p.1 #1 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
In case the rumored 36 Mp D800 comes in two versions, one version with an Anti-Aliasing filter and another version without the filter,
and in case you wanted to buy such a high resolution DSLR at the soon to be announced price,
and in case the two versions were more or less at the same price level and with equal specifications other than the AA filter difference (just to neutralize the price argument here),
which one of them do you think that you would prefer to buy, the one with AA filter or the one without - and why ?
Of course our preferences may change when we know more about the characteristics of these two supposed different sensor versions (how strong or weak the AA filter may be etc.) and when we have seen some comparison images.
Some seem to think the traditional AA filtered version will sell in higher numbers than the filterless one (which in its turn might therefore be higher priced).
My expectation would be the opposite, but let's see what this little poll may indicate with regards to the numbers.
p.1 #2 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
Careful. You'll soon get the 'irritants' who will come on here and start saying stuff like, 'whats the point of having a discussion about vaporware', or 'why are we wasting time talking about something that doesn't exist'.... blah blah blah.
For me, I can just imagine how ridiculously awesome the images would be from 36mp with no AA.
p.1 #4 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
There seems to be a trend towards weaker or no AA filters (M9, D3x, NEX7). No idea at all of course what the filtered D800 will bring. Other than avoiding moire, what does an AA filter do?
p.1 #5 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
Tyl3n0L wrote:
Is it possible to simply activate/deactivate the AA from the Menu? I don't think it is possible right now but can it be the case with the D800?
It's a physical piece of hardware installed over the sensor, not a processing step.
p.1 #6 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
The strong AA filter is the only thing I despite about Nikon cameras. You have to sharpen more, and it means that if your focus isn't perfect your shot will be far closer to unusable. The difference in sharpness between brands is insane, and I really wish that they had implemented a weaker AA filter for the D4 - that would have made me purchase one.
p.1 #7 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
ct8282 wrote:
Careful. You'll soon get the 'irritants' who will come on here and start saying stuff like, 'whats the point of having a discussion about vaporware', or 'why are we wasting time talking about something that doesn't exist'.... blah blah blah.
For me, I can just imagine how ridiculously awesome the images would be from 36mp with no AA.
Yes, I do of course realize that the camera is just a rumor so far (though a rather persistent one).
But I think the customer's preference for an AA filter or a filterless sensor is the core point in this little poll.
Because one of the latest rumors says that the filterless version will be more expensive, and some have suggested this would be due to lower production numbers.
I found that explanation rather unlikely, since I would expect the filterless version to sell better than the AA filtered version.
So with this little poll I wanted to see if that explanation on a possible price difference ought to be punctured.
I agree with you that a 36Mp 35mm DSLR with no AA filter sounds awesome, at least in theory.
A little bit like the poor man's portable Medium Format camera.
That's why I voted for the filterless version myself.
p.1 #8 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
How can they omit the AA filter without having changed the sensor design as Fuji did with the X-pro1. I'm not an expert on these things but isn't the low pass filter there to resolve Moire as a result of the pixel pattern of the sensor. I haven't read anywhere that Nikon have radically redesigned the pixel pattern so surely removing the AA would create problems?
p.1 #11 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
I feel 36MP is more than enough to do away with it, medium format has done OK without with less pixels. Whether I'd pay the rumoured $1000 extra for the privilege I'm not sure, I'd need to see comparisons and how well moire is controlled.
p.1 #13 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
If you do get moire and/or false colour patterns because you have no AA filter then it is somewhere between hard and impossible to get rid of them. I hate those effects and would rather put up with a little less sharpness that doesn't matter at all if you stand a little further from the print rather than false effects that can't readily be fixed.
AA filters have been used for years for a very good reason - and it's not just because someone doesn't want us to have sharp images.
Personally, I think that more interesting / beneficial than a no-AA option for colour photos would be a non-Bayer filter option for those who want super sharp B & W images.
p.1 #16 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
I didn't vote since there was no option "really could not care less", because for most people the difference between the sensor with and without AA filter on such a high resolution camera would be negligible.
For people who print LARGE and who shoot lots of high iso or low dof photography the difference will be bigger, because sharpening in PP will increase the iso noise and sharpening out of focus regions is usually not desirable.
I've post processed and printed large (4-5 metres wide) quite a few photos made with same camera models with and without AA filter and the difference between sharpened AA photo and unsharpened non AA photo is much smaller than photographers generally think. Yes, photo taken with a camera without AA filter looks sharper at pixel level sooc, but since you really can't sharpen it as much as the photo taken with the filtered sensor the final output is quite similar.
Also, the resolution of 36mp full frame sensor is not that huge. It's "only" the same as the D7000 and its pixel per pixel sharpness is very good and the files take sharpening quite well.
edit: just a side note 36mp d800 would be my dream camera, whether it has AA filter or not.
p.1 #17 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
I would love to NOT have an AA filter. I have seen examples from a D700 with and without the filter and it looked noticeably better without the filter, but that was a lower MP camera. Would love to see examples with higher resolution cameras. It doesn't make sense to me that higher resolution would negate the softness inherent with the filters, but I really have no idea how that kind of stuff works.
p.1 #19 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
Sami Ruusunen wrote:
Yes, photo taken with a camera without AA filter looks sharper at pixel level sooc, but since you really can't sharpen it as much as the photo taken with the filtered sensor the final output is quite similar.
I hear that a lot, but think it's neither here nor there. After all part of that sharpening you're doing on one camera is to gain back whatever sharpness you've lost because of the AA filter.
If you're starting with a sharper image to being with, you're not going to need as much sharpening to reach a desired end point.
There's something to be said for sharpening edge effects, but I'd wager you could tweak the output of a camera with out an AA filter just fine by using a low detail setting in LR's sharpening panel and mainly going for edge contrast enhancement.
p.1 #20 · Would you prefer D800 with or without AA filter ?
I've been shooting an M9 (no AA filter) for the last two years or so. Mostly people and landscapes. I can could the number of moire issues I've had on one hand, and they've all been easy to fix in PS. Now that LR 4 is coming out with a moire removal tool I think it is even less of an issue, unless you are a fashion photographer.
