Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Why it makes sense to talk about DR on the new IQ3-100MP back  (Read 1030 times)

ErikKaffehr

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 11311
    • Echophoto
Why it makes sense to talk about DR on the new IQ3-100MP back
« on: February 02, 2016, 05:25:18 pm »

Hi,

There is a lot of talk about DR on the new IQ3-100MP back. Now many folks, including myself, say that many great photographs have been taken using cameras with shallow DR, like Canon EOSD or even Velvia. That of course is all true.

On the other side, the IQ3-100MP comes with really good DR, at least so it seems. That sensor has in my view four attractions:
  • Full frame CMOS
  • Functional live view
  • High DR
  • Good high ISO capability
Of these features full frame may be most important. If we don't need more than 50 MP and can live with crop frame the IQ-250 (and sisters) will do an adequate job.

Live view is essential on a modern camera, I would say. Best way to focus with camera on tripod, at least on static objects.

Now high DR is sort of a measure of how well a sensor is made. Engineering DR, as it is defined, is just the maximum usable signal of the sensor divided by redaout noise. There are two ways to achieve high DR, increasing the full well capacity (FWC) that say how many electron charges a pixel can hold and reducing the redout noise.

Increasing DR means improvements in either are. A high DR allows for high ISO capability, albeit it is possible to build cameras with good high ISO capability and still having low DR.

So, having a high DR means that the sensor can collect many electron charges and have very little noise in the shadows. High full well capacity means relatively low base ISO, smooth highlights and midtones. Low readout noise means clean shadows.

Also, readout noise is often impulse type noise that is rather ugly.

So, yes great images can be made without great DR, but a great DR is an indicator of many good things.

Best regards
Erik
Logged
Erik Kaffehr
 

David Anderson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 715
    • http://www.twigwater.com
Re: Why it makes sense to talk about DR on the new IQ3-100MP back
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2016, 06:14:02 pm »

Of all the advancements in digital photography, I find higher dynamic range the most useful.

In the fishing stuff I do, where there's often very hard alpine light, the D810 I now use is so much more forgiving than the previous Canon 1DSIII's.
Recently, I've been working on an article using pictures from 2 trips to New Zealand shot several years apart on the DSIII and the D810 and difference in processing and getting the most out of the raws is huge.

In fairness to Canon, the raws from the DSIII's are pretty good given how long ago some were shot in terms of colour and ISO performance.
Logged

BernardLanguillier

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13983
    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/bernardlanguillier/sets/
Re: Why it makes sense to talk about DR on the new IQ3-100MP back
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2016, 07:47:50 pm »

Well, we know that the DR of the IQ3 100mp is going to be great, probably a bit better than the previous champions (D810, 645Z, IQ250). It is also probably not going to be miles ahead based on initial reports. Still, overall the IQ3 100mp is going to be by far the best imaging device in the Western part of the galaxy, at least for a few weeks/months until Pentax and Hassy release their cameras using the same chip, and maybe still after that when considering the whole imaging chain including C1 Pro 9.

To me though, going from 12 stops to 14+ stops was a revolution because that helped fix most real world DR issues. Going beyond that is good, but I feel that we are entering in the era of dimishing returns.

Now, it could be argued that the combination of features offered by the IQ3 100mp delivers significant value compared to previous backs, and I would agree with that. It is still a bit of a pity that the new back isn't the jack of all trades I had hoped due to the remaining limitations with movements on tech cameras, but that may be by design to help motive to owners upgrade one more time in a few years (or Phaseone/Sony know that a new gen of tech camera lenses is around the corner). ;)

Cheers,
Bernard
« Last Edit: February 02, 2016, 07:52:42 pm by BernardLanguillier »
Logged

uaiomex

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1211
    • http://www.eduardocervantes.com
Re: Why it makes sense to talk about DR on the new IQ3-100MP back
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2016, 11:44:57 am »

Me too. HDR and Lo-light photography is the "new photography". Two things that were almost non-existent during the film era .
Photography on a tripod is not the same thing as shooting modern dance inside a dark theater.
That's why I praise Canon for starting the revolution and Sony for completing the transition with golden colors.
Eduardo

Of all the advancements in digital photography, I find higher dynamic range the most useful.

Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up