Nikon D800 actual detail resolution

[Ellis Vener]

Which part? i couldn't see the thumbnail the first time I looked. Will get on it right away.

[EricWHiss]

Ellis,
Like I wrote earlier, the great thing is that this detail can be had at higher ISO, but capturing this kind detail is nothing new to MFDB users. I know how I felt when I first zoomed into my phase files so don't really want to bust your bubble on the Nikon, but you'll probably find that even the older 22mp pixel count MFDB can get this level of detail or even better and of course the newer 80mp count backs take this to another league.  Still its impressive for a DSLR.    What makes it really usable is the ability to shoot a higher ISO.
Eric

[Ellis Vener]

Hello Ellis, Thanks for showing the image, could You also show this part:

I am a bit embarrassed. My focus point  was closer where I thought it was. The light pole is tack sharp and the building slightly soft. Darn! I have to reshoot and be a little more careful. No one to blame but me.

Thank you for making me look at it again.

Edit: The jaggies on the light pole's arm  appear to be JPEG compression artifacts.

[Ellis Vener]

Ellis,
Like I wrote earlier, the great thing is that this detail can be had at higher ISO, but capturing this kind detail is nothing new to MFDB users. I know how I felt when I first zoomed into my phase files so don't really want to bust your bubble on the Nikon, but you'll probably find that even the older 22mp pixel count MFDB can get this level of detail or even better and of course the newer 80mp count backs take this to another league.  Still its impressive for a DSLR.    What makes it really usable is the ability to shoot a higher ISO.
Eric

I have used various medium format backs ( Kodak, PhaseOne, Hasselblad, Sinar,  from 16MP to 80mp capture resolution) since 2003 or 2004. I don't disagree with your point Eric. MFDB solutions are great but they impose more limitations on a photographer than 35mm body based DSLRs do - like cost, lens choice, and ISO limitations. That isn't to say that  small format DSLRs don't  come with their own limitations.

Still Nikon is doing a remarkable job with the D800 and I suspect Canon will have something soon in the same class.

[Ellis Vener]

I have looked at other areas in the photo that are as far if not farther away from the camera than the tower area "kers" asked me to look at. What I now think is going on is that this individual lens may have a problem in that area as  other areas appear to have much crisper detail rendering

[kers]

I have looked at other areas in the photo that are as far if not farther away from the camera than the tower area "kers" asked me to look at. What I now think is going on is that this individual lens may have a problem in that area as  other areas appear to have much crisper detail rendering

Ellis, I think it has to do with the complexity of this zoom lens. For a 24-70 zoom lens that costs 1500€ or so I think it is a good performance.
It was launched in the 12MP Nikon D3 era.
I did not buy this zoom because i (also)saw some strange soft areas right in the middle sometimes in my test-photos- also the 24mm performance is not that good.
If you use the 85mm 1,4G or one of the PCE lenses etc I am sure the image will be better.
36MP askes for better lenses. I can see that Zeiss with their new 15mm lens already starts to make these, but the price point will be above 2000€.
Eventually when also the MFB people start using the d800 there will be a market for these more expensive lenses.

[Ellis Vener]

I think I tracked the problem down to a  smudge on the front element. Will test again later to confirm. Am on the move right now.

[Ellis Vener]

Kers, I agree.

[Ray]

What lens?

The same lens with both cameras, but obviously not a poor lens. Any removal of blurring due to the removal of the AA filter should produce at least some improvement in resolution. If such improvement is so marginal that it wouldn't even improve the legibility of semi-legible text, or improve it only to an insignificant degree, then I would find it hard to justify choosing the D800E version.

[Peter McLennan]

I await tests of video performance with and without the AA filter.  With video, if you have moire, it ain't gonna be easy to fix.

[eleanorbrown]

Beginning with the phase one p25 in 2005 up to my p65+ currently, I've found myself lately getting tired of lugging medium format equipment around especially traveling so I haven't been using it as much...I always shoot at base iOS but still find the idea of a 36 mp 35mm camera with very high quality glass a compelling alternative. Eleanor

I have used various medium format backs ( Kodak, PhaseOne, Hasselblad, Sinar,  from 16MP to 80mp capture resolution) since 2003 or 2004. I don't disagree with your point Eric. MFDB solutions are great but they impose more limitations on a photographer than 35mm body based DSLRs do - like cost, lens choice, and ISO limitations. That isn't to say that  small format DSLRs don't  come with their own limitations.

Still Nikon is doing a remarkable job with the D800 and I suspect Canon will have something soon in the same class.

[shadowblade]

I have used various medium format backs ( Kodak, PhaseOne, Hasselblad, Sinar,  from 16MP to 80mp capture resolution) since 2003 or 2004. I don't disagree with your point Eric. MFDB solutions are great but they impose more limitations on a photographer than 35mm body based DSLRs do - like cost, lens choice, and ISO limitations. That isn't to say that  small format DSLRs don't  come with their own limitations.

Still Nikon is doing a remarkable job with the D800 and I suspect Canon will have something soon in the same class.

I hope so! MFDBs are great, but not very practical in a lot of situations, and are limited in their choice of UWAs.

I'd love to see a 54MP sensor (essentially a 24MP crop sensor scaled up to 35mm format), which would allow 150ppi at 40x60" print size... then mount it on a TS-E 17 or TS-E 24 and make an even larger panorama, or crop it down to 1:3 format and still end up with a 27MP, 150ppi 20x60" print.

[mmurph]

BTW, are you based in Austin, Ellis? My old stomping grounds. I still have a cattle ranch outside Lampasas.

Austin is my old stomping grounds as well: UT '75-80.  But I am only visiting this time. Lots of family around central Texas however. We've been out of the ranching business since the drought of the early 1950s. I am just a working photographer.

Ha, me too! Graduate school at UT 1989-1991!  I wasn't smart enough to acquire a cattle ranch, a house (they were giving them away at the time), or Dell stock (thought it was already played out ...)  Or Whole Foods, or Apple ...

We plan on spending winters there when we retire (maybe 15 years), summers in Colorado.

Damn you for posting this though! I was JUST about to cancel my D800E pre-order and sit on the cash, what with CS 6.0, Lightroom, etc. upgrades. Plus I only have Canon lenses, about 7 L's, 10 total. Guess I'll start with 3 Nikon. 

Cheers!

Michael