, world class..

  1. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Tungsten Mine Aerial

135mm f/2 APO-Sonnar

Beautiful bokeh, razor sharp, superb color correction..

  1. Max Detail Aperture Series: Mosaic (Nikon D800E)
  2. Aperture Series: Blue Doll / Pellegrino (Nikon D800E)
  3. Aperture Series: Yellow Aspen at Meadow’s Edge, Blue Dawn (Canon 5DS R)
  4. Performance on 56-megapixel DSLR Pixel Density + MTF (Nikon D7100, Dolls)

Depth of Field

[ARCHIVE, see Making Sharp Images]. Exploring depth of field..

  1. Depth of Field—D2X vs EOS 1Ds Mark II and Canon 5D

Focus

Focus accuracy and focus shift..

  1. Autofocus Accuracy—Nikon D200, 17-35/f2.8 AFS

Misc Reviews

Miscellaneous reviews..

  1. An Hour With the Hasselblad H3D

Software issues.

[ARCHIVE] Software and related for photographers..

  1. Eliminating color fringing with Nikon Capture

Grab Bag

Various articles..

  1. Photographic Film Really Was Not Much of a Performer
  2. Experiments in Exposure and Post-processing
  3. Good Pixels Go Big—Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III and Genuine Fractals

Infrared

Beyond deep red, seeing the invisible..

  1. Introduction to Digital Infrared Photography

Nikon D200 vs D2x

Vintage 2006 comparative review of Nikon D200 vs Nikon D2x..

  1. Noise
  2. RawFileProcessing

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM

Fast standard zoom lens..

  1. Aperture Series @ 50mm: Pine Creek Tungsten Mine, Aerial View

Nikon Z7 Image Quality

Image quality..

  1. RAW vs Camera JPEG

Nikon NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S

Ultra wide compact zoom for Nikon Z cameras..

  1. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Mosaic
  2. Aperture Series @ 14mm: Mem Chu and Quadrangle

Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S

Mid-range zoom expressly designed for Nikon Z cameras..

  1. Aperture Series @ 24mm: Snowstorm Meltwater Pond View to Mt Conness Eastern Ridge

Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S

Fast portrait telephoto for Nikon Z..

  1. Aperture Series: Bonsai Above Beaver Pond

Sony A1

Technological tour de force..

  1. Examples: a Hike up Glacier Canyon, Mt Dana

Sony Alpha A7R IV

4th Generation standard-setting camera..

  1. Shootout of Sony A7R IV vs Sony A7R III: View Past Greenstone Lake to North Peak

Sony Alpha A7R III

Attention to details: a solid upgrade over the A7R II..

  1. Pixel Shift: With and Without with Sony Imaging Edge, ACR
  2. Noise in Broad Daylight: the Sony 'Orange Peel' Noise Challenge

Sony Alpha A7R II

Attention to details: a big upgrade over the A7R..

  1. Raw Conversion: White Balance, Tint, Sharpening (ACR in Photoshop CC)

Sony Alpha A7R

Full frame compact mirrorless with interchangeable lenses..

  1. Sony A7R Pixel Quality: Texturing Orange Peel Noise
  2. Sharpening A7R Raw Files in Adobe Camera Raw and Topaz InFocus
  3. Mitigating A7R Micro Contrast Diffraction Losses with Sharpening

Sony FE 40mm f/2.5 G

High performance, high speed..

  1. Aperture Series: Backlit Deck and Backyard

Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM

Top-grade medium telephoto..

  1. Aperture Series: Standing Dead Tree In Old Beaver Pond

Sony 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS

Native-mount macro length designed by Zeiss..

  1. Aperture Series: Dolls (A7R II)

Sigma FE 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art

Native-mount ultra wide angle high performance zoom for mirrorless..

  1. Shootout: Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art vs Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8: Twenty Lakes Basin, View Towards Mt Conness Drainage (Sony A7R IV)

Sigma FE 35mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary

Compact native-mount wide angle..

  1. Distortion Correction Impacts for Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN

Sigma FE 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art

Ultra high performance medium telephoto..

  1. Micro Contrast, Moiré, Color Aliasing with/without Pixel Shift and Distortion Correction

Voigtlander FE Heliar-Hyper 10mm f/5.6 Aspherical III

Anything wider would be a fisheye..

