Nikon D3 files (through ISO6400)

[sdai]

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That means CMOS, isn't?

 

Exactly ... Nikon used to do NR downstream in DSP which is a bummer anyways. It's like doctor seeing a patient, you don't just give him some pain killer, you need to find why he is sick.

 

But CCD can do better as well ... the new Hasselblad H3D II series also made some improvement in CCD cooling and we shall see some improvement in noise performance.

[salvatore]

It's a shame that Canon hasn't patented everything now Sony can be a copycat.

 

Why it's a shame?? I think there is something good that the camera improvements could spread to other brands. I think 6 brands is better than only one monopoly (think in Micro$).

[sean_reid]

Sean,

 

Actually, I'd like to see a fair comparison, but I'm not a testing guy. If you'd like to do a test, I'd be happy to loan you the K10 and three primes to put up against the Leica...just for sake of seeing what's what.

 

JC

 

Hi John,

 

You've got mail. Just saw this.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[Overgaard]

Billh,

 

That's quite a dangerous shot you did there..!

 

(If that is the type of photos you take, no wonder the camera has focus problems: It's cared and wants to get away)

[billh]

Billh,

 

That's quite a dangerous shot you did there..!

 

(If that is the type of photos you take, no wonder the camera has focus problems: It's cared and wants to get away)

 

Hi Thorsten,

 

This is the kind of photo many people want - several will be in this book - the published wanted to use one on the cover, but the marketing people insisted on using a more recognizable breed. Personally I think photos like these would catch people’s eyes and entice them to take a look inside the book.

 

 

 

http://www.mountaineersbooks.org/productdetails.cfm?SKU=0363

UNLEASHED: Climbing Canines, Hiking Hounds, Fishing Fidos, and Other Daring Dogs

[billh]

More new D3 files.

 

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-8743-9108

[robsteve]

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More new D3 files.

 

Rob Galbraith DPI: Nikon USA releases photos taken with the D3

 

They look good for high ISO files. The range or smootheness of the tones seems to be lacking. It is really bad on the skin tones in the basketball shot. I suspect they will be fine for the newpaper or magazine PJ use this camera is probably targeted at.

 

I think the dynamic range may be limited at high ISO. The wrinkles in the jerseys of the hock shot just seem to dark from what I remember from shooting hockey. They just may be pushing the black point over a bit to hide some shadow noise. The shot still looks good though.

 

Even the 200iso fireman shot seems to be lacking in dynamic range. His skin is not smooth enough to see how the tonal transition are at the lower ISO.

[sean_reid]

I think the oputput is quite encouraging so far and I've requested a D3 for review.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[billh]

I think the oputput is quite encouraging so far and I've requested a D3 for review.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

 

 

Good!!! If you need a 1D2 and/or 1Ds2 and 300 f3.8IS and 70-200 f2.8IS to use for comparison, let me know. If you need some fast moving creatures to test the AF, come visit!

 

I shot the 1D2 at ISO 3200 Thursday night, and the D3 images are in a totally different league.

[sean_reid]

Hi Bill,

 

I've also requested a 1Ds III for testing and I'm hoping the two loans may overlap so that I can test them side by side. Fingers crossed... Thanks for the offers.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[sdai]

More new D3 files.

 

Rob Galbraith DPI: Nikon USA releases photos taken with the D3

 

I should point out these Nikon hired photographers always avoided to use AWB in all indoor samples, also all samples were focused on center AF point only, the bat shot must be focus locked and recomposed otherwise the 400 VR back focuses at least 4-5 cm ... these seemed to confirm what I heard ... CAM 3500 isn't ready for prime time yet.

 

One side note, the 14-24mm lens has no filter thread so it's almost useless to landscape photographers.

[billh]

Sdai,

 

The only times I have seen the AF mentioned, it has been in a positive way. I’ll be curious to see how the rental D2x compares to my 1D2 AF.

 

Hi Sean,

 

I have my toes crossed too.

 

Bill

[sdai]

The only times I have seen the AF mentioned, it has been in a positive way.

 

Bill, I'm not sure where these positive comments are coming from ... but since the D3 and D300 are now widely available for almost everyone in Japan and China because Nikon has got them on road shows open to the public, a lot of people were able to use them with their own cards and lenses, in many cases, people were either told or found by themselves not all the AF points were able to be activated, some menu items have been disabled in the early firmware or just don't work.

[sean_reid]

I never use anything other than the one center point for AF. I realize others work differently but I use that center AF point like an RF patch.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

[billh]

Bill, I'm not sure where these positive comments are coming from ... but since the D3 and D300 are now widely available for almost everyone in Japan and China because Nikon has got them on road shows open to the public, a lot of people were able to use them with their own cards and lenses, in many cases, people were either told or found by themselves not all the AF points were able to be activated, some menu items have been disabled in the early firmware or just don't work.

 

Hi Sdai,

 

One I remember was from Ed Betz, an AP sports photographer (and Canon user),

 

“The Auto focus was SPOT on and VERY VERY fast (even under night time baseball lighting)”...”If I could afford it, I would probably switch back [from Canon] for this camera.”

