As others have mentioned, banding is only an issue when you gravely underexpose your image. I have done this on numerous occassions with my B+W 10-stop filter installed on my lens. I do not create perfect exposures each and every time, but as long as I properly expose the image, I rarely (if at all) run into the banding problem (I'm shooting with a 5D2).
re:
funny you mention that since some who have noted that it has lower DR than the D800 also have some of the more extensive galleries, including Fred himself....
==================
Of course the D800 has more D.R. I was referring to the people who find test images, use ACR (instead of DPP which does a better job, with less banding and noise issues) to push shadows 5 or more stops until it gets ugly, and then scream from the mountaintops that this camera is no good. ;-)
If anyone is having consistent banding issues - either start using DPP instead of 3rd party apps for your conversions, or have your camera checked out.
If someone has a server I am willing to post a couple RAWs from my 5DII and you can see what banding is there.
caad4rep wrote:
I'm not trying to start or anything but I guess my photography would be limited. I grew up on film and always tried to get a good exposure straight out of the camera. If that wasn't possible I guess I'd have to try again in better lighting.
I'm not asking about worst case scenerio or how to maximize dynamic range. Is banding a problem straight out of the camera or only when heavily post processed?
I remember to TWO great pictures (because of the caught moment) I would have liked to keep for myself and to give to my customers. But I deleted them because of horizontal banding. Both where done at ISO 6400 and needed to be pushed for 1-2 stops because of the dark environment. Two shots out of around 70K. I am pretty shure no other camera would have done it better. D3s might have done it. Like D700. Both at half resolution).
D4 and D800 exist since a few month now. 5D III fixes it, too (has overcome the horizontal banding - now one can see the vertical one if he is surching for at a 5 stop push).
So to answer your question from my point of view: No, banding is no problem.
.