  1. Aperture Series: Deck Chair (Sony A7R II)
  2. Aperture Series: Yellow Flower Yard (Sony A7R II)
  3. Aperture Series: Snowy Road (Sony A7R II)
  4. Aperture Series: Wyman Canyon Lower Cabin Interior (Sony A7R II)

Voigtlander FE 65mm f/2 Macro APO-Lanthar Aspherical

Ultra high grade performer at a modest price..

  1. Aperture Series: Fruit Platter (Sony A1, pixel shift)

Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G

Extreme wide angle zoom..

  1. Aperture Series @ 17mm: Dana Lake Iceberg

Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM

Pro-grade f/2.8 wide angle zoom..

  1. 3-Way Shootout @ 18mm: Rock Creek Meadow

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

Premiere mid-range zoom for Sony full frame mirrorless.

  1. Aperture Series @35mm: Finely Detailed Mosaic

Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS

Wide angle to telephoto zoom with optical stabilization..

  1. Aperture Series @ 50mm: Mosaic
  2. Aperture Series @ 70mm: Mosaic

Venus Optics Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-D

Extreme wide angle with 'zero distortion'..

  1. Aperture Series: Milling Lathe

Ricoh GXR with A12 Mount for Leica M Lenses.

Use Leica M lenses on a digital back designed for them..

  1. Ricoh GXR with A12 Mount for Leica M Lenses

Fujifilm Finepix X100

The best compact big-sensor digital camera yet?.

  1. RAW vs JPEG — Sharpness and Noise

Nikon Coolpix A

Fixed 28mm lens with APS-C sensor free of anti-aliasing blur with wonderful color..

  1. Compared vs Sigma DP1 Merrill (Garden Tables)
  2. Coolpix A vs Fujifilm X100s / X100 (Blue Doll, Pellegrino)

Ricoh GR

Razor sharp 28mm lens on APS-C sensor and outstanding usability and features..

  1. Sharpening DNG in Adobe Camera Raw

Sony Cybershot RX1R II

Diminutive full-frame camera with 35mm f/2 fixed lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Red Pomegranate on Frosted Blue Table
  2. Aperture Series: Frosted Pomegranate Closeup

Sony Cybershot DSC-RX1 / RX1R

Full frame camera in an ultra-compact body with or without anti-aliasing filter..

  1. Aperture Series: Plastic Tubing, Wire Mesh, Sheet Metal (RX1R)

Sony DSC-RX100

Stunningly high image quality in a 20MP point and shoot tiny camera..

  1. Converting RAW to TIF with ACR, Enhancing Contrast

Sony DSC-RX10 III

Stunningly high image quality in a 20MP point and wide range zoom..

  1. Diffraction Limits on Image Quality

Olympus Zuiko 75mm f/1.8 ED Telephoto

Beautiful bokeh, long reach fast speed, compact lens..

  1. Examples: Dana Meadow, Yosemite

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm f/4 IS PRO

Super telephoto with superb bokeh and color correction..

  1. Aperture Series: Flash-Flood-Shredded Brush on Marble, Death Valley

Olympus OM-D E-M1

A worthy upddate to the E-M5 with pro-grade build quality..

  1. Olympus E-M1 Real-World Noise
  2. Sharpening E-M1 Images

Olympus OM-D E-M5

Superb ergonomic design in a compact camera..

  1. RAW Conversion in Adobe Camera RAW
  2. RAW Conversion in DxO Optics Pro
  3. How Much Sharpening to Apply

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

Updated model with HighRes sensor shift mode..

  1. Processing EM5 Mark II HighRes RAW with Adobe Camera Raw
  2. HighRes Sensor Shift Mode vs Standard Resolution, RESOLUTION (Mining Museum)
  3. HighRes Sensor Shift Mode vs Standard Resolution, NOISE (Mining Artifacts)

Comparisons across format.

Can smaller sensor cameras compete with larger ones on any basis?.

  1. Pancake Lens Shootout: Olympus E-M5 vs Canon 1D X (Dolls)
  2. Shootout: Sigma DP2 Merrill vs Sony RX100 (Dolls)
  3. Shootout: Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Leica X Vario: (Titanium Ride to the Green Machine)
  4. Shootout: Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Leica X Vario: (Green Machine Frontal)
  5. Ricoh GR vs Leica X Vario: (Brick Building)

Olympus E-P1 micro-4/3 camera

Great image quality, but....