 

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1021&message=24736304

 

I have also seen responses from people who have, or have had both the Nikons and the 1D2, and they say the Nikon AF is better under low light/low contrast situations. I have yet to see any reference to any AF issues from the new Nikons - can you give me a link so I can read them? The speed and accuracy are what is important to me.

 

My sense is you see this as a ‘mine against theirs’ (Canon vs Nikon) issue, and feel compelled to denigrate Nikon as a way to shore up Canon. I have used both systems over the years, beginning as a newspaper photographer in the late 60s and 70s, and continuing to the present time. The absolute least important thing to me is the name on the camera. I love my Ms and their lenses, but all the others are simply means to an end for me - tools which give me the best odds of getting the image I want. I use the M8 and 1Ds2 for most things, but for the dog photography, my 1D2, far more often than not, puts the plane of focus behind the place (face) painted by the red AF square(s) when the contrast is low and they are moving quickly toward the camera (and often when the lighting is ideal). I did not have one in-focus shot this afternoon/evening of this type of movement. This is very frustrating. Often I resort to pre focusing on a spot and trying to time the shutter release to the instant the dog’s face is in that spot. I am renting a D2x next weekend. I’ll shoot it alongside the 1D2. If it works when the 1D2 doesn’t, I will take delivery of the D3 when my dealer calls and give it a try (unless an issue like that of the 1D3 surfaces). I’ll keep the 1Ds2 because I love the 50 f1.2 and 85 f1.2 and the Leica 180 f2.0 - and the Canon 300 f2.8 too, for that matter. Given the 1D3 AF issues, I would be very reluctant to be an early bird on the 1Ds3. Also, I really don’t have any complaints about the image quality of my 1Ds2.

 

Hopefully you will understand I have no camera brand agenda. If you have any links to D3 AF issues, I would like to see them.

 

Bill

[sdai]

 

Hopefully you will understand I have no camera brand agenda. If you have any links to D3 AF issues, I would like to see them.

 

I have no brand loyalty either ... Bill. I can talk about Nikon because I know about Nikon.

 

Not for some bragging rights but, everyone who actually knows me in person can tell you that I've kept warning them not to buy into the DX crap for years because I knew this FX thing for too long.

 

Ed Betz was once very active on Rob G's web site and he dumped Nikon shortly after the launch of D2H ... because of the magenta cast (if my memory serves correct). LOL

 

Nobody says the D3 has focusing issues it's just with early firmware many functions aren't available or aren't working up to spec ... and Nikon has never been shy to admit this so I wondered why some folks could offer comments on stuff not yet fully functional yet.

 

Has Ed Betz ever touched a 1D3 before he jumped to conclusion way too early?

 

I have no problems with Nikon and if you think so ... then it's plain dead wrong. LOL I'm a long time Nikon user who just got rid of the system recently because it's simply too expensive to maintain two parallel systems knowing it's going full frame and now ... adding the expenses on Leica.

[sdai]

I never use anything other than the one center point for AF. I realize others work differently but I use that center AF point like an RF patch.

 

That's how I use these "modernized" cameras in most cases too but, you will have to test all 51 AF points, otherwise, you review won't be complete.

[hofrench]

Sean,

I hope we can eventually get a careful file quality comparison from you across the ISO range between the new Nikon and the M8.

Yes, everyone, (not you, Sean), we all know its a different kind of animal from a rangefinder - bigger, more intrusive, and all the rest.

Until now, though, we've heard lots of arguments in this forum saying the M8 is equal to or better than the best Canon offerings in IQ and file quality at least until you start getting into the highest ISOs.

If the results of the eventual comparisons I hope to see are what I expect, I don't think that Canon alone will be feeling the pressure from the D3. I think it forces everyone in the high end digital market to up their game.

[sean_reid]

That's how I use these "modernized" cameras in most cases too but, you will have to test all 51 AF points, otherwise, you review won't be complete.

 

They're all incomplete in that respect then. I always test AF according to the center spot only. Otherwise (unless the camera is on a tripod with the focus point being manually set) the camera, not the photographer, is setting the focus distance. Fortunately, I'm sure many sources and photographers will test the other (camera knows best) settings.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[sean_reid]

Sean,

I hope we can eventually get a careful file quality comparison from you across the ISO range between the new Nikon and the M8.

Yes, everyone, (not you, Sean), we all know its a different kind of animal from a rangefinder - bigger, more intrusive, and all the rest.

Until now, though, we've heard lots of arguments in this forum saying the M8 is equal to or better than the best Canon offerings in IQ and file quality at least until you start getting into the highest ISOs.

If the results of the eventual comparisons I hope to see are what I expect, I don't think that Canon alone will be feeling the pressure from the D3. I think it forces everyone in the high end digital market to up their game.

 

Hi Howard,

 

If fate smiles on me, I'll have both the D3 and the 1Ds MkIII at the same time (to test side by side). I'll probably be able to test both with Zeiss lenses as well as "first party" lenses. A lot will depend on logistics.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean