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Archive 2013 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Sneakyracer
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Hi, I am contemplating adding another digital camera outfit to my current Canon DSLR gear mostly just for high quality landscapes. I have never used a D800 or D800e or any of the most recent nikons for that matter so I decided to rent a D800e, Zeiss 15mm ZF.2, Nikon 14-24mm and 24mm PC-E. I will be comparing it to my 5D3, 14mm L II and 24 TSE II.

I will post more images later but here are my first impressions. (mostly infinity manual focus using live view and f8~f9, iso 100)

The Nikon 14-24mm (@14mm) is a damn good lens. Its very close in quality to the 14mm L II. The Canon might have a slight edge but its really close. The Zeiss 15mm is the best overall but honestly, its VERY close also. If I add lens corrections in lightroom these lenses are almost on par with each other. I have tested so far at mostly infinity focus (or close to that). The 14-24mm is big, next is the 15mm Zeiss and the Canon is the most compact. All handled the night scene extremely well.

I then tested the 24 PC-E against the 24 TSE. Here I don't know if the Nikon lens I got is representative of the lens or the lens I got is not up to par. But the Canon is the champ here no question about it. In the center its pretty equal but the Canon is really great edge to edge even when shifted. The Nikon was worse on the left side for some reason. It was not that pretty as I looked closer to the borders and edges.

A few other notes:

The Nikon is a larger camera and not as tidy in its buttons arrangement (there are a lot more of them) when compared to the smaller and slicker Canon. Honestly the Canon also feels more solid and a tad better made.

The Live view on the Canon is MUCH better. As light levels get low the Nikon live view image gets to be almost unusable. Its very noisy, jaggy and overall a very bad image that gets to be almost useless for precise focusing. In very good light its ok.

Regarding Dynamic range. I found that in exterior scenes the Canon held its own. Its only when I shot the interior of my apartment but mostly exposed for the exterior window view and then brought up the shadows of the interior that the Nikon showed its huge edge in dynamic range. Its a great tool to have but honestly I had to go to the extremes for it to be obvious. Shadows were VERY clean. Highlight recovery is similar in both cameras although I need to test more for this.

Color and exposure was VERY similar in both once I looked at the images on my computer because the screen of the Nikon was WAY off.

In short I felt the Nikon was a great sensor looking for a body and the Canon a great overall package with a sensor thats a touch dated but still holds its own. Overall the Canon is the most sorted out piece of kit when you take into consideration all aspects of the camera.

Nikon D800e Zeiss 15mm f9.0 30sec iso 100

Nikon D800e Nikon 14-24mm @14mm f9.0 30sec iso 100

Canon 5D3 14mm L II f9.0 30sec iso 100

Mar 22, 2013 at 01:36 AM

Sneakyracer
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Here are some 100% crops. All images are jpg conversions from the RAW files using Lightroom without any adjustments. Here the resolution improvement on the Nikon is very obvious! As you zoom back from 100% its not that big a diff. obviously.

Nikon D800e Zeiss 15mm f9.0 30sec iso 100

Nikon D800e Nikon 14-24mm @14mm f9.0 30sec iso 100

Canon 5D3 14mm L II f9.0 30sec iso 100

Mar 22, 2013 at 01:39 AM

thw2
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

And your decision is.... ?

Mar 22, 2013 at 02:48 AM

PhilDrinkwater
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Good post. Fair and reasonable assessment by the sounds of it..

Mar 22, 2013 at 03:09 AM

saneproduction
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Thanks for this!

Mar 22, 2013 at 03:19 AM

mttran
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Thanks for sharing, would you post 200% crops at center

Mar 22, 2013 at 03:57 AM

Bones74
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

"In short I felt the Nikon was a great sensor looking for a body and the Canon a great overall package with a sensor thats a touch dated but still holds its own. Overall the Canon is the most sorted out piece of kit when you take into consideration all aspects of the camera." (Thanks for sharing Sneakyracer

)

This has always been my opinion.

Mar 22, 2013 at 04:59 AM

Albi86
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Nikon should have left the 36MP for the D800E. Paired to no-AA filter, it would have been the perfect combination for ultimate detail.

The D800 body with the D600 sensor would have been a better all-rounder and probably a more attractive upgrade from the D700. However, I'm afraid it would have made the D4 kind of redundant.

Mar 22, 2013 at 05:45 AM

retrofocus
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Thanks for posting this, it confirms what was mentioned earlier in reviews. Huge difference in crops which is not surprising because of the sensor with better resolution in the D800E. Ideal camera IMO if LiveView would be better, but the sensor counts more and balances out this drawback.

Mar 22, 2013 at 06:10 AM

mirkoc
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Thanks for the comparison. From the crops above, I wouldn't say that EF14 has the edge over Nikon 14-24. I don't know how the corners look, but even with higher pixel density (although with weaker/no AA filter) Nikon crops look much better. What I would like to see is the same Zeiss 15 adapted on 5D3.

