[LRflex] Re: Another Question....Another annoying hypothetical

Ed asked (and I replied)

>> >  If you could buy a factory Nikon D2Xs that had the current standard "R"
>> >mounting arrangement, with "R" like metering and automation, and with all
>> >theR connections and ROM hooks, at full D2Xs pricing. . .. would you even
>> >hesitate to run out and buy it?
>> >Might you buy 2?...Isn't this all about the glass?  Put me down for 2.
>>
>>
>>Ed:
>>
>>It's not ENTIRELY about the glass.  The Nikons (and all sub-MF
>>digitals except the M8 and DMR) use an anti-aliasing (low-pass)
>>filter to help remove Moire patterns from the photos.  However, these
>>work by mildly blurring the photos, which are then re-sharpened, in
>>camera, during processing and before writing to the card.   Although
>>the result is a fine looking, well colour balanced, sharp photo, the
>>fine detail is lost.  What has been lost to blur, cannot be restored
>>by "sharpening".
>>
>>Neither the M8 nor DMR  not have such filters, and their ability to
>>resolve fine detail (what Leica glass is all about) is far superior
>>to brands N and C.  That's what brought me to the DMR in the first
>>place!  And it's why the 10mpixel DMR is most often compared to the
>>16mpixel Canon 1DS Mk II.


Then, Chris asked:

>Do your comments apply to other sensors i.e. those from Fuji?

Hi Chris!

Yes, although it will depend on the physical size/pixel count of each 
sensor.  What I do know is....

The very smallest, low resolution sensors generally do not use 
low-pass (AA) filters as they are not capable of  building a moire 
pattern.  That being said, every sub-Medium Format sensor of 
sufficient size to be affected by the Moire problem has a low pass 
filter in front of it. This means nearly all of them. No matter where 
made, or by whom.  The ONLY exceptions, so far, are the DMR and the M8.

And all Low-Pass filters blur the fine image detail.  Period.  And, 
yes, this statement applies to Fuji.

I find this whole concept most interesting, for the DMR has a Moire 
Filter built into the firmware.  If you see the problem on the LCD, 
you flip on the filter and re-shoot.  (A very MF [read: studio] way 
of working which owes its existence to the DMR's Imacon 
heritage.)  However, in thousands of DMR shots, I have only ever 
suffered a Moire pattern once.  Curiously, I only once suffered a 
Moire pattern in my thousands of shots with the Canon 20D, which has 
a Low-pass filter.  In fact, the Moire problem is so small, in actual 
use, that the M8 has deleted the  Moire filter function from it's 
firmware, preferring to treat it, if necessary, in post processing 
software.  (My favourite Raw converter, Silkypix, has an excellent 
"Geometric Noise" (Moire) filter built in, but I've never had to use it.)

Personally, I'd rather have the fine detail (for which Leica's are 
famous) and handle the odd shot with moire patterns in post 
processing.... or for that matter, even lose that one shot in 5000.

Hope this answers your question and puts your mind at ease...

David.
---

David Young,
Logan Lake, CANADA

Wildlife Photographs: http://www.telyt.com/
Personal Web-pages: http://www3.telus.net/~telyt




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