Comments on: [Resolution Test] How Does The Nikon D800 Compare To Medium Format?

By: Gabriel Van Boven

Gabriel Van Boven — Sat, 01 Sep 2012 03:15:00 +0000

CCD’s are 16bit, 8,000 levels, CMOS is 14bit, 2,000 levels…No one paying for Medium format would be fooled by resolution, and not pay attn to bit depth.

By: Roberto Sergio

Roberto Sergio — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 17:21:00 +0000

Medium format has room on their larger sensors for over 120mp(a h4d-60 sensor at 4micon’s holds 150mp).and the lenses have higher resolution to take advantage of this,cmos is already planned for medium format,next year it will start appearing …

By: Hristo Dzhendov

Hristo Dzhendov — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:20:00 +0000

Are you guys considered the fact that this is $20k vs. $3k camera?

By: Jordi Mallorquí

Jordi Mallorquí — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:05:00 +0000

I’m publishing information about Nikon D800 in my blog: http://www.jmallorqui.com

By: Tauno Ööbik

Tauno Ööbik — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 05:45:00 +0000

After doing few tests I noticed how well D800 handles hilights, did few examples.
http://www.blog.taikochao.com/index.php/2012/04/05/3543/Everyone is raving about the high pixel count compared to MF. Being a D3s shooter I can say that D800 high iso capability is way better. More pixels means you get more detail, grain happens on pixel level in sensor. If you compare 100% D3s shot to D800 shot in same size there is not much to talk about anymore.I mean, I could have gone to print with D3s iso 4500 shot, never with portrait though but I sure can go to print with D800 iso 4500 shot.I am planning to do few high iso portraits over the weekend.Should start new thread about that maybe :)

By: Tauno Ööbik

Tauno Ööbik — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Lot of rave lately about the D800. I got my camera last weekend, had time to take few shots. I am very pleased with the results. I don’t know yet how would I have been able to afford D3x, it has just that high price tag. On the other hand I am passionate about my portraits and D800 produces similar quality which I have before seen only done with MF cameras. Whats there not to like :)
Here are few headshots:
http://www.blog.taikochao.com/index.php/2012/04/04/vorratu-d800-unprecedented/

Uncropped image at 100% can be downloaded from here:
taikochao.com/Ajutine/D800 Feelings Orig.png

By: David Shepherd

David Shepherd — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:56:00 +0000

The Big difference is in the prints. The MF cameras scream on paper. The only FF camera that scratched the surface was the Nikon D3X and it was still a far cry. The D800e will get even closer in quality pound for pound.

I think the photo cells make the greatest impact on ppi to dpi conversion. Larger photo cells on the sensor make better transition to printing from inkjet and offset process printing. This is the primary advantage that the MF will have over the D800 (and beyond), but that gap is slowly decreasing.

Hassy and Phase1 are not scared by the D800, but Pentax should be feeling nervous about now. Who is going to spend 10 grand plus lenses on their MF when the 3 grand on D800 gets you that close?

By: Michael L

Michael L — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 19:20:00 +0000

So the whole comparison has been between the Hassy and a D800e which i suspect most people won’t be using due to the heavy moire problem. So in reality the difference between the medium format and the Nikon will be even larger.

By: Jon-Mark Wiltshire

Jon-Mark Wiltshire — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 17:13:00 +0000

Anyone else notice the Moire on the jacket photo? Just below his right shoulder ( from our view the one on the left )

By: Julian Jones

Julian Jones — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:43:00 +0000

Unfortunately those test samples above do not help me in my thoughts about the D800.
I do know that the H4D and Leica S2 has physically larger pixels (h4d-6.8 microns, S2-6 microns) and the D800 has 4.8 micron sized pixels. Nikon compensated for the lack in micron size by uping the MP count.

For Example: print size straight from the cameras
H4D-40:
7304 x 5478 pixels – 24.347in x 18.26in

Nikon D800:
7360 x 4912 pixels – 24.533in x 16.373in

The D800 produces just a hair smaller image than the H4D. Now does that mean that one could consider that the pixel size of a sensor is like the 72 ppi vs. 300 ppi ratio when it comes to sensor size? i.e. a MF that’s 40 MP with a 6.8 micron sensor is really like a 36 MP Full Frame DSLR sensor with a 4.88 micron. That’s up to how the individual person perceives it.

Now, there are some bells and whistles that can pull a person one way or the other. The H4D-40 has a 40 MP digital back, whereas the D800 is a given camera. You can’t switch sensors, so you have that as a drawback. The Medium Format guys can switch from a 40 to an 80 MP or even use the 200 Multi-shot sensor. But they would not have the all-adapting capabilitIes of the D800 like shooting sports, low light, weatherous conditions, etc.