Because you can use FX mode on the camera (which gives you better image quality) without getting black borders.
More resolution.
D800 has focus points that go to f/8. 5DIII actually does not, but can cope as ling as the lens doesn't report.
I think with the sophistication of these new AF systems, comparisons are invidious. All the tests I've seen raise as many questions about the test methodology as the AF system. The D800 has Nikon's top level AF system, which is improved over their last one, which was always rated one of the best.
I said the same thing in a discussion ands was told that no landscapes need good shadow noise and any examples of ones that do just showed my incompetence as a photographer. The truth is that for many the brand is the most important feature, not the performance.
This is all wonderful info, Bob.You can tell whether ISO settings are the result of analogue gain or digital pushing by the shape of the read noise curve against ISO
D800
5DIII
Other people (Marianne Oelund and Bill Claff) have measured these with more precision, but for everyday use these will do. The result of increasing analog gain is to reduce the read noise measured as here in electrons. As you can see, the D800 doesn't do very much change of analog gain at all (Marianne and Bill's more accurate figures show that it does a little, but not much). The 5DIII stops applying analogue gain above 3200 ISO, thereafter the ISO settings are a digital push. You can do the digital push yourself in processing just as well, if not better, than it is done in the camera. The advantage of leaving the ISO lower and doing the digital push in processing is that you keep more highlight space, which since low light photos often have light sources in shot, can be a big advantage.
If you're in the mood for trying, then try leaving it set at 3200 and applying the push from there. For that large a push, you need to apply it to a linear converted file, before gamma correction, the apply gamma to the pushed file.
If you're talking auto ISO, the D800 has three important advantages over the 5DIII.
The D800's options allow an interesting setup for me which is to set the camera to A mode, set the minimum shutter speed to auto 2x (taking into account the preference for little camera shake on the D800) and the max ISO to, say 800. That becomes essentially a set and forget setting for most everyday photography, I just set the f-number for DOF and the camera takes the rest of the decisions pretty much as I would have taken them, which is what I want.
- The 5DIII limits the minimum shutter speed to 1/250 second, which was just a brain dead decision by the designers. The D800's limit is 1/4000 sec, much more flexible.
- If you set the minimum shutter speed to 'Auto' the D800 lets you choose the FL multiplier it uses to select the shutter speed, unfortunately only in whole stop increments, but for instance it does allow you to choose 2x FL, which is OK if you err on the side of safety. The 5DIII is fixed at 1x.
- The D800 allows EC adjustment in M mode with auto ISO, the 5DIII doesn't, so you can't bias the ISO choice to your own preference (not that you have so much need to with the D800).
--
Maybe it's a problem for you personally, but I'm not sure what you see in those high ISO images that is different from high ISO shots taken with any other recent full-frame camera...
There are 2 images taken at ISO 400 and 12800 .
Yes, there is. Set the minimum shutter speed to 'Auto' then use the multiselector > key to take you to a submenu which allows you to change the multiplier in 1 stop increments up to +/- 2 stops (5 settings)This is all wonderful info, Bob.You can tell whether ISO settings are the result of analogue gain or digital pushing by the shape of the read noise curve against ISO
D800
5DIII
Other people (Marianne Oelund and Bill Claff) have measured these with more precision, but for everyday use these will do. The result of increasing analog gain is to reduce the read noise measured as here in electrons. As you can see, the D800 doesn't do very much change of analog gain at all (Marianne and Bill's more accurate figures show that it does a little, but not much). The 5DIII stops applying analogue gain above 3200 ISO, thereafter the ISO settings are a digital push. You can do the digital push yourself in processing just as well, if not better, than it is done in the camera. The advantage of leaving the ISO lower and doing the digital push in processing is that you keep more highlight space, which since low light photos often have light sources in shot, can be a big advantage.
If you're in the mood for trying, then try leaving it set at 3200 and applying the push from there. For that large a push, you need to apply it to a linear converted file, before gamma correction, the apply gamma to the pushed file.
If you're talking auto ISO, the D800 has three important advantages over the 5DIII.
The D800's options allow an interesting setup for me which is to set the camera to A mode, set the minimum shutter speed to auto 2x (taking into account the preference for little camera shake on the D800) and the max ISO to, say 800. That becomes essentially a set and forget setting for most everyday photography, I just set the f-number for DOF and the camera takes the rest of the decisions pretty much as I would have taken them, which is what I want.
- The 5DIII limits the minimum shutter speed to 1/250 second, which was just a brain dead decision by the designers. The D800's limit is 1/4000 sec, much more flexible.
- If you set the minimum shutter speed to 'Auto' the D800 lets you choose the FL multiplier it uses to select the shutter speed, unfortunately only in whole stop increments, but for instance it does allow you to choose 2x FL, which is OK if you err on the side of safety. The 5DIII is fixed at 1x.
- The D800 allows EC adjustment in M mode with auto ISO, the 5DIII doesn't, so you can't bias the ISO choice to your own preference (not that you have so much need to with the D800).
However, can you direct me to how to set up for automatic shutter speed selection by the camera for (say) minimum shutter speed of 2x focal length? I can see where you can set up Auto ISO and then actually dial in a minimum shutter speed, but is there really an option for the camera to automatically select the minimum shutter speed based on any lens you put on the camera?
When you use a 1.4x TC on an FX lens you only use the central portion of the lens's image circle (the reduction in angle of view is the tele-conversion effect).
I have wondered the same but it seems to me that since the camera knows what FL you are actually at as you zoom a lens (the camera writes it to the EXIF information so it clearly knows) why could it not adjust the shutter speed to the appropriate 1/2*FL or 1/3*FL speed based on only on the lens but also on the current zoom position? That is something that would be truly helpful for me.
The D800 focuses well in low light with a 300mm F4 and 2xTCIII at F8.
That is exactly what it does, so long as it is a CPU lens and know the FL. Sorry I should have made that clear, the shutter speed will change as the lens zooms.
Where? Do you have a link? Thanks.
I think that comes from the CFL lighting, not the camera.
The point is that with fairly simple noise reduction, the D800 can handle low light past ISO25600 at 36MP without the colors falling apart. You don't have to be a scientist to appreciate that.
Thank you very much. Just tried it and it's a brilliant option.
--
