Well, there is a difference in requirements for photographing objects with leaves as the background, where DR is never a problem, and landscape photography where high dynamic range is very much appreciated.
That is why ND Grads are very basic filters for landscape photography. They are especially useful for darkening skies. And they are used very frequently. Sony sensors like in the D810, are able to get a scene right without the use of those filters, as heir dynamic range covers it, most of the time.
Now you, Jack are very keen on nature photography, and dynamic range is obviously no the point where you feel your camera is lacking. For you AF, and fast usability is of much more importance.
That is not splitting hairs, but facts. Can't you live with the fact, that there are differences in systems, and at the given moment Canon is not on the lead in terms of sensor design? There is lots of guys here, who know a lot about sensors technology and you may find will a lot of post concerning the matter. Maybe, Canon will come up tomorrow with a new shining 50MP sensor which will satisfy those who demand more DR. But as of today there is none.
DR is not a virtue by its own by the way. But it gives you much better control over the RAW files during post production, without color noise like in the shadows of the present Canon line up.
This is what Diglloyd writes when testing the 5DMKIII:
Start Quote:
To see streaking pattern noise at ISO 100 is disturbing for a $3500 camera, but this example shows clearly that the Canon 5D Mark III made little progress in this regard over its predecessor.
Uniform grain-like noise is not objectionable. But any kind of pattern noise is disturbing, and greatly reduces the versatility of image making.
To have pattern/streaking noise at ISO 100 shows that the camera has poor quality electronics. Since the Canon 5DM3 costs $1000 more than the 5DM2 and has had 3 years for development of higher sensor quality, this is astonishing.
End Quote
Cheers
Jan
