Canadian Dude Compares Canon MK III to Nikon D800

[amirm]

Nothing earth shattering but interesting comparison on focus performance. Looks like Canon has done something great here, coming after their fiasco a couple of years back:

 

[NorthStar]

This is great Amir, I'm watching it right now as I type this.
Thanks for sharing something very instructive! :b

Done! Luv it!

 

[rblnr]

There are a lot of these comparisons out there (and some more professionally done IMO) now and it's a very mixed bag on the conclusions. Mild consensus though is not unexpected -- the Canon has better high ISO performance particularly once you get to above 3200 and the Nikon is more resolving. I've heard conflicting things about the focusing of each. As for video, both have very little rolling shutter which is an improvement vs last gen DSLRs. As I suggested in another thread and many have pointed out, seems that the limitations of these cams is more about the user than the tech -- they are more alike than different in output in 99% of circumstances in the right hands. Amazing things at their prices.

I should have a D800 in my hands next week and will be shooting a vid with the Canon next month. If there's some overlap and time, I hope to run my own tests.

 

[Syntax]

You will find these "comparisons" all over the net. Normally it is a comparison between an apple and a banana (what has better taste).
Canon has higher Iso, so here you will find the majority of pics from Canon Fans. Nikon needs a fast shutter time for its 36MP and when the ISO is not high enough, another point for Canon.
I saw a lot of pics the last days and honestly, those from Canon do not even match those from Nikon D7000, D700, or D3 from sharpness (when done right). So I think, the Canon is a good one for Canon users who own the matching lenses and needed a better unit than the weak 5D MkII. I was curious and I was getting to buy it, but now I will wait a bit longer I think...
I saw Nikon D800 pics shot with ISO 5000, sharp like a razor knife. This impressed me really, because getting 36MP really sharp you need a top Sensor. Nikon made the real jump. Again, after the D3/D700.

 

[rblnr]

BTW, dxomark rated the D800 to have the best sensor they've ever tested, but they've haven't tested the 5DmkIII yet

http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/Ne...is-the-new-king-of-DxOMark-with-a-score-of-95

 

[amirm]

Yeh, I should have noted the many flaws in their AB tests.

That said, I care about operational stuff far more than pixel peeping. Autofocus performance is super important. I don't care how good your sensor is. If the focus is not right, you get a soft image or one focused on the wrong thing. Having once bought two pro Canon bodies for over $12,000 and found both of them to have faulty focus (so did many others which was more or less remedied under a recall), I won't buy another until I know it has good auto focus and it is an advancement over the last. That is what I liked about this video where even in a studio setting, they found the Nikon to hunt a bit but the Canon being very stable and fast. If that finding proves in general, then it is a very good thing.