Leaf Aptus 75 versus Nikon D3x

[eronald]

The D3x has acceptable skin tone, I think. Even the 1Ds3 has acceptable skin tone. Many here used the original 5D for fashion/beauty; I find it to be the best of the Canons, interestingly realistic on skin, capable of expressing nuance.

The statement that the cameras themselves are now unusably bad simply doesn't hold anymore.

However the manufacturer renderings and Adobe's are heavily edited for cultural stereotypes. This may account for some of the disparities that have been observed here.

Edmund

[Alex MacPherson]

The D3x has acceptable skin tone, I think. Even the 1Ds3 has acceptable skin tone. Many here used the original 5D for fashion/beauty; I find it to be the best of the Canons, interestingly realistic on skin, capable of expressing nuance.

Edmund

Edmund is quite correct. I am doing the retouches of a recent beauty shoot that I did with my 5D classic. I must admit the photos look
amazing...still. It is making me rethink my "need" to upgrade my camera.  

[Panopeeper]

Look forward to every ones opinions.

Perhaps this is not the opinion you are looking forward to read, but there is a chance that the following info may be useful.

1. Both shots are somewhat underexposed, but the DR of the scenary is so tiny, that it does not matter.

2. I can not imagine, why on earth someone would put up with the garbage produced by the Leaf. One should stick a label on it: NOT FOR GARMENT. I have read about specialö filters substituting for the AA filter; aren't they useful?

3. Do you have any particular reason to shoot with the D3X at ISO 50? Here is the news: there is no ISO 50 with the D3X.

ISO 50 is simply an exposure bias +1 EV with ISO 100. Now, here is the problem: if the exposure at ISO 50 was so low as in this shot, then it would have been horrendeously underexposed at ISO 100 (i.e. with half the exposure). Though the DR of this scenery is no challange for any PS, another scenary with a real dynamic range could be challenged by this shortening.

Attached the *raw* histogram of both shots.

A side issue: ACR grossly misinterprets the raw data of the Leaf; nothing new in the MFDB segment.

[yaya]

Perhaps this is not the opinion you are looking forward to read, but there is a chance that the following info may be useful.

1. Both shots are somewhat underexposed, but the DR of the scenary is so tiny, that it does not matter.

2. I can not imagine, why on earth someone would put up with the garbage produced by the Leaf. One should stick a label on it: NOT FOR GARMENT. I have read about specialö filters substituting for the AA filter; aren't they useful?

3. Do you have any particular reason to shoot with the D3X at ISO 50? Here is the news: there is no ISO 50 with the D3X.

ISO 50 is simply an exposure bias +1 EV with ISO 100. Now, here is the problem: if the exposure at ISO 50 was so low as in this shot, then it would have been horrendeously underexposed at ISO 100 (i.e. with half the exposure). Though the DR of this scenery is no challange for any PS, another scenary with a real dynamic range could be challenged by this shortening.

Attached the *raw* histogram of both shots.

A side issue: ACR grossly misinterprets the raw data of the Leaf; nothing new in the MFDB segment.

Gabor which part of your colourful histograms represents garbage?

Simon's exposure in the Leaf file is nearly perfect BTW and the Moire filter in LC11 gets rid of the colour moire very efficiently - you should try it on before calling names:-)

I agree that ACR is not the best tool for processing some specific files, though.

Yair

[HarperPhotos]

Gidday,

Some thing also I should mention is as a advertising photographer that in in the past few months my advertising clients and photo retouches have been asking for the Camera Raw images so they have the controls to do what they want.

They are all using Adobe Camera Raw to process the images.

So all I am do now is checking the files in ACR and applying a xmp file as I see it and its of the the client, end of story on to the next job.

Cheers

Simon

[Willow Photography]

Well, after looking at those raws, I am more sure than ever that I will not buy a D3X.

I will keep my D3 and H3DII-31.

[Panopeeper]

Gabor which part of your colourful histograms represents garbage?

For the improbable case that you really wanted to ask a question: the one, where Leaf Aptus 75 occurs on two places. However, the histogram does not reflect the moire, at least I don't know know how to isolate that in the histogram.

Simon's exposure in the Leaf file is nearly perfect BTW

In your opinion. However, exposure in this case was not an issue; I noted that only as general information.

the Moire filter in LC11 gets rid of the colour moire very efficiently - you should try it on before calling names:-)

Great; what is the price for that? I mean the downside, not the price of LC11.

[sdai]

Great; what is the price for that? I mean the downside, not the price of LC11.

In LC11 you could apply moire reduction only to specific areas using the selective tools without doing anything to the other part of the image. I could see no side effect by applying the moire filter ... the only downside IMO, is the additional time of processing, as Simon has pointed out.

Just 2 humble cents from another Simon.

[Guy Mancuso]

Gidday,

Some thing also I should mention is as a advertising photographer that in in the past few months my advertising clients and photo retouches have been asking for the Camera Raw images so they have the controls to do what they want.

They are all using Adobe Camera Raw to process the images.

So all I am do now is checking the files in ACR and applying a xmp file as I see it and its of the the client, end of story on to the next job.

