What I learned is that it doesn't matter which of these cameras I use. They all do a great job, and any client would be happy with the result of any of these cameras.
Keumku Sou sigma dont yet make a full frame lens for Sony. Only emount sigma make are for aps-c sensor eg a6500, a6300, a6000 etc. However i heard they may well bring full frame lenses to the mix
Their inability to use the focusing system was the most frustrating to me. They could have done their out of focus test in a few different ways, yet didn't seem to manage to figure out any of them. DMF would have done it the most easily, also turning off PreFocus and just switching from manual to autofocus with one button press, orrrr setting up back button autofocus (but that's just getting unnecessarily complicated).
Funny how everyone compares newly released cameras to the beast called D810 released nearly 4 years ago. Still kicks ars and smokes ALL competition any day of the week. Good job guys keep up the good work.
Very fun. Thing is the Canon 50 1.2 is moving a lot of glass and it's not meant or known to be a fast focusing lens. Had a 5D3 with that lens and it gave me amazing results aside from slow focus. I use the D810 now and love it.
Less/more contrasty might have something to do with this being shot with three different lenses. The light sensitivity might also be different due to them having different T-stop values.
Not a good test when you clearly don't know how to use the Sony. Understandable as you both are probably from canon and Nikon backgrounds. One point you didn't mention is the screen on the Sony beats the other two because you can see exactly what you are going to get. No need to do test shots. This is big, as is the eye focus.
Nick Granville Plus Sony's 4K is way better than the other two, and that's the electronic view finder that lets you preview the exposure, hence it's better than ovf
I respect JP and his team. That said, I was a little disappointed. When they couldnt figure out how to use manual focus and Kenneth started to speak with authority, it lost me. This is confusing to people new to the Sony system. Also, saying that Sony is a maze of menus doesn't exude confidence. On a side, but realted note, I never understand why people get so bent out of shape with Sony menus. Canon, for example, are easier to navigate because they have less options.....
The Post Color Blog Yep, agree. This video is of a much lower standard that I've come to expect from this channel. I do hope they pick up the standard. I own Sony's A7r, A panasonic GH4, various Canon's G7, 600D, 5d etc, and the menus are all about the same to use. Panasonic is probably the easiest for me, but thats just familiarity. I can find everything in my sony no problem. Battery life is a different story.
A really good point! I can definitely agree there. I do think some people prefer the mirror system, though. As for our ignorance about some of the features of the cameras we review, I'm more than happy to admit guilt in that arena! It can take quite a while to become familiar or confident with the tools of our trade, and unfortunately Jay P and I don't have the luxury of playing with many of the cameras we test for more than a day. Naturally our comparisons/reviews will be incomplete, and inevitably we will be mistaken about things. All I can say is we're trying our best, and since this is a new thing we're still trying to figure out how to manage it and make sure we're delivering the info people want. We really appreciate when people who know more about these cameras chime in to add to the conversation or correct something we're wrong about! So thank you! As for the menu thing; some of us just prefer simplicity to options. To each his own, eh?
I too was let down many times by the peaking , I would tend to shot multiple frames while moving the focus ring to ensure i got a shot. Like The Post Color Blog stated the focus magnify became my go to focus method.
DMF or set the AF/MF button up to toggle on and off. i use c1 on my a7r and a6300 as a focus magnifier. works nice a quick and real easy. i like these slanted lens guys but this lack of knowledge is such a shame on their part.
It is nice to see the 3 year old nikon is still keeping up. Also are you guys certain the canon was properly calibrated or that the lens wasn't broken. It just was never sharp in the examples you showed us beyond what you would expect from it.
All I care about the camera doing is producing high quality in focus images at the end of the day the subject, lighting and composition is all up to me
Also Nikon can go down the iso64. That's where it has its greatest dynamic range advantage. All great cameras seriously can't go wrong with any of them.
One thing I can mention specially about the nikon, this masterpiece still competes with the new outstanding cameras ! This is amazing from Nikon ! Sony has many feature that they cannot demonstrate in one comparison as well, Canon still more friendly Use if we go toward the easiness of DSLRs lineup. Great video for explaining multi-features.
To be honest, at this level going off of image quality or accuracy isn't enough to be a deciding factor. I know many would argue this, but in this video they all performed pretty close to one another. This kind of choice definitely can't be made lightly, or would be made based on the glass you already have.
Yep, I'm always a couple generations behind in photo technology. I bought the D810 because I had all the professional glass from my F5, and the form factor is the same for both bodies.
