Originally posted by D1N0 But it is not helpful iq-wise The light intensity may be the same, but the surface and the pixel size are not. More surface en bigger pixels retain more information and give better IQ. That's why we are talking about equivalent. It's taking the size of the sensor into account.
Apperture is not linked with IQ. In fact neither apperture, speed, iso or exposure say anything about quality.
To get anything from a quality, you need first to define what kind of quality you are after. Sharpness? Color Deph ? Dynamic Range? Then you have to look at your shooting conditions and at your sensor.
Using a bigger sensor (up to a point) is the easiest but give only small improvements if the sensor size is not much different. Modern sensors APSC and FF sensor have nearly the same color deph and dynamic range anyway (well Canon is behind on all bodies included FF for dynamic range and some prefer CCD color fidelity rather than CMOS). Sharpness larger sensor can provide more... If you go the 36MP route.
And to benefit of theses gains you have to be at a limit anyway. In many case, just open more on the smaller system, or reduce the shooting speed.
If you need more than theses small gain anyway you have to do differently:
- if you really need more dynamic range, that HDR you need.
- if you really need more color deph, you need to take many shoots (with same exposure) and merge them.
- if you need more details, you can stich a panorama.
I have also to say that this is all because our camera and software are fairly basic. For example, to take more dynamic range in one shoot, all photosites do not need to stay active the same time. Some can be exposed for hightlight, some for shadows.
The camera could work like an eye, look at the scene not instantly as a whole, but take a longer time, and focus on different part of the scene to reconstruct everything. Even if subject move, this is no problem. We are able to see the detail of some object and recall where it was initially even if it moved. This seems absurd but some phone already just use video mode to stick panorama constinously. Of course there is room until a camera get the same capacities as an human brain.