wxcloud9xw
01-28-2005, 09:32 AM
I know most of you probably know that Nikon and Canon are the top two digital camera manufacturers in terms of photo quality and performance. I wanted to make a quick comment on what some professional developers are saying. Until you get into the DSLR scene with Canon I've herd that there a some mild color issues with the photos it produces..."not quite saturated enough" i believe were the words. Here is where Nikon has the current lead in photo quality, and that is in the digicam/coolpix category market. Now don't get me wrong. In the DSLR market Nikons photo quality is just as good as canon, but Canon has a current edge right now in the DSLR scene and that is full 35mm frame cmos sensors. Nikon currently only has 1.5x crop mode for it's sensors even on the new D2x 12.3mp. I think it's because Sony, who supplies nikon with it's CCD sensors hasn't come out with a full frame sensor yet, which should not be too long. I though see the D2x as a sports/journalist photographer professional camera, because of its crop modes and fast frame rates 5-8fps. Although it certainly could produce photos at a quality level much greater than 35mm film. As I've mentioned earlier my Nikon 8800 has produced photos on average 35mm film quality and in well lit conditions better than 35mm film. The problem with the d2x is that it still uses the same size CCD sensor as the D70. This means that it is packing more mP onto a smaller chip. Also meaning that it will have more noise and will need more light to capture every detail.
It has been stated in a professional photographer reviewer who shoots film and digital that the older 11mp Canon EOS-1Ds with a full frame cmos sensor yields detail and photo quality very close to that of Medium Format film. The new 16.7 MP Canon EOS-1Ds Mark 2 has reached the photo quality and detail of medium format film, but is not as good as a Medium format DSLR like the new Mamiya 22mp Zd. It uses an even larger CCD than the full frame 35mm sensor in the 1ds Mark 2.
This shows us a couple of things. Canon is currently in the lead on top end DSLR photo quality because of the full frame cmos sensor in the 1ds models. As soon as Nikon gets a full 35mm frame sensor into one of their DSLRs the party is over for Canon. Another Note to make is that we are finally there in terms of photo quality in Medium format and better(medium format DSLR)...even if it cost a butt load to purchase a new digital medium format camera like the new Mamiya ZD or the upcoming Hasselblad digital medium format SLR, it shows us we are finally here.
As chip manufacturing processes refine rapidly as time goes on, prices will drop. So many 35mm/medium format professional film users/fanatics will not have any more excuses not to move over to digital. Ofcourse there will always be those that simply don't want to abandon the declining art of film photography. I don't think film photography will ever dissapear, and there will always be a place for it. Its just that film print labs are going out of business left and right and more manufacturers are focusing on digital rather than film. Also the cost of buying film and development will go up. Digital is simply cheaper and you can take as many pictures as you like and simply delete the ones you don't like.
It has been stated in a professional photographer reviewer who shoots film and digital that the older 11mp Canon EOS-1Ds with a full frame cmos sensor yields detail and photo quality very close to that of Medium Format film. The new 16.7 MP Canon EOS-1Ds Mark 2 has reached the photo quality and detail of medium format film, but is not as good as a Medium format DSLR like the new Mamiya 22mp Zd. It uses an even larger CCD than the full frame 35mm sensor in the 1ds Mark 2.
This shows us a couple of things. Canon is currently in the lead on top end DSLR photo quality because of the full frame cmos sensor in the 1ds models. As soon as Nikon gets a full 35mm frame sensor into one of their DSLRs the party is over for Canon. Another Note to make is that we are finally there in terms of photo quality in Medium format and better(medium format DSLR)...even if it cost a butt load to purchase a new digital medium format camera like the new Mamiya ZD or the upcoming Hasselblad digital medium format SLR, it shows us we are finally here.
As chip manufacturing processes refine rapidly as time goes on, prices will drop. So many 35mm/medium format professional film users/fanatics will not have any more excuses not to move over to digital. Ofcourse there will always be those that simply don't want to abandon the declining art of film photography. I don't think film photography will ever dissapear, and there will always be a place for it. Its just that film print labs are going out of business left and right and more manufacturers are focusing on digital rather than film. Also the cost of buying film and development will go up. Digital is simply cheaper and you can take as many pictures as you like and simply delete the ones you don't like.