  1. Resolution that will blow your socks off

Fujifilm X-E1

Compact sibling of the Fujifilm X-Pro1.

  1. Fractal-like Artifacts: Dolls Still Life
  2. Fractal-like Artifacts COUNTERPOINT: Dolls Still Life

Fujifilm X-Pro1

Interchangeable lenses on a 16MP APS-C sensor.

  1. Fractal-like Artifacts: Yosemite Pines (ACR)
  2. Fractal-like Artifacts: Yosemite Pines — ACR vs Capture One Pro
  3. RAW Conversion Details (Adobe Camera RAW)
  4. Examples (Flowers and Food)
  5. Aperture series ƒ/1.4 - ƒ/16, RAW vs JPEG (ACR)
  6. RAW Conversion Details (SilkyPix)
  7. Conclusions (Before ACR)

Fujifilm X-Pro2

Fujifilm's 24MP APS-C offering..

  1. Image Quality: Fractal-like Artifacts (Clay Pot)
  2. ACR vs XPro2: 7 Color and 5 Monochrome Camera Profiles Compared (Ranch Gate at Sunset)
  3. Raw Conversion: XPro2 vs SilkyPix vs Adobe Camera Raw vs Iridient Developer (Oil Pump)
  4. Range of Sharpening with a Variety of Subject Matter
  5. JPEG vs RAW SHOOTOUT: Fine Wood Detail in Green Barn
  6. JPEG vs RAW SHOOTOUT: Portrait Among The Flowers

Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R OIS

Wide angle zoom equivalent to 15-36mm.

  1. Examples: Carrizo Plain (Fujifilm X-Pro2)
  2. Aperture Series @ 16.6mm: Water Tank At Dusk (Fujifilm X-Pro2)

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R

Fujifilm’s kit zoom for the X-E1.

  1. Aperture Series: 55mm (Dolls, X-E1)

Fujifilm Fujinon XF 60mm f/2.4 R

Short telephoto macro lens..

  1. Examples (X-E1, Yosemite)
  2. Aperture series: Ellery Lake Ponderosa Pine (X-E1)

Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 Distagon

Outstanding ultra wide angle performer..

  1. Aperture Series: Aspen Up, Morning Sunstar (A7R II)
  2. Shootout: Zeiss Loxia 21mm f/2.8 vs Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN Art: Twenty Lakes Basin, View Towards Mt Conness Drainage (Sony A7R IV)

Zeiss Loxia 35mm f/2 Biogon

Manual focus moderate wide angle for full-frame mirrorless..

  1. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Sunlit Morning (Sony A7R)

Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8 Distagon

Autofocus extreme wide angle for Sony full-frame mirrorless..

  1. MTF for Zeiss Batis 18/2.8 Distagon
  2. Aperture Series: Pescadero Creek Overview, Late Dusk Upstream

Zeiss Touit 12mm f/2.8 Distagon

Ultra wide angle lens for Sony NEX or Fujifilm X..

  1. Examples: Bristlecone Graveyard at Dusk (Fujifilm X-E1)
  2. Compared to Fujifilm 14mm f/2.8 (Fujifilm X-E1, Bristlecone)
  3. Compared to Fujifilm 14mm f/2.8 (Fujifilm X-E1, Cabin #9 Interior)

Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 Planar

Normal lens for Sony NEX or Fujifilm X..

  1. Aperture series: Blue Doll / Pellegrino (Sony NEX-7)
  2. Compared to Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 (Fujifilm X-E1, Cabin Table)

Zeiss Touit 50mm f/2.8M

Moderate telephoto macro lens for Sony NEX or Fujifilm X. Useful on full frame too!.

  1. Aperture Series: Forest Floor Debris (Sony A7R APS-C)
  2. Aperture Series: Water-Worn Boulders (Sony A7R, 4 X 5 Crop)

Leica X Vario

Leica’s 28-70mm APS-C compact camera..

  1. Aperture Series: Pine Creek Mine and Waterfall, Dusk (28mm)

Panoramas with the iPhone 6s Plus

Shooting + post processing tips with high-res examples..

  1. iPhone 6s Plus: General Discussion
  2. iPhone 6s Plus: Sharpening and Downsampling

Leica X2

Leica’s large-sensor 'affordable' compact camera..

