Nikon Df vs. Nikon D5300 Surprise and a kita! Tried some lens and body tests today. Bright day, 3PM afternoon, steady rest, identical ISO, Aperture (f8) and shutter speeds between 500...

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

Tried some lens and body tests today. Bright day, 3PM afternoon, steady rest, identical ISO, Aperture (f8) and shutter speeds between 500 and 1000 shot from a rest. Two lenses: Nikon 16-80 f2.8/4 ED VR DX and a Nikon 50 mm D f1.4. Test shots on the variable crop lens at both 35mm and 50mm on the crop body. Shot flower close ups and distance shots (brick buildings) across the river at maybe half mile +/-. All shots on the crop body (D5300, 24mp) were sharper and crisper when magnified than those from the Df (16mp FF). This regardless of which lens was used on either body. Am I seeing the difference in mp of the sensor or am I not conducting my tests correctly. I examined jpegs on my 27" monitor side by side. I have RAW but have convert these. The differences were apparent on the jpeg files. Need some direction from you folks with more experience. Where next? I like the whole feel and controls on the Df, but expected it to stand out compared to my D5300, hence my kita feelings.

BebuLamar

DaveyDitzer wrote:

Tried some lens and body tests today. Bright day, ... (show quote)

You effectively made the Df a 7MP camera.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

BebuLamar wrote:

You effectively made the Df a 7MP camera.

Sorry, I need to add that the 50mm f1.4 D lens is a FF lens, not a crop lens, so I think in the first series with the 50mm on the Df and the zoom on the D5300, I was comparing FF to Crop. Thanks for the reply.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

It isn't easy comparing apples and oranges, which it seems you may have been doing. I conducted a similar test last week (http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-499318-1.html). You need to make it simple. Only use one lens (I'd suggest the 50mm) and set both cameras identically (see how I set mine). I suggest manual focus with focus confirmation, as my first pass I used AF and God-knows where my camera was looking (Fuzz city). On the 5300, your image will be slightly enlarged (crop factor) but choose fine details near the center of the images for comparison. Heavy tripod, exposure delay, you know the routine. Try to eliminate all differences from camera to camera that you can. Let us know how you do.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

cameraf4 wrote:

It isn't easy comparing apples and oranges, which ... (show quote)

Tomorrow if the weather cooperates. I'll set the cameras this evening to make sure. Thank you.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

DaveyDitzer wrote:

Tomorrow if the weather cooperates. I'll set the cameras this evening to make sure. Thank you.

I am interested in your findings--but I will never concede that the 5300 is a better body than my Df.

wingclui44 Loc: CT USA

DaveyDitzer wrote:

Tried some lens and body tests today. Bright day, ... (show quote)

You can't comparing the cameras with different size sensor with same lenses. First the zoom you used is a DX lens, when using on the Df, the Df will automatic crop it to about 7MP, comparing to the 24mp of the D5300, and then you further magnified both images on the 27" monitor, off course you will see the great different between 24mp & 7mp. Next using the FF50mm lens on the D5300 & the Df for the flower shot, you have to adjust the distance from one camera of the two to get the same size of image of the flower. Either you have to move the D5300 farther away or move the Df closer, then this will change the depth of field, that will make the D5300 looks sharper and the other way the image of the Df will look blur because it's closer to the flower. Distance is one of the main factor to effect the DOF. I don't know how far of the wall as you said for the distant shots. If it was far away, it should be not much different.
I own My Df almost four years and love it so much, all my lenses are FF lens and more thsn half are prime that are best for the Df.

CO

I've noticed that cameras that don't have an anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor produce images that are slightly sharper than cameras that have the AA filter. Your D5300 doesn't have an AA filter but the Df does have one. I took some test shots with my D500 (no AA filter) and a D750 (has AA filter). The images were processed the same way for consistency. The D500 images were clearly sharper. I've also tested a D7100 (no AA filter) against other cameras.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

In my experience the smaller sensor catches more detail when shooting at a distance with a long focal length (eg. a 300mm lens). The same lens on my CX sensor gets more detail than on my DX. The same lens on my FF gets less detail than on my DX. I know people say you are just cropping with the sensor and it's equivalent to the same image on a larger sensor that gets cropped, but I have not found that to be the case.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

I am trying to enter this experiment with no or as little bias as I can muster. Question: when I run the next test with only the 50 mm FF lens on both bodies can I post the highest resolution jpeg or is it possible to post RAW on this site? Thanks again for you constructive suggestions so far.

wingclui44 Loc: CT USA

DaveyDitzer wrote:

I am trying to enter this experiment with no or as little bias as I can muster. Question: when I run the next test with only the 50 mm FF lens on both bodies can I post the highest resolution jpeg or is it possible to post RAW on this site? Thanks again for you constructive suggestions so far.

One question to ask. Does your 50mm-D lens have a built in motor, other wise your D5300 can't auto focus with this lens.
I believe you can post the highest resolution when you check on 'post origin'.

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

You can convert the raw files to jpegs and post those, that way there is no processing by the camera. Post the jpegs and check mark store original so people can view the pic at 100% resolution and view your exif data.

DaveyDitzer wrote:

I am trying to enter this experiment with no or as little bias as I can muster. Question: when I run the next test with only the 50 mm FF lens on both bodies can I post the highest resolution jpeg or is it possible to post RAW on this site? Thanks again for you constructive suggestions so far.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Kmgw9v wrote:

I am interested in your findings--but I will never concede that the 5300 is a better body than my Df.

DaveyDitzer Loc: Western PA

wingclui44 wrote:

One question to ask. Does your 50mm-D lens have a built in motor, other wise your D5300 can't auto focus with this lens.
I believe you can post the highest resolution when you check on 'post origin'.

The D lens has no motor. Therefore manual focus is required when used on the D5300. That's one reason why I included my 16-80 f2.8/4 DX in the first test because it has a motor and therefore auto focuses on both bodies.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DaveyDitzer wrote:

Tried some lens and body tests today. Bright day, ... (show quote)

You're not supposed to put something like this in print. We all know that cheap cameras can give results that are as good as, or better than, a more expensive camera. That's not the point. We want new stuff and stuff with lots of features. We want something that will impress other photographers and make them wish they had the gear we have. Any camera can take good pictures these days.

As for the test, I've seen lots of comparison tests on UHH, and they all prove one thing: leave testing to the pros. It sounds like you shot in NEF and then converted. I suspect the converting is responsible for some of the difference. It might be better to shoot in JPEG and see what each camera produces, rather than using a processing program. Most people shoot in JPEG. Even on UHH, relatively few people shoot raw exclusively.

I'm not familiar with "kita."