6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

[Guest]

At least a half dozen Oly's later I have to ask myself how much IQ did I gain when I switched from Nikon.
Stephen evidently saw a good reason to dispose of his Olys and jump ships to a Fuji X-E1. There's certainly nothing amiss with the result he posted.

As the consensus appears to condone it, here are just a few from my 2007 archives, shot with the D70s.
I have to say that camera did BIF effortlessly well - I regret ever having given it to my daughter in a paternally weak moment.

Anyway, I've stopped buying any of make cameras in favour of bicycles - I'm presently comparing road bike specs - I want a brother for my Cannondale hybrid.

[Phill D]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

Nice shots Mark but let's face it any digital camera worth it's salt over the last 10 years should have been able to do a good job with those. I take your point about BiFs though.

[KeithL]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

Very nice images Mark, but I'll echo Phill. I love my Canon 50D; but I'm past carrying lead bricks around! As for the Leica R-E kit, I couldn't cope with that in my late 50s. The whole kit needed a set of wheels. I've consistently had great images from digital cameras for around 10 years now, probably more, though I do still have great respect for my pre-war Leica. For a competent photographer, I don't think the camera dictates the quality of the shots; a good photographer will do a good job with most cameras. But a good camera won't perform well in the hands of a bad photographer.

Having said all that, most people's holiday snaps on a cheapie are pretty good nowadays; I'm just thinking back to my childhood efforts with a Brownie Reflex!!

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

When you consider how few pixels you need to post images to this forum and the web in general, I expect good results from most cameras.

I've even managed to get a good A3+ print out of a 4MP camera.

My only interest is the end result, and like many carting around a full size system nearly resulted in my end...

[Guest]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

I agree that Mp value alone is not as important as the manufacturers would have us believe. I too have good A3s and A2s printed with very heavily cropped, as in much less than 25% of the original file size, from 12Mp images taken on my EP3 and EPM1.

[David Morison]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

When you consider how few pixels you need to post images to this forum and the web in general, I expect good results from most cameras.

I've even managed to get a good A3+ print out of a 4MP camera.

My only interest is the end result, and like many carting around a full size system nearly resulted in my end...

I still have A3 prints on my wall taken 10 years ago with my 5mpx Leica Digilux 2 and the quality still amazes me, and these are from OOC jpegs. The sensor was Sony and the main factor was the lens IQ, I do miss that lens!

David

[KeithL]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

This shot is from my Lumix TZ6. 10MP, but the usual tiny sensor. Quite difficult lighting, and I think it performed pretty well for a compact. Pardon me for putting this in your thread, Mark, but here goes:
[IMG][/IMG]

Do we need the size and weight of DSLRs? No, I don't think so; a decent compact with a sensor larger than the usual like the tiny one in this Lumix would be quite good enough for most of us, IMHO. And this Lumix is about 3 or 4 years old now, so isn't the latest technology by quite a way. This shot, other than reducing the pixel count to put it on here, has had no post-processing whatsoever.

I have a really good B&W A3 print from this series of shots off this camera; and I put it in a club comp a while back. Didn't do badly!

[Guest]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

I agree that Mp value alone is not as important as the manufacturers would have us believe. I too have good A3s and A2s printed with very heavily cropped, as in much less than 25% of the original file size, from 12Mp images taken on my EP3 and EPM1.

Quite so, a camera's MP value alone doesn't define its IQ.

I still have A3 prints on my wall taken 10 years ago with my 5mpx Leica Digilux 2 and the quality still amazes me, and these are from OOC jpegs. The sensor was Sony and the main factor was the lens IQ, I do miss that lens! David

Indeed David, the lens is a critical factor as regardless of what lies behind it, IQ will always be only as good as the lens that delivers it.

Nice shots Mark but let's face it any digital camera worth it's salt over the last 10 years should have been able to do a good job with those. I take your point about BiFs though.

