Photography News 05

Camera review

Resolution

CANON EOS 6D

CANON EOS 5DMARK III

NIKOND610

We took side-by-side shots with all seven cameras to compare resolution. Lenses differed between manufacturers, but were matched as closely as possible. Each was set to 50mm at f/8, and cameras were on tripods, released with the self-timer. Raw images were processed in Lightroom with default sharpening and compared on-screen, viewed at equal sizes. JPEGs shown are straight out of the camera. Differences were generally small and required close scrutiny to spot. The Nikon Df had a definite disadvantage with detail, and magnifying everything to the size of the D800 and A7R images made it easy to pick out those two as the best, although they’re not a million miles ahead of the 24-megapixel images – big prints will make the differences clearer. As a rule, JPEGs were good quality, although mostly harsher and more contrasty than Raw files. This often came with some blockiness in the fine details, particularly with the Sony cameras. The Nikon D610 was the exception, with JPEGs much like the Raws.

RAW

JPEG

NIKOND800

NIKONDF

SONYA7

SONYA7R

RAW

JPEG

The verdict If you’re committed to one manufacturer’s system, the only comparisons of interest are between cameras of the same brand. With the two Canons, the differences boil down to what you take pictures of. If advanced focusing and speed are important, the EOS 5D Mark III easily beats its little brother, but the EOS 6D matches it for image quality and low-light performance, and it’s much smaller and more travel-friendly. If your loyalty lies with Nikon, the choice is bigger. It was obvious in our test that there’s quite a compromise in resolution with the Df’s 16-megapixel sensor, and the D800 has a huge amount more resolution for a smaller price. The D610 also has the edge over the Df in most areas and is much cheaper, although the low-light performance of the Df edges

out everything else. The D800 proved itself king of resolution, and its focusing system and speed in DX crop mode give it more than just pixel power. There’s not much to choose between the two Sonys – it’s all about whether you want the extra resolution of the A7R, but for this you sacrifice the phase-detection AF and extra speed of the A7 – it’s more expensive too. Brand loyalty is perhaps not so important though, because thinner bodies let you fit non-Sony lenses via an adaptor while retaining infinity focus. With no allegiances, you have the pick of the bunch. By and large, you get what you pay for, although the Nikon Df doesn’t fit this – it’s priced above its specification. If you’ve the budget for a top specmodel, it’s a straight choice between the D800’s resolution and the focusing and ISO performance of the EOS 5D Mark III. If small is what you’re after,

the Sonys offer image quality in compact bodies, while the lightest DSLR, the Canon EOS 6D, rivals its bigger brother in quality. If there’s one that stands out for all-round performance and value, it’s the Nikon D610 – the balance of resolution, ISO performance, focusing, speed, handling and size makes it a versatile buy at a good price. But side-by-side tests of our magnificent seven failed to expose any dramatic disparities in performance, so with any of these cameras, you know you’ll be photographically well endowed.

π For more on these full-frame cameras, see Issue 41 of Advanced Photographer , on sale now for £4.95.

Withno allegiances, youhave the pick of the bunch – by and large, you get what youpay for

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Issue 5 | Photography News