Up to Nikon D3 index | Up to Canon 5D index

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
Offset0
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs)
DN
128

Read noise

 Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs)
ISODNElectronsGain in e-/DNSource
100----
2004.317.634.1PVF
4004.649.742.1CB
16009.844.900.498PVF
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs)
DNElectronsGain in e-/DNSource
1.8832.6617.37PVF
1.9015.508.16CB
2.058.904.34PVF
3.743.811.02CB

Maximum signal and full well capacity

  Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs)
 ISORedGreenBlue
Max mean signal100---
Max mean signal20016,38315907.616,383
Well content at max signal (electrons)100---
Full well capacity (electrons)200n/m65,568n/m
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs)
RedGreenBlue
369236923692
---
-61,900-
n/mn/mn/m

Dynamic range

  Nikon D3 (14-bit DNs)
 ISORedGreenBlue
Practical dynamic range (stops)100---
Practical dynamic range (stops)20010.811.010.6
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs)
RedGreenBlue
9.69.49.1
---

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)
 ISORedGreenBlue
Max signal to noise ratio100---
Max signal to noise ratio200231242199
Max signal to noise ratio1600798580
Signal to noise ratio at mid-grey200537252
Canon EOS 5D (12-bit DNs)
RedGreenBlue
252228245
---
---
---

To be continued...

Peter Facey, Winchester, England
20080226 minor edit on D3 full well capacity
20080202 originated