Differences in contrast/colour could be an artifact of the default profile that Lightroom applies. This is explained in Tony Northrup's video "Why Lightroom screws up your photos when you preview them": it's possible that the Adobe default "favours" one camera versus another.
i'm surprised that the D810 held with the other 2 cameras, it's 2 years old vs 1 year for sony and couple of months for Canon. i'm starting to love Sony cameras, they're doing very well nowadays, but let's wait for the GH5 and see if will be a game changer once again as it's predecessor was. Very nice comparison between the best cameras in the market, thank you ! And please : guys who say go learn how to manual focus on the Sony or the ones who says yes it does do manual focus, we know !! they were making a point, and the point was that the Sony does not have a dedicated manual focus button like other cameras, you have to go do it from the menu, and the menu is not very user friendly and quiet complicated, everyone agrees with them so get over yourselves !
Hussain BH Actually, they DO have a dedicated af switch button, even if you may have to configure it, and a quick function button via which you can access a subset of your favorite settings, which you can personalize. Of course, if you never used such a camera for more than some minutes you can't know, but when you are reviewing or comparing it, a little more study of the basic functions is to be expected, I think. Not to say they are biased towards one or another, on the contrary they are luckily quite fair, but this was a bit misleading ;)
Norbert Tukora Tell that to the couple of years old point and shoot cameras and some entry level which iPhone 7 plus surpasses in stills and especially in video, we all have old cameras and we all know how they stand against a new phone camera such as iPhone 7+ or google pixel XL. the wheel of evolution is going on, nothing can stop it and everything ages !
No ones talking about point and shoot cameras! The subject was the three cameras in the video. Top of the line cameras have a much longer product life cycle than phones. In your first sentence, you were surprised that the 2 years old Nikon held up to the others and I was commenting on that part.
That was an example !! If cameras do not age, then camera manufacturers do not really have anything new to introduce when they release a new camera !! with all due respect you do not make sense !! everyone is saying that the Canon 5D mark iv is somehow a disappointment, even though it has so many new features that its predecessor didn't, why people are saying that ? because they were expecting a game changing camera such as it's predecessors. same thing goes for the GH5 (or maybe it will be just like the GH4 because it's just couple of years old !!!)
The Nikon looked over-exposed to me. I think using a light meter can be tricky since there is some leeway in meeting the exposure (i.e. the ISO spec allows for a 1/3 stop variance), plus each lens may be letting through more or less light at the same aperture. A grey card would would provide a neutral way to set exposure. It'd be great if you could test with the same lens (say a Sigma 50mm art, with native mounts for each camera)
Good to see them compared. Was this shot in raw? What iso was the DR at? It's weird the canon has more DR than the Nikon as all other tech reviews say the Nikon has a stop more than the Canon. And i have a suggestion: Try using the face or eye detect or af tracking on continuous on the a7rii while moving backwards with the subject, it will fail completely. I got a hit rate of less than 20% on that. While on my canon i pull these without any trouble.
The Sony looked consistently the warmest color tone wise, The Nikon looked the clearest in comparison. The Canon was the most even, contrast wise - but my favorite untouched images were the Sony surprisingly - I would love to see a comparison of your favorite top -of -the- line travel/ point & shoot cams next - thanks ;)
There's a big problem with the Sony A7RII - it can't track moving subjects to save it's life and before anyone comments, I own the A7RII and it's the greatest camera I have ever used - except when it comes to tracking. Sony G lenses suffer from focus shifting i.e. the focus acquired when the lens is wide open shifts when the lens closes to a smaller preset aperture. So they "solved" this issue, via a firmware update, by changing the focusing system. It now acquires a basic lock wide open, then closes to the preset aperture, refocuses and then tries to track. Unfortunately at f8 the awesome phase detection AF disables and the camera hunts like you wouldn't believe! I was using a 200mm lens at a fashion show and at under 30 feet the area of focus is less than 3 feet using f8. So to ensure I got the clothing sharp I set the aperture at f8 and my lens hunted and missed the focus time and time again! Remember, the models were walking at less than 5mph and it could even track that speed. I switched to my other telephotos, all top lenses and it happened with each and every one of them. Sony are aware of the problem and have been for over a year since they have been inundated with compaints about this.The majority of owners have requested a firmware update allowing a choice of focusing either wide open or closed - and they've done nothing. Don't believe me, try it and see what happens or if you haven't the time go on the net and look it up, you'll find lots of complaints on the subject. So if you want an awesome camera for motionless subjects get the A7RII but if you shoot subjects that move, forget it and buy a DSLR. One last thought... I was considering buying the new A9 and then I realised if Sony have wrecked the A7RII with this via the firmware what's to stop them doing it with the A9? Be wary buying either of them. In the meantime I and many thousands of others are stuck with a camera that's fine as long as what we shoot is basically dead and not moving until Sony get their finger out and fix the problem. One unhappy A7RII owner...
