Compared to the Canon EOS-1Ds (part two)

Outdoor scene comparison (ISO 400)

This comparison was shot in RAW mode, I used Canon's File Viewer Utility 1.2 to convert the EOS-1Ds images and Kodak DCS Photo Desk 3.0 to convert the DCS-14n images. Both output as 8-bit sRGB TIFF files, these were used for the crops seen below (magnified 200%). You can download JPEG (quality 11 from Photoshop) files for your own comparison.

Camera / conversion settings

• Kodak DCS-14n: Nikkor 50 mm F1.4, Aper. Priority (F9.5), ISO 400, RAW, Mirror Lock-up
  5000 K WB, Advanced with Moiré reduction NR (2/10%), Low SHP, Product Look, sRGB
   
• Canon EOS-1Ds: Canon 50 mm F1.4, Aper. Priority (F9.5), ISO 400, RAW, Mirror Lock-up
  5000 K WB, Standard / 2 sharpening, +0.2 EV digital exp. compen., sRGB

See the 'Why different settings?' list on the previous page for explanations of the settings used above.

Kodak DCS-14n	Canon EOS-1Ds
ISO 400, 1/1000 sec, F9.5	ISO 400, 1/1000 sec, F9.5 (+0.2)
5,487 KB JPEG (4500 x 3000) from RAW	4,863 KB JPEG (4064 x 2704) from RAW

My comments from the previous page still stand, the 14n doesn't gain anything from its additional pixels. You can see how Photo Desk's noise reduction has turned areas of the 14n image into something resembling a watercolor painting. The EOS-1Ds does have a noise 'grain' to it but I don't find it to be objectionable or particularly strong considering the sensitivity and the fact that we have turned the camera's sharpening up two levels from default. At higher sensitivities the EOS-1Ds is better, the 14n has much more underlying noise and a noise reduction system which tries to smudge and soften it into submission.