Cheers

Simon

Frankly this is about the worst thing as a photographer we should be doing also. Do we really want to give up our control of a image as we perceived it and do we want someone else taking full liberties of our work. I know this is OT and all but this one cuts into your life blood. Basically you are just a shooter and not the artist they hired to do create the art. Long topic and I am sure many views on it but personally I am against it just like I am against undercutting prices.To me they both fall in the same space we are just the mechanical part of the process. The other issue is ACR sucks for many different types of camera's. I am not a fan of ACR and Phase files and as we see in another thread not so much with Leaf either and Hassy not sure they can even be seen. Someone correct me here but it is not as universal as one would think and also not very good in a lot of files. Personally i won't do this, but that's me or I would sign off on it with absolutely no responsibility for final results.

[HarperPhotos]

Gidday,

Here’s another image with the Nikon D3x

Stats:

Nikon D3x
Nikon AF180mm Lens
125 Sec, F11.0, 50ISO
Processed in ARC

Cheers

Simon

[HarperPhotos]

Frankly this is about the worst thing as a photographer we should be doing also. Do we really want to give up our control of a image as we perceived it and do we want someone else taking full liberties of our work. I know this is OT and all but this one cuts into your life blood. Basically you are just a shooter and not the artist they hired to do create the art. Long topic and I am sure many views on it but personally I am against it just like I am against undercutting prices.To me they both fall in the same space we are just the mechanical part of the process. The other issue is ACR sucks for many different types of camera's. I am not a fan of ACR and Phase files and as we see in another thread not so much with Leaf either and Hassy not sure they can even be seen. Someone correct me here but it is not as universal as one would think and also not very good in a lot of files. Personally i won't do this, but that's me or I would sign off on it with absolutely no responsibility for final results.

Gidday Guy,

Oh to live in a perfect world. I have come very accustomed to my luxurious life style from 24 years as a advertising photographer. If my clients what raw images they get raw images period.

Cheers

Simon

[Plekto]

In LC11 you could apply moire reduction only to specific areas using the selective tools without doing anything to the other part of the image.

Awesome. Part of the image is clear and part of it is blurry!   IME, tweaking areas with tools like that just degrades the image.  You shouldn't have to do it, to be honest.   Never mind something like a field of wildflowers where there's not enough of a homogeneous area for a selection tool to really work.  

But I suspect if DBs put even a small AA filter on, their "advantage" would completely disappear.

BTW, my vote for pleasing tones goes to the A900(the other issues it has aside, of course).

[BernardLanguillier]

Well, after looking at those raws, I am more sure than ever that I will not buy a D3X.

I will keep my D3 and H3DII-31.

A very good combination for sure.

Now, if I may ask, what did you look at the raw with and what exactly is you don't like about them?

Cheers,
Bernard

[AlexM]

The nikon's skin colors are pretty far off in Capture NX...

[rethmeier]

Willow,
if I had a D3 and the Hasselblad,I certainly would find no need for the D3x.
However my D3x is currently my main squeeze,and it certainly delivers the goods!

Question for Simon,
why are you using the D3x at 50 ASA?
The optimum for the D3x is 100 ASA.


Question for Bernard, does Capture One have a fill light function like ACR?


Best,

Willem.

[HarperPhotos]

Willow,
if I had a D3 and the Hasselblad,I certainly would find no need for the D3x.
However my D3x is currently my main squeeze,and it certainly delivers the goods!

Question for Simon,
why are you using the D3x at 50 ASA?
The optimum for the D3x is 100 ASA.


Question for Bernard, does Capture One have a fill light function like ACR?


Best,

Willem.

Gidday Willem,

The reason I set the Nikon D3x at 50 ISO is was it could. I had never had use one before so was not to sure what to set it to.

I just assumed it would be better at 50 ISO and also I set the Leaf Aptus to the same ISO.

Can I ask what wide angle lens you are using for your type of architectural work.

Cheers  from the other side of the Tasman.

Simon

[BernardLanguillier]

Question for Bernard, does Capture One have a fill light function like ACR?

Yep, significantly better IMHO.

Cheers,
Bernard

[yaya]

Awesome. Part of the image is clear and part of it is blurry!   IME, tweaking areas with tools like that just degrades the image.

Not the case...

[Willow Photography]

A very good combination for sure.

Now, if I may ask, what did you look at the raw with and what exactly is you don't like about them?

Cheers,
Bernard

I looked at the raws with ACR ( not good with Nikon I think ) and C1.

It was not that I did not like the files. I just think there is a big difference
between Leaf and D3X ( and between H3DII-31 and D3X ).

I am very surprised if people do not see this difference  

And I do not think there is much to gain from going from D3 to D3X besides
the file size.

[yaya]

Gidday,

Below is a link to down load the Raw Leaf and Nikon images.

  https://rcpt.yousendit.com/670715809/e1aa97...48fcddfb789367a

Look forward to every ones opinions.

Cheers

Simon

Thank you Simon,

I processed the Nikon file in Raw Developer and the Aptus one in Leaf Capture and loaded 2 sets of JPEGs and a ReadMe file to here. I wanted to see how each file at its native size compares to the other one when scaled up/ down and also to confirm that in this particular case Leaf Capture works better than ACR. There is no sharpening applied to the downscaled Leaf file.

Yair