Quality nikon wide glass

[D&A]

Rob,

This is what I was getting at with my post directly above yours. I was doing the math late last night but decided to to simply express my puzzlement on just how Nikon was going to pull off 36MP in a full frame DSLR with it's relatively small pixel size, without raising all sorts of issues with most of the current lenses in production. Additionally, for landscape use, a defraction limit of f5.6-f8 just won't cut it.

I still have my doubts that Nikon is going to release a 36MP full frame camera in the coming months, unless it's implementation is not as straight forward as we all believe and they have something up their sleeve. I may be proven wrong but I just don't see how this is going to work when use of the 24 MP D3x along with the absolutely best glass available and meticulous technique was required to realize it's full potential vs. 12MP cameras.

Dave (D&A)

 

[routlaw]

Exactly Dave! I totally concur on everything you state below.

And one thing that has not come up in all of this conversation is dynamic range with such a tiny pixel. This opens up an entirely new can of worms.

Rob

Rob,

This is what I was getting at with my post directly above yours. I was doing the math late last night but decided to to simply express my puzzlement on just how Nikon was going to pull off 36MP in a full frame DSLR with it's relatively small pixel size, without raising all sorts of issues with most of the current lenses in production. Additionally, for landscape use, a defraction limit of f5.6-f8 just won't cut it.

I still have my doubts that Nikon is going to release a 36MP full frame camera in the coming months, unless it's implementation is not as straight forward as we all believe and they have something up their sleeve. I may be proven wrong but I just don't see how this is going to work when use of the 24 MP D3x along with the absolutely best glass available and meticulous technique was required to realize it's full potential vs. 12MP cameras.

Dave (D&A)

 

[danielmoore]

It's a simple matter to divide 36mm by 4.73µm (.00473), and just as easily divide 24mm by 4.73µm, then multiply these two results to obtain 38,498,997. Not exactly brain surgery, nor open to anything buy quixotic debate.

The diffraction limit I agree is not so clearly defined since there are basic assumptions upon which we don't all unite, but I used this diffraction calculator written by Max Lyons as a guide.

I do see in the small print on the inside cover for the next high res camera to read:
"*best glass and meticulous technique required"

I remember when the D3x sensor was tested by DxO that they had somehow managed to squeeze the widest dynamic range yet out of a FX camera with the smallest photosites in a FX camera. It's just a matter of time before this figure too is surpassed.

*edit: just had a look at Dxo sensor figures and see that the D3x dynamic range has been exceeded already by APS-C cameras using the pesky little 4.7µm photosites themselves.