  1. Aperture Series from ƒ/2.8 - ƒ/16 (Dolls)

Overview of Sigma Foveon Sensor cameras

Foveon X3 true-color sensor for outstanding resolution..

  1. Noise Behavior Example (High Voltage)
  2. Post Processing

Sigma dp0 Quattro

21mm f/5.6 equivalent FOV lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Sunlit Glacial Erratic
  2. Aperture Series: Backlit Bristlecones
  3. Aperture Series: Bristlecone Log

Sigma DP2 Merrill

45mm f/2.8 equivalent lens on APS-C sensor..

  1. Examples (DP2M, Outdoors)

Sigma DP3 Merrill

75mm f/2.8 equivalent lens on APS-C sensor..

  1. Aperture Series DP3 Merrill (DeChambeau Barn)
  2. Aperture Series DP3 Merrill (Beaver Pond Rotting Trees)

Leica M Typ 240 Compared To Full Frame Cameras

Relative sharpness and performance across cameras..

  1. M240 vs Sony A7R with Leica 50/2 APO-Summicron (Mosaic)

Leica M Monochrom Typ 246

24-megapixel CMOS monochrome sensor..

  1. Aperture Series to Assess Diffraction and Digital Artifacts (Dolls)
  2. Black Dots on White Spots Digital Artifacts

Leica Q (Typ 116)

24-megapixel fixed lens compact full-frame..

  1. Aperture Series: Dolls at Near-Macro Range

Leica 18mm f/3.8 Super-Elmar-M ASPH

Leica’s widest prime lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin Exterior (M240)

Leica 50mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH

High performance but flawed 50mm normal lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Bleached Bristlecone Logs at Blue Dusk (M240)
  2. Aperture Series: Gnarled Prostrate Bristlecone (M240)

Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron-M

Leica’s compact low-distortion normal lens..

  1. Examples: 50/2 Summicron Aperture Series (Golden Gate)

Leica 75mm f/2 APO-Summicron-M ASPH

Leica’s medium tele for Leica M..

  1. Examples: Alpine Creek (M9

Leica 90mm f/4 Macro-Elmar-M

Diminutive telephoto and macro lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Cabin, Sunlit
  2. Aperture Series: Lincoln Electric Clock Lamp

Leica 90mm f/2 APO-Summicron-R ASPH

Compact lens for portraiture or similar..

  1. Aperture Series: Leaves on Rocks in Creek (Sony A7R)

Zeiss ZM 35mm f/1.4 Distagon

Fast and ultra high performance moderate wide angle rangefinder lens..

  1. Aperture Series: Green Lichen on North Side of Barn (M240)
  2. Aperture Series: Frosty Creek to Snowy Mountainside, Lundy Canyon (Leica M10-R)

Voigtlander Ultron 21mm f/1.8

Fast high performance wide angle..

  1. Aperture Series: Wyman Canyon Lower Cabin Exterior (M240)

Voigtlander M 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar Aspherical

World-class performer for Leica M..

  1. Aperture Series: Orchard View to House at Dusk (Leica M11)
  2. Aperture Series: Pumpkins on Picnic Table (M11)

Processing DNG in Adobe Camera RAW (ACR)

Sharpening, etc..

  1. Sharpening Leica DNG and RAW Images
  2. Sharpening Images After Downsampling

ALLVIEW Cameras

ARCHIVAL MATERIAL. Terrific backup bodies or even primary body for M-mount lenses..

  1. Ricoh GXR with A12 M Mount Unit

Blog posts, reverse chronological

2021

2021-12-13 In Praise of Digital vs Film (UPDATED, v3)

2020

2020-06-16 Hooray! Adobe Camera Raw Now Has Option to Always Use Sidecar XMP files with DNG

2019

2019-12-30 Too-High Pixel Density on 5K and 8K Displays Impedes Image Sharpness Assessment

2019-11-28 Need Advice/Help with Phase One Capture One Pro Sharpening Tools (UPDATE with reader comments)

2019-09-21 Exploring Frame Averaging for Sony A7R IV (Updated with reader comments)

2019-04-07 Panasonic S1R: How Much to Sharpen During Raw Conversion in Adobe Camera Raw + Adobe Camera Raw Enhance Details