As a Person who currently shoots both Nikon and Sony, I liked the comparison, even with the various lens issues so many have rightly brought up. I think it could have been done a little differently also, perhaps not only the native lens comparison, but also with the Sigma 50mm art lens; to see the effects of a common lens across the board. While I like my Sony for traveling, I prefer the Nikon overall, but really, isn't that what it comes down to, preference. All are great cameras, there is no panacea in the world of photography. Keep the great videos coming!
OMG you guys, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I'm actually trying to decide which of these 3 cameras to buy. I'm normally a Canon girl and own a 70D with a combination of amazing lenses: Canon 10-22, Canon 50mm 1.8, Sigma 30mm 1.4 and sigma 20mm 1.4 so naturally wanted to stay with Canon and go for the 5dmk4 as my 2nd but main camera - for fashion shoots, weddings, etc. However watching all of these videos, I'm starting to realise the sony a7Rii is the best of all 3. I know I can't go wrong with any of them but if I'm able to save £1000 and get another nice glass (hopefully the 24-70) and still end up with a pretty amazing body then I'll be winning! Thanks so much for making this x
Looks like a kit lens on the Nikon compared to the canon L lens being used at least stick a descent lens on it. We all know the dynamic range of the d810 slaughters the canon if you expose it right in the first place. Yes it exposes brighter so adjust don’t blow out the highlights then say the no detail to recover. Sorry rant over great channel 😊
Yep, I treat my D810 like I do slide film. I expose for the highlights and recover mid tones and shadows in post. Using the D810 I can consistently recover three stops of shadow in post.
One very important aspect you don't mention or take advantage of is the picture style setting. You can increase the dynamic range considerably by using the neutral setting on the Canon and Nikon. I have not used the Sony, so that I don't know about. Also as someone mentioned using a Sigma lens for all would have been more fair. You are matching a $1500 dollar Canon lens against a $200 dollar Nikon lens. Plus someone also mentioned here that the Nikon kicks butt at ISO 64. It really does. Thanks though for your time on this.
Hi, I like your channel. I like your videos, but this is not the one. This can be ruin your channel, please do the homework. Make a better comparison video.
Interesting results, You can change focus modes on the Sony to use manual focus The A7r II also has lock on focus to to track the subject as well as eye AF to get very precise tracking
You can't compare camera sharpness unless the only variable is the sensor. Using native lenses (and having filters on) straight away voids the test. Can only be done fairly with a third party lens like the Sigma 50mm Art, at 2.8 that is tack sharp
Interesting. The one thing I was missing was a test of how far you can push the raw files in post before they fall apart. Don't ask me why, but I am very interested in that. Also interesting: dxo-mark seems to do a different test for dynamic range. They rate the A7RII noticeably lower then the D810. Your test seem to show the opposite.
the 5DIV is great. The touch screen and the new posibilities in the custom functions are awesome! Using Backbutton-Focus: switching from AI servo with specific Focus settings and switch back to One-Shot with specific focus settings is something that is sooooo great!!! This customization is unbelievable!
Do I believe the D810 still destroys at image quality, yes, do I own one, yes. But the autofocus that I thought was damn fast at the time is nothing compared to the D5, and yeah I own that too. But I thought something was wrong at first with the D5 cause I couldn't see it focus, when the reality was it was focusing faster than I could notice, which shows how much slower the D810 is. But the D810 on group af has been pretty tried and true just not as fast, so that one out of focus is a pretty big anomaly. What AF mode were you guys using? Also the Nikon does have a form of face detection, but in the metering, so it knows the priority when metering. One last thing if you want to see the true DR of the Nikon you have to stick the picture profile in Lr in flat. Also the D5 is as clean at 800 as the D810 at 64. I know sounds crazy, but hear me out, I think the D810 being mainly for landscapes and studio work has it's true base at 64, the D5 however I think Nikon took a piece of the video market and thought building a sensor with a true base of 800 like a RED or ARRI for the 4K. That is why it is not as good at the 100 base but picks up and dusts everything above 400.
