AFS-S issue - Returning my XT5

gdanmitchell wrote:

johncecilian wrote:

May or may not be true, but I have read several places that diffraction does occur much sooner in this 40MP camera. So after 5.6 apparently there can be issues.

Diffraction does not occur "much sooner" on a higher MP sensor. Diffraction comes on at the same rate and in the same magnitude, regardless of sensor resolution.

Some convince themselves otherwise by doing side-by-side comparisons of so-called 100% crops from cameras with different sensor resolution. They might compare, for example, 1000 x 1000 pixel regions of both...

... forgetting that they are looking "more closely" at a smaller section of the image from the higher resolution sensor.

If you were to make two prints of the same size from two images shot with the two cameras — one lower sensor resolution than the other — they would have precisely the same amount of diffraction blur.

Looking at it another way, when you have an infinitely sharp "canvas" with an extremely sharp lens (as the new prime iterations certainly are), the ability to detect diffraction can be more easily perceived sooner. That is why we are tending to see diffraction seemingly "creep" toward the wider apertures. It has always been there (in reality diffraction happens whenever light is hitting aperture blades). Best sharpness at the widest possible aperture is a good thing, you know. I'm always amused at reviews stating that the effects of diffraction start at "X" aperture as if it doesn't exist at a wider setting.