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E5 resolution equal to FF 24Mpix

nugat

New member
Such a bold if careless and provocative a statement deserves a new thread/title, I believe.
12Mpix/ 4000x3000 / 18x13mm sensor plus zoom at 2.8 vs 24Mpix/ 6000x4000/36x24mm sensor plus prime at f9.
Yesterday I posted first E5+14-35/2 resolution chart pics. Let me quote myself:

"
http://gallery.me.com/nugat#100084
My test chart is just a page torn out of a photo magazine. Obviously because of the small size it must be shot from close up. Hence the difference from the clean dpreview chart look, which must be big and shot from far. But the trumpet lines coalesce just as fine at resolution limit.
As a rule of thumb, MTF50 is where they are still seen very clearly/contrasty as separate, MTF30 where you manage to see them still separated, MTF10 they just mix together (although it's possible to count them--barely).
It looks DPReview gives MTF 30 figures.
DPReview gives the resolution of D3x here:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond3x/page32.asp
Note "prime lens was used" at f9 (presumably the best lens).
Frankly, I don't get what they mean with "extinction resolution", I see only grey there.
My test was gun'n'run: the "resolution chart" in available light and E5+zuiko on tripod. The Zuiko is a zoom of course, this particular shot at 14mm/f4.
But frankly , The Zuiko is very, very consistent and it looks the same at all f-lengths and f-stops until diffraction kicks in after f11.
Can't wait for DPreview to show their resolution tests for proper comparison."

The look of my pic developed in Olympus Viewer bothered me.
I searched for alternative developers and found dcraw developing orfs.
I used the only existing Mac version: RawTherapee MacBinary.
A crop attached is below and the full frame (8MB) is in my gallery linked below. Compare with D3x profesionally tested with an 85mm/f9 prime lens (EXIFs all included). Mine is the same shot from yesterday: the 14-35 zuiko zoom at 14mm/f2.8.

Amateurish quicky test, , zoom glass, good developer (RawTherapee).
Now really can't wait for DPreview pro tests of E5.
PS.
Please go to my gallery

http://gallery.me.com/nugat#100084

and download for full quality. The dcraw/Rawtherapee developed chart is "E5 reschart RT". Look at the center resolution trumpets, the corners I did not really pay attention to- for this test (focus etc).
PS.PS.
Interestingly in RawTherapee the frame gained in pixels 4088x4076 vs 4032x3024 in Oly Viewer.
PSPSPS. Why on earth Oly does not deliver the dcraw/RT quality developer for E5 ???
 
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nugat

New member
new pic zuiko 150mm/2

I added to my "charts gallery" one shot of E5 + Zuiko 150mm at f2. (7MB download).
I must say to see a 300mm (FF equivallent) lens wide open (at f2!) and resolving like a best medium prime on a 24Mpix FF camera...that is something.
Now the pics are titled: RT-RawTherapee, OV-Olympus Viewer, OOC --out of camera jpg.
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Good tests!

had a closer look and while I must say the E5 with Zuiko performs impressively, it is still not comparable to Nikon D3X in my eyes. 24MP are simple twice the resolution. Maybe one could get better results with better Nikkor glass - sure.

I think it is not about proving tat a 12 MP camera is as good as a 24MP camera - both with top lenses of course. It is about what one can achieve today with a very well balanced and optimized 12MP digital system - and yes, this is impressive.

I for myself will not go for the E5 - because in my case it means selling a complete Nikon system to gain what? Maybe a better result compared to my D700. But with optics which are as heavy and big as my Nikkor counterparts. This will not be the game changer for me, especially as I will upgrade to the next high resolution Nikkor body (maybe D4X) as soon as available anyway.

But for a 43 user with already heavy investment in Zuiko glass the E5 is a more than welcome improvement.

Thanks again for taking this work and doing these tests - we all learned a lot through this exercise!

Peter
 
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