Absolutely Phill, some could do it better than others, agreed.

The point I make here is that comparing the samples posted here in forum, a 10 year old D70s IMHO is manifestly equal in terms of detail, vibrancy and ability to render subtle nuances of colour equivalent to the Fuji X-E1 with a Velvia preset. Now as Stephen says in one of his threads, the difference in IQ is realised only in images printed to A3+ size, which he does regularly. And with a 16mps Fujifilm X-Trans CMOS sensor so it should, although according to Wikipedia, it is known to slightly reduce resolution.

This shot is from my Lumix TZ6. 10MP, but the usual tiny sensor. Quite difficult lighting, and I think it performed pretty well for a compact. Pardon me for putting this in your thread, Mark, but here goes:
........

NP Thanks for your input Keith.

When you consider how few pixels you need to post images to this forum and the web in general, I expect good results from most cameras. I've even managed to get a good A3+ print out of a 4MP camera. My only interest is the end result, and like many carting around a full size system nearly resulted in my end...

Well said, Graham - unless you are printing for profit, or have as much wall space as Buckingham Palace, there's a limit to how many prints and enlargements one needs.
I have one only Cibachrome sunset in my bedroom, shot 25 years ago, an enduring image that will always delight me.

[Zuiko]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

The thing is, had the technology not progressed we would all still be happily using 5 or 6mp cameras. That's way more than is needed for web display and it's surprising how big you can enlarge prints from a modest number of pixels.

[benvendetta]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

I am always amazed at the quality of the images I got from my C8080WZ ten years ago. Mind you, then lens on that camera was a cracker!

[Zuiko]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

If I had to go back to, say, the 8mp sensor in my E-500, I would miss the high ISO performance much more than the other 8 mp.

[KeithL]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

If I had to go back to, say, the 8mp sensor in my E-500, I would miss the high ISO performance much more than the other 8 mp.

That's much more critical, isn't it? But it's arguable whether the improvement is more due to the sensor or the combination of amplifiers and processing algorithm. I can well imagine that a modern 8 MP sensor plus modern amplifier/processing could well give even higher or better ISO performance than with more MP.

[Guest]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

I am always amazed at the quality of the images I got from my C8080UZ ten years ago. Mind you, then lens on that camera was a cracker!

I know exactly where you're coming from, Dave. C8080WZ was a a wow camera just like its predecessor, the C5050UZ that I loved, and loved, and loved it to death until did us part (it's, not mine ).

If I had to go back to, say, the 8mp sensor in my E-500, I would miss the high ISO performance much more than the other 8 mp.

Struggling with your meaning, John ... what other 8mp?

That's much more critical, isn't it? But it's arguable whether the improvement is more due to the sensor or the combination of amplifiers and processing algorithm. I can well imagine that a modern 8 MP sensor plus modern amplifier/processing could well give even higher or better ISO performance than with more MP.

Personally, I believe that in some cases canny processing can dramatically narrow the gap between a high and a low end camera, Keith.

[Guest]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

The thing is, had the technology not progressed we would all still be happily using 5 or 6mp cameras. That's way more than is needed for web display and it's surprising how big you can enlarge prints from a modest number of pixels.

When it comes to technology, John, the inescapable truth is that we are all like donkeys lurching at the allegorical carrot - each manufacturer launches up to a dozen or so models a year, each featuring new bells and whistles, many of which are just plain bloody mindless (so called art filters are a prime example)

[StephenL]

Re: 6MPS Nikon D70s - 2005 technology

When it comes to technology, John, the inescapable truth is that we are all like donkeys lurching at the allegorical carrot - each manufacturer launches up to a dozen or so models a year, each featuring new bells and whistles, many of which are just plain bloody mindless (so called art filters are a prime example)

Some people like those features, some don't. I'm in the latter camp like you. But I respect other people may want to think differently and, since it's not going to end the world, let them have their own opinions in a free world.