Compared to... Nikon D700

Studio scene comparison (RAW)

See previous page for RAW conversion notes.

This is our standard studio scene comparison shot taken from exactly the same tripod position. Lighting: daylight simulation, >98% CRI. Crops are 100%. Ambient temperature was approximately 22°C (~72°F). Camera settings as per previous pages.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II (RAW) vs. Nikon D700 (RAW)

Camera settings:

  • Canon EOS 5D Mark II: Canon EF 85 mm F1.8 lens, Manual exposure,
    ISO 100, RAW, Manual WB, Default Parameters (Standard PS), Self-Timer
     
  • Nikon D700: Nikkor 85 mm F1.8 lens, Aperture Priority, ISO 200 (default base)
    RAW, Manual WB, Default Parameters (Normal), Self-Timer, Exposure delay
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Nikon D700
5,607 KB JPEG (5616 x 3744)
3,796 KB JPEG (4256 x 2382)

The Nikon D700 benefits more from shooting raw than the 5D Mark II, showing considerably better sharpness and resolution than the equivalent JPEG, and narrows the gap between these two cameras considerably (even given the huge pixel count disparity). But the 5D Mark II shows an improvement too, easily matching the D700 on a per pixel sharpness basis whilst offering noticeably more resolution for those that need it. So if you do need it, the 5D Mark II will give you much more latitude for cropping and enlargement; quite an achievement given that the price difference is nowhere near as large as the difference in pixel count.