Mar 22, 2013 at 06:58 AM

Mauro Moretti
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Can you apply some sharpening to the Canon photo? Since the 5D II has an AA filter, it needs sharpening to be comparable to a non AA filter camera as the D800E.

D800E does look very good for landscapes.

Mar 22, 2013 at 07:09 AM

retrofocus
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Mauro Moretti wrote:
Can you apply some sharpening to the Canon photo? Since the 5D II has an AA filter, it needs sharpening to be comparable to a non AA filter camera as the D800E.

D800E does look very good for landscapes.

Sharpening only helps a bit here but won't lead to the same result. When you remove the AA filter, you increase the resolution sensor-dependent between 20-30%. I experienced this myself when I converted a 5D II to infrared and the AA filter was removed. I see even in IR a clear increase in resolution and detail, and the RAW file size also increases.

Mar 22, 2013 at 07:16 AM

chez
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

The crops show a significant difference. Would be nice to see the same lens used on both cameras. With that improvement in details coupled with the improvement in dynamic rangebsure makes the D800e a great landscape camera. Damn it does not take Canon lens. Come on Canon...where is your high Rez landscape camera?

Mar 22, 2013 at 07:24 AM

Bones74
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Albi86 wrote:
Nikon should have left the 36MP for the D800E. Paired to no-AA filter, it would have been the perfect combination for ultimate detail.

The D800 body with the D600 sensor would have been a better all-rounder and probably a more attractive upgrade from the D700. However, I'm afraid it would have made the D4 kind of redundant.

Puzzled....How would a semi pro body with 24mp make a pro body with dual controls, 10fps and arguably best high ISO performance redundant? If this was the case then the 5D3 makes the 1DX redundant, which clearly it doesn't

I'll tell you one thing, a 5D3 with a D600 sensor would be the "perfect" camera!

Mar 22, 2013 at 07:41 AM

chez
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Bones74 wrote:
Puzzled....How would a semi pro body with 24mp make a pro body with dual controls, 10fps and arguably best high ISO performance redundant? If this was the case then the 5D3 makes the 1DX redundant, which clearly it doesn't

I'll tell you one thing, a 5D3 with a D600 sensor would be the "perfect" camera!

Put that D800e sensor into the 5d3 body and I would agree with you.

Mar 22, 2013 at 08:08 AM

Scott Stoness
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Sneakyracer - I am deabating between the three lens for my 5diii. Zeiss 15, Nikon 14-24, Canon 14 and Samyang 14.

At this moment I am leaning toward the zeiss 15. And your crops show it to be the best. The colors look better and the resolution looks higher on the zeiss.

So thanks for the post. I will be watching your next one.

Scott

Mar 22, 2013 at 08:09 AM

justruss
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Nice comparison. And solid conclusion.

Mar 22, 2013 at 08:16 AM

Stoffer
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

chez wrote:
Come on Canon...where is your high Rez landscape camera?

Well, the rumors say mid 2014 and in a 1D-like body. So both late AND expensive. Can you wait for that chez?

Mar 22, 2013 at 08:16 AM

retrofocus
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

chez wrote:
Put that D800e sensor into the 5d3 body and I would agree with you.

+1: we might have to give up some fps, but otherwise clearly yes.

Mar 22, 2013 at 08:32 AM

Sneakyracer
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Testing D800e and 5D3 with the Best Wide Angles

Hello again! Thx for the comments. I am waiting for better light to shoot some more daylight images. Will post them as soon as I have them. Like I mentioned before I want to see if the 24mm PC-E is good enough. My first impression was that the 24mm TSE II beats it handily.

Looking at more images again I see how good the 14-24 is. Its really splitting hairs between it and the Zeiss. I would honestly get the Zeiss over the zoom since I mostly shoot at 14mm or 24mm and at 24mm I love the tilt shift feature of the primes. Also the 14-24mm is a significantly bigger and heavier lens but it does offer prime lens performance. Its not a bad choice at all for the 800e.

If the 14mm L II were not so good I would get the Zeiss for the Canon. But, at least my copy of the 14, is very sharp. So I see no need and it handles lights in the frame beautifully also. I do like that the points of light have more star points in the Zeiss. I believe it helps a bit in the aesthetic of the image. Notice that the 14-24 is similar to the Zeiss in that regard, nice!

I have no doubts that the Canon lenses can handle a much higher megapixel sensor, so c'mon Canon! bring it! It would kill a LOT of Medium Format Digital sales no question, at least for landscape and architecture. For people photography the larger chips will always produce a very different look due to DOF and skin tones and the leaf shutter lenses allow for more creative exposures using flash.

Edited on Mar 22, 2013 at 08:40 AM · View previous versions

Mar 22, 2013 at 08:36 AM

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