Is the D3S still the low light high ISO leader? And if so, by how much?

[jfirneno]

So based on the ratings I've seen, the D3S still has a slight advantage over the D4 in terms of noise in low light/high ISO situations.  Is this true?  Is it significant?  Are there any other cameras that approach the D3S for this type of photography?

Thanks,
John

[LKaven]

So based on the ratings I've seen, the D3S still has a slight advantage over the D4 in terms of noise in low light/high ISO situations.  Is this true?  Is it significant?  Are there any other cameras that approach the D3S for this type of photography?

In my practical experience, mostly at above ISO 6400, the D4 is better than the D3s, though the D3s is a very fine camera as well.

* 16MP is a noticeable improvement in detail that contributes to the perception of overall quality even in noisy situations.  It pushes the level of eye/hair detail in a headshot to a more acceptable level for example. 

* It is cleaner at low ISO, with cleaner blacks in general. 

* Very confident at ISO 25600 with a pleasing grain-like noise and good color depth, even when much of the frame is very dark.  Works well with LR4, and the noise reduction in LR is well matched for this camera.  The extra pixels give you something to hang onto.   

[bclaff]

John,

From my PDR measurements the D4 maintains a slight advantage until around ISO 16000 and then they're basically even.
This type of testing doesn't measure the effect of pattern noise or how resolution affects the perception of noise.

Regards,
Bill

[LKaven]

At base ISO, according to Bill's numbers, the D4 has over a stop more DR than the D3s, and it really does look that way to me.  The blacks in the D4 are more like the D3x than like the D3s. 

The D3s is a very fine camera by current standards.  My estimation of the D4 has gone up though with use.  What it gives you between ISO 12k8 and ISO 51k2 is serious creative potential. 

I am actually liking LR4 in conjunction with this camera, and this is the first time I ever liked Lightroom.  The noise reduction on this release is the most "photographic" so far.  Don't know why Capture One hasn't been able to come up with an update for D4/D800, but you'd think they would have wanted to be on top of this one.

[jfirneno]

Luke and Bill:

Thanks for the responses.  I am glad to hear that the D4 is at least as capable as the D3S for low light work.  Does dynamic range correspond directly with noise?

Regards,
John

[Ray]

Luke and Bill:

Thanks for the responses.  I am glad to hear that the D4 is at least as capable as the D3S for low light work.  Does dynamic range correspond directly with noise?

Regards,
John

Dynamic range relates more to noise in the deeper and deepest shadows. For example. the small DX format D7000 may have a higher DR rating than most MFDBs, meaning that deep shadows will be cleaner. However, most MFDBs will have significantly lower noise in the midtones, say at 18% grey.

DXOMark's results separate these two readings into DR and SNR at 18% grey. As regards the D4 versus the D3s, high ISO performance in respect of both shadow noise and midtone noise is about the same at ISO 3200 and above. Below ISO 3200, the D4 takes the lead. By ISO 200, the D4 is a whole stop better in DR, but still the same in midtone noise.

However, as base ISO, the D4 has a clear advantage, in part because its base ISO is a stop lower and the camera can expose with half the shutter speed, or double the amount of light, (ISO 100 as opposed to ISO 200 for the D3s).

At ISO 100 the D4 is shown as having both a whole stop better DR and a whole stop better SNR in the midtones, at equal print size. That's a significant improvement over all.

At ISO 102,400, the D3s seems to have a very slight DR advantage of around 1/4 of a stop, but that really is insignificant.