It seemed to me that, at most ISOs, the D810 appeared brighter than the other two cameras, making it seem more blown out. Someone interested in comparing the quality of the image might want to balance the light better in each image and make sure the average light on each face was comparable. For example, the Sony image had the most pleasing facial closeup, with a better balance of shades. This might just be a Nikon in-camera JPG-creation artifact, but I can't compare the different cameras myself. I assume you did no after-capture processing.
sony was consistent during all the tests. I'm thinking to buy a sony camera. Please help me choose between Sony A68 (a-mount) and Sony A6000 (e-mount). a-mount lenses are cheaper than e-mount one. what to choose?
You can see the comparison with the other images. They were in the very same light. As the ISO increases, so does the contrast and that creates the highlights.
This was an inaccurate test. I do not know if they are comparing the camera itself or the lenses for each of the Brand. Hallo, lenses play more than half of the contribution to the image quality. Unless they used the same lens or the test won't show the real ability of each camera body.
not biased because i own the d810, but it came in first or a very close second. yes, the focus was a little weaker than the sony. overall a revised d800 still is a better overall camera for still than the 2016 cameras.
So you guys have an A7Rii and do not even use Continous Eye AF which is a step higher than face detection????! I mean that option alone gives me amazingly accurately sharp eyes at 85mm 1.4. I know you still said the Sony won that test but with Eye AF, the Sony is just untouchable really. And basically as per DXO tests, the Sony has the best sensor even though the Nikon is not far off in some areas. The Sony also has been measured to have cleaner ISO than either of the two camera so really...Sony is just the best, simple as that. ;) Also, you to really compare them you need to compare at the same size since the Canon has the lowest MP then it has an advantage. In any case...Sony's sensor is the king of the hill still. The only reason I would use a Canon is if I was specifically sports shooter which of course means NOT the IV of course.
A7R II high ISO banding is probably from the combination of the AC-powered lighting, the high shutter speed used, and the electronic front curtain shutter (EFCS), not the ISO used. The same problem occurs when using HSS flash at very fast shutter speeds with EFCS. Due to the way it reads the sensor line by line, instead of the shutter opening mechanically starting the exposure, it's like each line is an individual image, while the artificial lighting is continuously pulsing. Turning EFCS off solves the problem. The D810 may also experience this with EFCS on, too. Once global shutter goes mainstream, this won't be a problem.
I primarily shoot DX camera for birds. I am looking to add a FX camera body for wide angle low light shots. Do you think Nikon d810 will be a good second body or should I look at Nikon 750 / D3/D4 etc..
As most people have said, this wasn't a fair or accurate test. All three of those lenses have completely different characteristics which will affect sharpness, contrast and focusing speed. Not once was the anti alias filter mentioned which is why the canon isn't as sharp. And this is the only comparison I've seen where the Sony didn't blow the others out of the water with ISO and dynamic range performance.
There is two settings on Sony that could be responsible for your AF problem. Pre-AF (auto focus is always working) or Eye-Start AF (auto focus starts working when EVF's proximity sensor is activated) turn both of them OFF. From how did you guys used it I'm going to say it is Pre-AF.
sony: press the MF/AF override button. then hit the shutter for AF. simple. I always look forward to content you produce, because you have no tech bias whatsoever, which is the way it should be. The thing that stood out to me the most is how different the color is between all of them. Even balanced at 6000K clearly all the cameras interpret very differently. I'm not one of the guys who believes any manufacturers color science is 'better', only that the each prefer a specific look which they intentionally want to be different. After all, who buys a Nikon for Canon colors, right?
Thanks a ton for the tip Trevor! We were going nuts trying to figure it out. The difference in color was definitely the thing that interested me the most. At this level, all the cameras should perform well enough for most people's needs; but I'm always curious about color differences. It's one of the few things that still really sets one camera apart from the next these days.
I'm sorry, but most of these tests tested the lenses before testing the cameras themselves. I have a Canon 5D IV, four Canon L lenses, and two SP Tamrons. But if I'm shooting at 50mm, in my experience, the 1.8 STM blows them all away. See what DxOMark says about the 50mm L vs. the STM. If you had used the STM in these tests, your results for the Canon would have been different, including the results for contrast. Also focus speed, consistency, accuracy, and detail sharpness. (But I love your other content.)
Yep! We don't know anything about the lenses used. They make huge difference in these tests! My Nikon 85 1.4 is slow in focus, so it requires more skill to get tack sharp images of walking people.
