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Technical comparison of Nikon D3 and Canon EOS 5D camera characteristics
This page summarises the results of tests reported elsewhere. Please refer to my Nikon D3 index page
for further information and for important acknowledgements.
Sources:
PVF: D3 index | 5D index
CB: D3 paper | 5D paper
Key
- = Not measured or not yet calculated
n/m = Not measurable
Offset
| Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs) |
| DN |
Offset | 0 |
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs) |
DN |
128 |
Read noise
| Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs) |
ISO | DN | Electrons | Gain in e-/DN | Source |
100 | - | - | - | - |
200 | 4.3 | 17.63 | 4.1 | PVF |
400 | 4.64 | 9.74 | 2.1 | CB |
1600 | 9.84 | 4.90 | 0.498 | PVF |
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs) |
DN | Electrons | Gain in e-/DN | Source |
1.88 | 32.66 | 17.37 | PVF |
1.90 | 15.50 | 8.16 | CB |
2.05 | 8.90 | 4.34 | PVF |
3.74 | 3.81 | 1.02 | CB |
Maximum signal and full well capacity
| | Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs) |
| ISO | Red | Green | Blue |
Max mean signal | 100 | - | - | - |
Max mean signal | 200 | 16,383 | 15907.6 | 16,383 |
Well content at max signal (electrons) | 100 | - | - | - |
Full well capacity (electrons) | 200 | n/m | 65,568 | n/m |
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs) |
Red | Green | Blue |
3692 | 3692 | 3692 |
- | - | - |
- | 61,900 | - |
n/m | n/m | n/m |
Dynamic range
| | Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs) |
| ISO | Red | Green | Blue |
Practical dynamic range (stops) | 100 | - | - | - |
Practical dynamic range (stops) | 200 | 10.8 | 11.0 | 10.6 |
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs) |
Red | Green | Blue |
9.6 | 9.4 | 9.1 |
- | - | - |
I decided to define the practical dynamic range as the range of exposures, which produce in the raw file, signals from just short of clipping or saturation down to
the point where the signal to noise ratio is no more than 2 (ie. signal twice the noise). I consider this to be more realistic
from a photographic point of view than taking maximum possible signal divided by the read noise. The latter would give slightly higher figures.
Signal to noise ratios
| | Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs) |
| ISO | Red | Green | Blue |
Max signal to noise ratio | 100 | - | - | - |
Max signal to noise ratio | 200 | 231 | 242 | 199 |
Max signal to noise ratio | 1600 | 79 | 85 | 80 |
Signal to noise ratio at mid-grey | 200 | 53 | 72 | 52 |
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs) |
Red | Green | Blue |
252 | 228 | 245 |
- | - | - |
- | - | - |
- | - | - |
To be continued...
Peter Facey, Winchester, England
20080226 minor edit on D3 full well capacity
20080202 originated