LuLa: Sony a7r II DR vs Canon 5DsR, Canon 1Dx and Nikon D810 across ISO range

[msm]

It seems to me a 4 year year old Canon sensor is besting the latest and greatest Sony sensor in this test, which the tester freely admits is a real torture test of any sensor. Which begs the question, can Canon really be considered to be that far behind when they can do that with a four year old sensor?

You can't compare a low resolution sensor with a high resolution sensor like that. To see how Canon sensor technology competes, at high ISO compare their high res sensor with the competitions high res sensors and you see it trails behind the competition (ie 5DSR vs D810 / A7R II). Or compare their low res sensor to the competitions low res sensor (ie 1DX vs A7S).

As he did the test, by normalizing the output, the test and conclusion is perfectly valid.

As my link shows, the 1DX beats the A7S too.

Out of camera jpegs with some random jpeg settings, sure the 1DX wins. For those of us who shoot raw the A7S wins....

 

[privatebydesign]

It seems to me a 4 year year old Canon sensor is besting the latest and greatest Sony sensor in this test, which the tester freely admits is a real torture test of any sensor. Which begs the question, can Canon really be considered to be that far behind when they can do that with a four year old sensor?

You can't compare a low resolution sensor with a high resolution sensor like that. To see how Canon sensor technology competes, at high ISO compare their high res sensor with the competitions high res sensors and you see it trails behind the competition (ie 5DSR vs D810 / A7R II). Or compare their low res sensor to the competitions low res sensor (ie 1DX vs A7S).

As he did the test, by normalizing the output, the test and conclusion is perfectly valid.

As my link shows, the 1DX beats the A7S too.

Out of camera jpegs with some random jpeg settings, sure the 1DX wins. For those of us who shoot raw the A7S wins....

For those of us that want native lens choices, and can't be bothered with the constant firmware upgrades these adapters seem to need, or can't trust those same adapters for professional use, the Canon wins......

Choose your system on your priorities, I learnt many years ago that lenses make images, and Canon make the best native lenses by far. If you don't need the lens selection or can live with the compromises inherent with using third party lenses on adapters, and are not shooting camera lockup critical subjects, and value outright editable RAW depth above pretty much everything else, and find Canon and Nikon IQ unacceptable, then the Sony sounds like the dream ticket.

I just found it interesting that common forum 'wisdom' says the Sony blows all Canon sensors out of the water, this test, however flawed in your opinion, illustrates that the four year old Canon sensor can easily hold its own and is certainly in the same league.

 

[Aglet]

It seems to me a 4 year year old Canon sensor is besting the latest and greatest Sony sensor in this test, which the tester freely admits is a real torture test of any sensor. Which begs the question, can Canon really be considered to be that far behind when they can do that with a four year old sensor?

You can't compare a low resolution sensor with a high resolution sensor like that. To see how Canon sensor technology competes, at high ISO compare their high res sensor with the competitions high res sensors and you see it trails behind the competition (ie 5DSR vs D810 / A7R II). Or compare their low res sensor to the competitions low res sensor (ie 1DX vs A7S).

As he did the test, by normalizing the output, the test and conclusion is perfectly valid.

As my link shows, the 1DX beats the A7S too.

Out of camera jpegs with some random jpeg settings, sure the 1DX wins. For those of us who shoot raw the A7S wins....

For those of us that want native lens choices, and can't be bothered with the constant firmware upgrades these adapters seem to need, or can't trust those same adapters for professional use, the Canon wins......

Choose your system on your priorities, I learnt many years ago that lenses make images, and Canon make the best native lenses by far. If you don't need the lens selection or can live with the compromises inherent with using third party lenses on adapters, and are not shooting camera lockup critical subjects, and value outright editable RAW depth above pretty much everything else, and find Canon and Nikon IQ unacceptable, then the Sony sounds like the dream ticket.

I just found it interesting that common forum 'wisdom' says the Sony blows all Canon sensors out of the water, this test, however flawed in your opinion, illustrates that the four year old Canon sensor can easily hold its own and is certainly in the same league.

1dx and even 5d3 do very well at high ISO in bright light test conditions you linked to, raw or jpg, and can be seen to outperform the A7s to some extent.
BUT - switching to the low-light test scene, where ridiculously hi-ISO would be used for more than effect, the A7s does a much better job of producing low noise images than any of the Canon product, raw or jpg.
That is the A7s' niche... a camera for bats and salamanders.

 

[privatebydesign]

That is the A7s' niche... a camera for bats and salamanders.

Should I ever get a commission for bats or salamanders I will bare that in mind. I'll also have to get the $1,100 90 macro (Canon L macro is only $750!).

 

[Larsskv]

It seems to me a 4 year year old Canon sensor is besting the latest and greatest Sony sensor in this test, which the tester freely admits is a real torture test of any sensor. Which begs the question, can Canon really be considered to be that far behind when they can do that with a four year old sensor?