Horrible comparison... Tthe Canon was way more contrast than the Nikon, not the other way around. The Nikon is brighter, not more contrasty. Do you guys even know what contrast is? Also... The Sony is a maze of menu's... Yes, if you never used it. Maybe you should get to know the camera before doing a comparison so you actually know what you are talking about? The wire focus that Sony has is actually very smart, because this way you can't break the autofocus motor. What you are doing to those lenses, spin the focus ring while it's in auto focus, will break your autofocus. And every photographer knows that move the camera focus and than create a new composition doesn't work because of paralax, your focus will be off when you make a new composition. You do know you can actually select the focus point so you don't have to recomposite, right? And "nailing focus" has nothing to do with the amount of megapixels... Megapixels only determins the size of your images, not the sharpness and focus. Same as with the dynamic range, know your camera! Both the Sony and the Nikon have a much better dynamic range, just look at DxO. But the thing is, to get the most of your dynamic range, you need to know your camera. And work in a flat profile! The Nikon needs to be at ISO 50 to get the most out of the dynamic range and the Sony works better in highlights than in shadows and has to be exposed to the right. And both the Nikon and Sony have much better flat profiles than the Canon, thus giving them even more dynamic range. And the low light situation is not what I call a low light situation... But this again proves the lack of knowledge "the contrast seems to increase with increased ISO". Yes... That's normal, dynamic range becomes less with a higher ISO. But you guys should take a better look because the D810 tends to drop the hardest in dynamic range. From 14.5 stops in ISO 100 to 10.5 stops in ISO 1600. And yes, the Sony has more noise in darker areas, even at low ISO. That's why you shouldn't work with an a7 if you don't know how to work with it. Please, know how to use the camera properly before doing a comparion. Every camera works differently and has different ways to optimize it's performance
What lens were you using? The Lens plays a big part in how well the camera will perform. And if they are the same lens, some are better then another of the same focal length. Glass matters most in a camera's out put.
c'mon, folks, cheer up .. this test wasn't that bad.. BRENDA. I never owned a Canon, don't ask why, yet it beats everything in 1 department - color. fantastic.
Nice and fair video. I do not understand why you have chosen native lenses. This gives a huge impact. The Canon EF 50mm f1.2L is not a really good one. It is slow and not the sharpest..... just as an idea. And the Autofocusing: yes you should compare it in live view with the Sony. In live view the Canon is an excellent mirrorless camera: the first hybrid camera: DSLR mirrorless...
@The Slanted Lens, "the fixed banding" is from using electronic front shutter. the IQ increases noticeably by turning that off. The DMF focus mode will let you override focus, OR.. there's the dedicated button on the BACK called MF/AF which will allow you to toggle the modes. this could have been a nice comparison if it was researched a little better.
I think the brightness,dynamic range & iso test go wrong here! Base ISO of D810 is 64 which is 2/3 stops lower than 100,I searched on google for other 2 cameras & it's 100 for them. Now if you want to compare them with identical settings,you need to go 2/3 stop down on D810 or up on other 2. I think the real results may be seen that way!
Did you verify the AF micro adjustment on the Canon? My 5D3 is much sharper than what you are showing from the 5D4. I don't own a 5D4 yet but a good friend who shoots sports and landscape has one and his images are deadly sharp. Something is wrong with your setup.
Please do us the courtesy of learning how to use the cameras before you do a review. Aren't you meant to be professionals? Focus on the Sony is not exactly rocket science. you are just embarrassing yourselves
Thanks for this test, overall very useful. One thing which would really help me is to know how you processed these shots in terms of colour. Firstly, were the images RAW or OOC jpegs? If RAW, which processor was used, and which colour profile (or did you create custom colour profiles with, e.g., a colorchecker passport, etc.). Otherwise any of these are great, but I'm more interested in colour science at this point.
Every body is good body language and very good tutiral . I very very happy with very good direction and very good stayil. I proud you all team . All the Best.
i shoot sony because it shoots still every bit as good a nikon and canon. but the video package is more comprehensive in terms of moniyoring tools, log, codec, and DR.
trevorpinnocky I don't shoot video at all and I wish there were no video features on my camera. I don't want to pay for stuff I never use and it just clutters up my menus.
everything from the canon 80D to the nikon D5500, D7200, D610, D810, D800, D750, Canon 7D, 6d, 5D Mk iii, 5D Mk IV, 1DC, 1Dx II, Sony a7, a7s, a7ii, a7r , a7r ii .. on and on and on and on..The Fujis, olympus om-e em-1 mk ii, ... ALL shoot video... The new Hasselblad MF, the new Fuji, . ALL shoot video... Maybe the Nikon Df, a flop of camera, doesn't. very very very few cameras are without video anymore. It doesn't mean your opinion is invalid. It means you're in the minority. You can't run a business on niche products.
you guys think the face detection feature is cool on the Sony, but what's even better than that is Eye-AF, it literally locks on focus on the closest eye (of the subject to the sensor)
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