Originally posted by JohnBee Lets not overlook the obvious here.
1. Image exposure...
1. Desaturation in the images(reduced color noise effect).
2. Heavy NR in higher ISO images.
Having said that... if the images were exposed to as to contain the highlights/blowouts(properly), then we would have a more accurate noise reading than what was shown here.
And finally... though I totally understand the need for camera NR, if the D7000 doesn't have the NR controls the K-5 has on RAW images, then there are no doubts on which camera will yield better IQ. Because as sensitives go up, so to does detail retention rise in critical values.
But something tells me were not looking at anything new or shocking at this stage. Pentax has always leaned in favor of detail over that of noise reduction. Which is really good when you think about it, given the recent advancements in RAW and post processing. A factor(in itself) that could position the K-5 above the D7000.
FTR. I think its still too early to determine which positions each system will claim with respect to RAW performance. Though from what I've seen to date, it is looking as though the K-5 may take the lead with respect to image quality against the D7000.
I couldn't agree more! The shot at 6400 suffers from extreme NR (even though it is using the "normal" NR setting, according to the title) and is horribly soft at full size... It is clear that Pentax does not use heavy NR like Nikon, but whatever your preference, it should all work out in the wash with RAW files.
I am still using the K10d, but the K5 seems finally to be enough of a justification to upgrade. I would say that ISO800 on the K10d compares to somewhere in between 6400 or 12800 on the K5 - a 3 to 4 stop improvement! More importantly, however, is that the DR seems to be holding up much better at higher ISOs. (The K7's higher ISO DR was ATROCIOUS and, frankly, embarrassing.)