Tim, I'd appreciate if you could elaborate more on this comment, specifically as re color gradations. IME, I have found that more pixels generally translates into smoother color and tonality, regardless of system. I am wondering if it is due to:
1) pixels being so small they are getting diffraction skew to their color or;
2) it has something to do with lens resolutions not being up to the pixel pitch itself, and thus color data is getting "blurred?"
On the second point, I am not specifically singling out Sony glass as I have serious doubts *most* (if not all) current lenses will have issues past the 40MP point, including my best and latest Nikon G lenses.
Hi Jack,
I'd find it very hard to know what the cause is, or even to quantify the issue beyond that it's what I see and that it is noticeable at a level *just* above angels on pinheads.
I eagerly await the more serious reviewers' opinions on it but I
think it is a combination of...
* slightly less good noise performance when shot 'at best' (so D810 @ISO64 and A7RII @100)
* something to do with the compression
* some slight feeling that there's a pre-cooking of RAW going on
This morning I tried a sanity check of browsing through many, many D810 files and all my MkII files and overall the impression was sustained. There's something incredibly silky and real about a really great D810 file shot on really nice glass, and I have yet to see
quite the same level of 'touch me I'm real' quality from the Sony.
I've tried C1 (default sharpening is too soft for me, though the files do look initially really nice until you sharpen them) as well as LR and lots of processing variations and maybe I just am not
au fait with the files in post to the right degree yet but I can't quite get to where I'd like to be.
But let's assume (I hope wrongly) that I'm at the peak of what I can do to maximise file quality and that this is 'as good as it gets' - then I'd still keep the camera because on a 36" print, though I DO think I would
just see the difference (orange peel in OOF transitions, slightly 'gritty' shadows) I'd have to look incredibly closely and I don't think that anyone who has ever bought a print from me would notice the difference.
I'm easily willing to trade that for IBIS and form factor and other benefits but as I said elsewhere, I'll keep the D810 for some work, because I'm a baby and I like a comfort blanket!