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Astrophotography and Sketching >> DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing

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astrokido
space wanderer


Reged: 06/09/08
Posts: 660
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?!
      #3388957 - 10/14/09 11:32 AM

ISO 200 - 12800 (ISO 100 - 102,400 in Boost mode)

Looks like a new level of light sensitivity in DSLR's is here:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0910/09101403NikonD3shandson.asp

--------------------
- Gill C. - Celestron Cometron CO-100, 10x25, 20x80, Binochair, Nikon D40

The Night Sky Atlas: www.nightskyatlas.com


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Daniel Browning
super member


Reged: 08/11/08
Posts: 125
Loc: Portland, OR
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: astrokido]
      #3389494 - 10/14/09 04:13 PM

Quote:

ISO 200 - 12800 (ISO 100 - 102,400 in Boost mode)

Looks like a new level of light sensitivity in DSLR's is here





No, it looks like a new level of Marketing is here. ISO ratings and settings are completely arbitrary. The 1Ds3 came out with a maximum of ISO 3200. But that was before Nikon decided to put ISO 25,600 on their cameras. So in Canon's next camera, the 5D2, they decided to copy Nikon. They improved performance quite a bit, but certainly nowhere near 3 times better than the 1Ds3. Similarly, I bet Nikon have improved performance only slightly, nowhere near the two stops implied by the new maximum ISO rating. In any case, no one should ever actually *use* those settings in these cameras, since they have the same exact noise as ISO 1600. Instead one must push ISO 1600 in post processing to retain 4-6 stops of highlight data (and smaller file sizes to boot).

Of course, Nikon probably still has the normal anti-astro problems: hot pixel smudging NR, white balance preconditioning, and black clipping above the mean read noise.

--------------------
--Daniel


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ccs_hello
Post Laureate
*****

Reged: 07/03/04
Posts: 3298
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: astrokido]
      #3390255 - 10/14/09 10:43 PM

Quote:

ISO 102,400 in Boost mode...



Ignore Boost mode, it's simply bit shifting and absolute no benefit added if using RAW.

D3 (introduced 8/2007) and D3s (10/2009) both have the same pixel size (8.45x8.45 um). The pixel size is relatively large thus signal output (when noise is under control) under a given/fixed illumination condition would be high. Noise figure (hardware improvement and software "manipulation") over time drops. Better S/N means signal amplication can be a bit higher, thus the rated ISO increased from D3's 6400 to D3s' 12800.

But "mode 3" work around is painful and by then highest ISO will be yucky.

Clear Skies!

ccs_hello


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astrokido
space wanderer


Reged: 06/09/08
Posts: 660
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: ccs_hello]
      #3390399 - 10/14/09 11:46 PM

Even a fake ISO achieved by merely amplifying the signal would force other camera improvements. Any amp-glow would be equally amplified, requiring a design improvement to avoid as much visible amp-glow as possible. There may be other similar improvements too.

Boost mode really sounds scary, the boosted noise might be awful if clever software doesn't reduce it. I'd leave any boosting to post-processing too. I'd still hope to see better image quality from boosting in the D3S than in previous cameras though.

A real improvement in S/N requires an improved quantum efficiency, let's see how long it takes for somebody to measure it and stack it against other DSLR sensors.

--------------------
- Gill C. - Celestron Cometron CO-100, 10x25, 20x80, Binochair, Nikon D40

The Night Sky Atlas: www.nightskyatlas.com


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Mobius1
professor emeritus


Reged: 08/28/05
Posts: 700
Loc: Madison, WI / Gurnee, IL
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: astrokido]
      #3391073 - 10/15/09 11:56 AM

Boost mode: can anybody say HOT PIXELS?

--------------------
Martin

William Optics 66SD
Orion 100ED
Orion 120-ST EQ
PST-Ha
Celestron CGE 1100
Canon Rebel XSI with Astronomik filters
DSI-IIC
Homemade spectroscope in progress...
Yerkes Observatory Volunteer
(24" Cass on weekends)


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dave132mm
super member


Reged: 12/28/06
Posts: 125
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: Mobius1]
      #3392428 - 10/16/09 06:02 AM

I think it may be 1 to 2 stops better than my 5d2. I think
I will get one when they come out and see what it can do.

Dave


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Tonk
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*****

Reged: 08/19/04
Posts: 4349
Loc: Leeds, UK, 54N
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: dave132mm]
      #3392554 - 10/16/09 08:58 AM

Quote:

Looks like a new level of light sensitivity in DSLR's is here:




ISO has nothing to do with light sensitivity

--------------------
Televue 85, GM-8/Gemini, Canon 40D (unmodded), Canon 450D (modded w/Astronomiks clip-ins - UV/IR, OWB)
Coronado SM60/BF10, Baader Herschel Wedge
Leeds Sky Clock Ripon Sky Clock


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astrokido
space wanderer


Reged: 06/09/08
Posts: 660
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: Tonk]
      #3392948 - 10/16/09 12:56 PM

Try telling that to any photographer that's never done AP. ISO used to be exactly the same as light sensitivity before CCD's took over.

--------------------
- Gill C. - Celestron Cometron CO-100, 10x25, 20x80, Binochair, Nikon D40

The Night Sky Atlas: www.nightskyatlas.com


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astrokido
space wanderer


Reged: 06/09/08
Posts: 660
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
Re: New Nikon D3S has ISO WHAT?! new [Re: astrokido]
      #3402577 - 10/21/09 04:24 PM

Looks like yet another new level of ISO (not light sensitivity) is here by Canon too:

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV: ISO 100 - 12800, 50, 25600, 51200 and 102400 with boost

--------------------
- Gill C. - Celestron Cometron CO-100, 10x25, 20x80, Binochair, Nikon D40

The Night Sky Atlas: www.nightskyatlas.com


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