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I find this very technical and theoretical. Sounds lice all medicore and better lenses would outresolve a 36MP sensor.It might be worth a quick read of Ctein's article in Mike Johnston's "The Online Photographer" blog. The article is titled "Myths About Megapixels (and does the D800 have too many?)".
He makes a more technical case and I've pasted the pertinent info here:
"....A 36-megapixel sensor will resolve around 75 lp/mm. Even mediocre 35mm lenses will hit 75 lp/mm at some aperture over some portion of their field of view. This is true of both fixed focal length and zoom lenses.
Decent (not at all exceptional) 35mm-format lenses can hit 75 lp/mm at just about all apertures and will do so over most of the field of view for at least one aperture. They'll show peak resolutions more like twice that. Really good lenses (not necessarily expensive ones) will be able to exceed 75 line pair per millimeter without even trying hard over most/all of the field of view and will have peak resolutions three or more times that."
Best,
Tim
Steen, Good summary.
However, I wonder why bother with the D800 at all?
Not sure what your experience is with MF quality, but I would say the samples from the D800E look pretty impressive. Definitely not worse than comparable MF stuff.I don't think lenses are going to be the problem with this camera.
The sample images posted by Nikon are not impressive.
While some do show a lot of geometric resolution, I don't see the shadow detail and punch of the D3x.... While claims of MF quality have been made... I don't see it.
36MP in a FF 35mm DSLR sensor...... the problem will be diffraction not lenses.
Despite having the D800E on order, my opinion of the samples are that I disagree with you. I don't find them of MF quality and they don't look impressive to me, but good enough. So why do I have it on order, you might add? Well, I'm not sure, while being close to production quality I reserve to see what samples are like at hand. I would say this has been true for previous Nikon releases too, despite never having reached such high 36MP. I think MF has always shown it can deliver this almost 'too real' tangible crispness in image detail, while 35mm has even to this point just 'beautiful' renderings of the real world, this can be due to image resolution too.Not sure what your experience is with MF quality, but I would say the samples from the D800E look pretty impressive. Definitely not worse than comparable MF stuff.
Ah yes - diffraction - well a very often discussed issue - almost discussed to death - albeit the real impact on IQ is not as huge as all these discussion try to make it. I for myself could not care less!
Maybe the pre production samples are not "quite" as good - but how far away?Despite having the D800E on order, my opinion of the samples are that I disagree with you. I don't find them of MF quality and they don't look impressive to me, but good enough. So why do I have it on order, you might add? Well, I'm not sure, while being close to production quality I reserve to see what samples are like at hand. I would say this has been true for previous Nikon releases too, despite never having reached such high 36MP. I think MF has always shown it can deliver this almost 'too real' tangible crispness in image detail, while 35mm has even to this point just 'beautiful' renderings of the real world, this can be due to image resolution too.
Both of which can definitely serve its intended purpose.
Whether or not this is due to the sensor size or resolving power of the Nikon lenses, I am not sure. While it's true, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, my eyes do tell me they are not of MF quality. It's definitely a bridging gap at this point... When more samples come, I might change my mind, it's not something I can speculate. However, I truly welcome Nikon bringing us here in 2012, where ever it is.