Originally posted by HermanLee Recently I got to play with a Nikon D700 and a Canon 5DM2 in the store when originally I was just going to test a DA*50-135.
I asked the salesman to put on a prime glass for D700 and he put on an 85mm/1.8.
My K20D has FA 43 Ltd on it.
Both camera set to manual mode, no flash, with f/2 and ISO 3200 because D700 has no Shake Reduction ...go Pentax!
I tried to shoot some people in the store and to my surprise, the D700 photo gain more Dynamic Range especially in dark area compared to my K20D.
The noise is also much cleaner than my K20D, almost noiseless. Nikon really excel in this ISO part with this camera.
Not so much I can say with 5DM2. I like the picture from D700 & K20D better than 5Dm2.
So, my question is. What makes the picture from D700 so much brighter in dark areas?
Is that because of much bigger Dynamic Range? or something else?
If it is because of DR, how much difference is it compared to K20D?
Thanks,
I see 3 potential reasons:
1 - Exposure. The K20d, in my brief experience, has a tendency to underexpose by a half stop or more in certain but not all situations. This could have happened with your handful of shots, resulting in much darker shadows than the D700
2 - LCD. Not only do the displays differ in pixel density, they probably also differ in other properties, i.e., brightness, off-axis viewing, color gamut, etc.... I've learned not to rely upon the K20d's display. Very often a shot that appears really dark is fine or just a little underexposed when viewed on a good, calibrated monitor.
I know that elsewhere in this thread you discount the variability of the LCD because of the Canon, but I don't think that's enough reason to remove it from consideration.
3 - Sensor + settings. FF vs. APS-C. Dmode vs. Non-dmode. etc... There are dozens of sites that attempt to quantitatively measure the differences.
Based on the conditions of the "test", and lacking any samples, I think that we are all just speculating on the root cause of your observed difference.
And while cameras don't have motors, I find the car example apt. The MazdaSpeed3 and BMW 3 series are both excellent cars, as are the K20d and D700 both excellent cameras. Only at their design limits do minor differences come to light.
The irony of mature product segments like this is that products are usually much more capable than their owners. Very few people have the skills to drive either the Mazda or BMW to their design limits. Likewise the K20d and D700.