2018

2018-12-26 Workflow Tip: Locking DNG Files to Prevent Modification by Lightroom/Photoshop, Greatly Reduces Backup Time

2018-10-06 Nikon Z7: RAW vs JPEG

2018-07-25 Hasselblad PR: “Real World” Comparison: Nikon D850 with Decrepit Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8 Zoom Compared Without Format Equivalence or Validation of Basics

2018-01-24 Sony A7R III: Pixel Shift vs Single Frame on Finely Detailed Subject

2017

2017-12-26 Sony A7R III: the Noise Behavior that Has Been Troublesome to Me

2017-05-23 Too-High Pixel Density on 5K and 8K Displays Impedes Image Assessment

2017-03-07 Fujifilm GFX 50s + 120mm f/4 Macro Plus Diffraction and Sharpening Evaluations

2017-01-07 Too-High Pixel Density on 5K and 8K Displays Impedes Image Assessment

2016

2016-07-07 iPhone Panoramas In Depth: Shooting & Post Processing Tips, Numerous Examples up to 11K Resolution

2016-04-02 REVIEWED: Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 OIS: Examples and More (Carrizo Plain, X-Pro2)

2016-03-17 Fujifilm X-Pro2: How Much to Sharpen in Adobe Camera Raw?

2015

2015-08-07 Sony A7R II: Raw Files Are Still 'Cooked'

2014

2014-05-13 My Most Important Publication: Making Sharp Images

2014-04-07 Reader Comment: 14.75MP True-Color Sigma DP Merrill vs 36MP Sony A7R

2014-01-13 Mitigating A7R Micro Contrast Diffraction Losses with Sharpening

2014-01-12 Sharpening Sony A7R Raw Files

2014-01-07 Olympus OM-D E-M1: Noise, Color Space for Raw Conversion, Sharpening

2013

2013-05-10 Iridient Developer Updated to Version 2.1 with Support for Fuji XTrans Sensor

2013-05-02 Nikon D800E vs Canon 5D Mark III: Sharpness

2013-04-21 Mitigating Contrast Loss From Diffraction aka How to Make f/16 Look Crisp

2013-04-02 Mitigating Contrast Loss From Diffraction aka How to Make f/16 Look Crisp

2013-03-21 Nikon D7100 Initial Impressions

2012

2012-08-04 Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800 — Which to Choose?

2012-07-31 Olympus OM-D E-M5: How Much To Sharpen in Adobe Camera RAW

2012-07-27 Canon EOS 1D X: How Much To Sharpen in Adobe Camera RAW

2012-07-22 A Few Thoughts on the Nikon D800E

2012-05-25 Portrait Photographer Asks: D800 or D800E or D3s or D4?

2012-05-21 Reader Comments on Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800 Definitive Comparison

2012-05-21 Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800 Sharpening Noise Evaluation

2012-05-19 Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800 Definitive Comparison with Leica 100/2.8 APO

2012-05-08 Reader Comment on Nikon D800: Aliasing

2012-05-03 Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800 — How Sharpening Affects Results

2012-05-03 Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800 Sharpness and Sharpening

2012-05-02 Nikon D800E vs Nikon D800

2012-04-22 Fujifilm X-Pro1 Review

2012-04-19 Nikon D800E

2012-04-01 Canon 5D Mark III ISO Series versus Sharpening

2012-02-07 Nikon D800E — Nikon’s Sample Photos

2011

2011-12-26 Reader Comments on Settings for RAW files from Fuji X10 with ACR

2011-12-13 Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) Now Supports the Fuji X10, But Sharpening Problematic

2011-03-15 Sharpening for f/1.4 with the Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon

2011-01-06 Reader comment and question on Making Sharp Images

2010

2010-07-23 Deconvolution sharpening vs sharpening in Adobe Camera RAW

2010-07-22 Deconvolution sharpening to counteract the anti-aliasing (blur) filter on the Nikon D3x (or Canon) — comparison revisited with the Leica S2

2008

2008-02-21 Nikon fixes Capture NX sharpening bug

2007

2007-12-13 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III vs Nikon D3—resolution

2007-12-05 Nikon D3 with 24-70 and 14-24 and more

2007-12-04 Nikon D3 —California Buckeye nuts

2007-12-04 Nikon Capture NX sharpening bug!

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