You can't compare a low resolution sensor with a high resolution sensor like that. To see how Canon sensor technology competes, at high ISO compare their high res sensor with the competitions high res sensors and you see it trails behind the competition (ie 5DSR vs D810 / A7R II). Or compare their low res sensor to the competitions low res sensor (ie 1DX vs A7S).

As he did the test, by normalizing the output, the test and conclusion is perfectly valid.

As my link shows, the 1DX beats the A7S too.

Out of camera jpegs with some random jpeg settings, sure the 1DX wins. For those of us who shoot raw the A7S wins....

For those of us that want native lens choices, and can't be bothered with the constant firmware upgrades these adapters seem to need, or can't trust those same adapters for professional use, the Canon wins......

Choose your system on your priorities, I learnt many years ago that lenses make images, and Canon make the best native lenses by far. If you don't need the lens selection or can live with the compromises inherent with using third party lenses on adapters, and are not shooting camera lockup critical subjects, and value outright editable RAW depth above pretty much everything else, and find Canon and Nikon IQ unacceptable, then the Sony sounds like the dream ticket.

I just found it interesting that common forum 'wisdom' says the Sony blows all Canon sensors out of the water, this test, however flawed in your opinion, illustrates that the four year old Canon sensor can easily hold its own and is certainly in the same league.

Thumbs up to that!

 

[msm]

It seems to me a 4 year year old Canon sensor is besting the latest and greatest Sony sensor in this test, which the tester freely admits is a real torture test of any sensor. Which begs the question, can Canon really be considered to be that far behind when they can do that with a four year old sensor?

You can't compare a low resolution sensor with a high resolution sensor like that. To see how Canon sensor technology competes, at high ISO compare their high res sensor with the competitions high res sensors and you see it trails behind the competition (ie 5DSR vs D810 / A7R II). Or compare their low res sensor to the competitions low res sensor (ie 1DX vs A7S).

As he did the test, by normalizing the output, the test and conclusion is perfectly valid.

As my link shows, the 1DX beats the A7S too.

Out of camera jpegs with some random jpeg settings, sure the 1DX wins. For those of us who shoot raw the A7S wins....

For those of us that want native lens choices, and can't be bothered with the constant firmware upgrades these adapters seem to need, or can't trust those same adapters for professional use, the Canon wins......

Choose your system on your priorities, I learnt many years ago that lenses make images, and Canon make the best native lenses by far. If you don't need the lens selection or can live with the compromises inherent with using third party lenses on adapters, and are not shooting camera lockup critical subjects, and value outright editable RAW depth above pretty much everything else, and find Canon and Nikon IQ unacceptable, then the Sony sounds like the dream ticket.

I just found it interesting that common forum 'wisdom' says the Sony blows all Canon sensors out of the water, this test, however flawed in your opinion, illustrates that the four year old Canon sensor can easily hold its own and is certainly in the same league.

I do pick my system based on my priorities. You however got those all wrong with your flawed assumptions.

- I value high resolution and the tools to make full use of that resolution even shooting handheld.
- I value high ISO performance and stabilisation with all lenses including primes for ultimate hand holdability in low light.
- I value being able to focus manual lenses perfectly through the viewfinder.
- I value not being dependent on a tripod because that just slows me down.
- I value being able to shoot with virtually any lens on the market, from rangefinder leica lenses to Canon lenses.
- I value being able to shoot movies at great quality.
- I value being able to travel and shoot with light and compact gear.
- I value being able to shoot sport / action / wildlife.
- And I value having files which have top performance both at low and high iso.

So my system consists of 1DX for sports / action / wildlife and A7R II for everything else.

 

[privatebydesign]

I do pick my system based on my priorities.

That is all you need to say. I make no assumptions about you or your choices, I have different priorities and for me Canon is the best choice by far. We can both help people make logical choices best suited to them, whether that is a Canon system, a Canon/Sony hybrid or even a Nikon only choice.

The last photographer I mentored is now a successful portrait shooter making a good name for himself in CA, I advised him to get a Nikon (and he did) because that was the optimal choice for him.

Gear is gear, photographs are made by photographers.

 

[Jack Douglas]

As we age we once again become like little children. My camera is better than your camera, na n na n na! Maybe some of us never did grow up. Little children have a lot of good qualities, for sure.

I'm happy with my Canon gear but also look forward to the technical advances that are sooo amazing we should be shooting every hour of every day and pinching ourselves rather than fussing about gear so much.

I read CR for the humour. Never lets me down. Pretty educational to, thanks to all of you guys.

Jack

 

[Click]

I read CR for the humour. Never lets me down. Pretty educational to, thanks to all of you guys.

+1

Thanks guys. I learn a lot here.