Any Nikon D3x to Canon 5D MKiii converts?

[Pete Myers]

Dear Canon Rumors Forum Members:

Are there any former Nikon D3x owners that have jumped ship to the Canon 5D MKiii? If so, I would appreciate your opinion on the dynamic range and banding issues.

I have owned two Nikon D3x cameras. The first, I shot for a couple of years before dust started to build up behind the low pass filter and onto the image sensor. A third party company replaced the low pass filter, but returned the camera in unusable shape.

My second D3x (the replacement) operated fine for the next six months, but it started to build up dust, shutter oil, etc---and I sold it.

I was hoping to transition to the D800, but the quality control reports have been astonishing. The 5D MKiii seems to be arriving in great shape out of the box. But it would seem that I am going to loose a couple of stops of dynamic range off the bottom, and there is the Canon signature banding issues that never seem to be resolved from model to model (?).

My work is in landscape photography, and I do not use (nor like) HDR---so digging shadows out is part of the normal work flow.

DxO really marked down the image sensor in the 5D MKiii, but I have seen other professional tests that indicated performance much more on par with the D3x.

Again, looking for some one that has photographed extensively with a D3x that might have made the transition.

Gratefully,

Pete

 

[verysimplejason]

I've got some friends who's using Nikon. I think you better stick to D3X if you're invested in Nikon lenses. If not, it will entirely depend on your needs. If you're a wedding photographer, 5DMK3 is excellent. For landscapers, just stick to Nikon. Nikon is still better in terms of DR particularly D800.

 

[TrumpetPower!]

My work is in landscape photography, and I do not use (nor like) HDR---so digging shadows out is part of the normal work flow.

HDR doesn't automatically mean tonemapped surreal oversaturated poster art. HDR can be as simple as doing a two-shot bracket and using a graduated mask to composite the one onto the other, with results indistinguishable from what you'd get with a graduated neutral density filter.

If your horizon isn't a straight line, you can use a big, fat brush on the layer mask to create a virtual graduated ND filter that's a perfect match for the shape of the horizon -- think of it as having a high-end custom graduated ND filter fabrication shop right there on the spot.

And, from there, the sky's the limit. Do a three-shot bracket, one for the sky, one for the foreground, and one for the shadowed forest on the side of the mountain, and use that same broad brush to mask in each. (The 5DIII will automatically do those three shots for you at 6 FPS, and even give you a not-miserable preview on the LCD.) Use a harder brush for your architectural work, and so on. Just keep your shadows dark (with detail), your highlights bright (with detail), and make sure that no two parts in the middle come out with their tones reversed, and you've created a high-quality, natural-looking HDR photograph.

Oh -- and even the simplest of two-shot HDR landscapes processed like this, even if shot with a first-generation DSLR, with have dynamic range that blows away even medium format.

More dynamic range never hurts, but there are damned few scenarios where a 5DIII doesn't have enough dynamic range but the D800 does. Almost always, either you'll get far superior results with HDR on the 5DIII than a single exposure on the D800, or what you really need to do is fix the light. And the exceptions are generally fast-paced reportage (including sports and wildlife) where the D800's autofocus system and shooting speed might not be enough to get the shot in the first place....

Cheers,

b&

 

[bdunbar79]

All I gotta say is "ISO performance baby 8)"

 

[Joseph M]

All I gotta say is "ISO performance baby 8)"

+1 I shot at a Lounge last night and all of my non-flash shots were shot at around 10000-12800 ISO! The guests loved my B&W shots of them, all made with (barely) available light. 8)

Landscapes are another thing though.

 

[Ryan708]

Ive read a lot of pro's like the colors from the 5dIII's better than the d800. But that could be the legendary canon glass they use. I have also read that canon does something with their sensor output signal that makes it near impossible to accurately test dynamic range. I think DPreview.com listed 4 different canon sensors (and not different model, actual different sensors) with the exact same dynamic range, from shadows to highlights. seems fishy. I am curious on the DR of the 1dx?

 

[adhocphotographer]

honestly... if you are thinking of switching it might be worth you renting a 5d mkiii and some choice canon lenses for a weekend or somthing, see how it goes, do your own direct comparisons then make your decision.

That being said, i would probably stick with the Nikon if i had already invested in glass etc...

 

[RLPhoto]

All I gotta say is "ISO performance baby 8)"

Too bad those D3X users fell violated when the d800 was released. Plus the D800 has better ISO performance than the 5D3 anyway. :

 

[awinphoto]

Ive read a lot of pro's like the colors from the 5dIII's better than the d800. But that could be the legendary canon glass they use. I have also read that canon does something with their sensor output signal that makes it near impossible to accurately test dynamic range. I think DPreview.com listed 4 different canon sensors (and not different model, actual different sensors) with the exact same dynamic range, from shadows to highlights. seems fishy. I am curious on the DR of the 1dx?

Not the glass, but the D800 vs 5d3, the D800 and D3x has had much bemoaned complaints regarding a green color shift in the colors... Of course to the untrained eye, you may not even notice it, but side by side, you can see the color shift... and this supposedly is after custom white balance, etc...