p.2 #1 · Sharpen D800 Image or De-moire D800E Image
D800e is for pixel peepers and the odd person who prints at max dpi.
D800 is for everyone else.
There is no more detail captured in the d800e imo. Details are a bit sharper with more contrast, but that CAN be replicated in post processing. You just have to be careful with the sharpening technique you use. People always say the d800e can also be sharpened, but there is a limit to how far you want to sharpen before the image will appear over-sharpened.
That being said, nobody on this forum could tell the difference between a d800 sharpened and a d800e. If you say you could tell, you are blowing smoke up somebodies arse.
I have compared at 400% and could not tell a difference. I have also printed at 50" and could not tell the difference. I do find it funny though how the d800e is thought to be in a class by it's own. Regular comments about how sharp the photos are from 1024px images etc etc.
To each their own. Just giving my opinion. If you have the money and want ultimate sharpness without post processing and shoot between f4-f5.6 all the time, the why not.
p.2 #2 · Sharpen D800 Image or De-moire D800E Image
Having shot with both cameras for about 2 months now, I can honestly say that the entire issues of both the extra sharpness of the D800e and the bigger chances of moire with it have been blown way out of proportion. What I have seen is that in most all instances there is really no practical difference apparent to the human eye in terms of sharpness. Yes, if you do print BIG you MAY see a SLIGHT difference but anything as big as or smaller than an 18X24 print will leave you wondering. Aside from that, everything else that factors in (lens quality especially) will most likely detract from any advantage you may (or may not) even see.
As far as moire goes, that too is overstated really. Ironically, I have seen some moire using the D800 but as of yet, I have not seen one instance of it using the D800e. Perhaps I am just not shooting subject matter that would show it, I don't know...but I just have not seen any of it. As far as post processing goes, I have done some testing in which I added some unsharp mask to the D800 images and did some pixel peeping afterwards and found that these images, unless treated with kid gloves during the unsharp mask stage look worse than untouched images from either camera. Unsharp mask tends to produce halos and other artifacts. I find that many many people tend to way overuse it and aren't usually even keen to the notion that their images are oversharpened because they tend to look so crisp. Fact is, I find that with both cameras only a VERY slight unsharp mask is needed, if at all. Both cameras produce images that really are that sharp by themselves and it is very easy to screw up an image in post if you are not careful.
All that said, if I was going to purchase one of the two cameras today, I would most likely choose the D800 and put the saved $300 towards some glass instead.
Just my thoughts.
p.2 #4 · Sharpen D800 Image or De-moire D800E Image
omume wrote:
Can someone share their thoughts about the benefits of sharpening (unsharp mask) an image produced by a D800 to create an image similar to a D800E? Is it possible to create a nearly identical result without risk of moire?
I'll ignore the rest of the discussion and only give you my personal answer. I am not an expert on the technology, I just shoot the cameras (one D800E and two D800 bodies).
The D800E is slightly sharper when you are either lucky or able to minimize sharpness-robbing factors other than the AA filter. Tripod, MLU, and so on are likely to favor the E in a comparison. So is the need to enlarge. So is anything that requires sharpening, because you can sharpen both images, but the E is likely to be a little better. But they're both beyond excellent, and I think the E is for those who will "take any advantage they can get" to get the best possible IQ, even if that advantage is small and even if it does not always come into play.
If the D800E can render an image without "false color" artifacts or moire which an AA filter is meant to prevent, then the E image will always be sharper and with better edge contrast. But if you do get artifacts or moire, then it's a bitch to fix them in post, and you'd have been better off with the regular D800. Now... the question is, how many of your images will have a real risk or moire? That is subject-matter dependent mostly, and it's a question only you can answer.
My belief was that in aviation, wildlife, and landscapes, I would encounter a very small risk of moire and thus the increased sharpness and contrast of the D800E would probably be beneficial... especially since I often print large and a "normal" print for me is 20x30 or greater. So far I have not seen any moire, so I'm going to start selling my other D800 bodies and buying D800E bodies to replace them. For others, who might be shooting fashion or architecture or products, the answer might be different.
?? Like for what use