Nikon D3s - ISO 100,000 anyone?

This is pretty killer. Judging by my experience with the D700, if 12800 is now "Commercial quality," ISO 51200 should be very useable for black and white with about the same level of "grain" (noise) as Tri-x pushed to 1600. That would allow hand-holding in VERY dim light, and it would allow you to freeze motion with a decent depth of field (f4 to 5.6 or so) in normal nighttime city street shooting scenarios.
 
'Shooting at ISOs as high as 12,800, the D3s can take commercial quality, tack-sharp images in low light at action-freezing shutter speeds - a capability that will open a new world of photographic possibilities.'
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If this is what's needed then great ... I wish the photographers of the world luck. Vividly sharp totally frozen images of action sports etc obviously has appeal ... but not for me!

I sometimes feel that ultra high ISO image capturing, as being persued by Nikon and Canon etc, is totally at odds with nature and how the human eye actually perceives the world!

Or is it just me? 😕


Leica have no need to compete with this sort of thing ... and they'd tie themselves in knots trying IMO!
 
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I think the thing significant about this is where it puts an M9, for example, in five years. With Nikon and Canon battling it out, we'll see unimaginable stuff in five years, as they eliminate mirrors and mechanical shutters, push resolution and eliminate noise at incredibly high ISO's. Wonder what rabbit Canon will pull out of the hat, next? Interesting times.
 
Pickett Wilson said:
I think the thing significant about this is where it puts an M9, for example, in five years. With Nikon and Canon battling it out, we'll see unimaginable stuff in five years, as they eliminate mirrors and mechanical shutters, push resolution and eliminate noise at incredibly high ISO's. Wonder what rabbit Canon will pull out of the hat, next? Interesting times.
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That's the problem for me I'm afraid ... we're now producing 'rabbits' (smart ones albeit) instead of cameras.

I must be showing my age or conservatism, or something ... because I'm over it! 😱 😛
 
Keith said:
If this is what's needed then great ... I wish the photographers of the world luck. Vividly sharp totally frozen images of action sports etc obviously has appeal ... but not for me!

I sometimes feel that ultra high ISO image capturing, as being persued by Nikon and Canon etc, is totally at odds with nature and how the human eye actually perceives the world!

Or is it just me? 😕

Leica have no need to compete with this sort of thing ... and they'd tie themselves in knots trying IMO!
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Part of me looks at it as just another tool in the toolbox, but part of me also looks at it as something that is essentially unprecedented in photography history. With 3200 speed film and an f/1.4 lens, Reciprocity failure kicks in at EV -4. At ISO 102400, the correct exposure for EV -4 is 1/30th at f/1.4- Hand-holdable with a wide lens. The Ultimate Exposure Computer's description of EV -4 is as follows: "Night, away from city lights, subject under half moon." We really aren't far from a camera that is suitable to be handheld under practically any lighting condition, day or night, that we can find.

I just realized a very good thing that will come out of this ISO race- It will force further metering advancements so that light meters can keep up with the capabilities of the sensors. More advanced, more sensitive light meters are a bonus for everyone, whether you shoot digital or film.
 
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Merkin said:
Part of me looks at it as just another tool in the toolbox, but part of me also looks at it as something that is essentially unprecedented in photography history. With 3200 speed film and an f/1.4 lens, Reciprocity failure kicks in at EV -4. At ISO 102400, the correct exposure for EV -4 is 1/30th at f/1.4- Hand-holdable with a wide lens. The Ultimate Exposure Computer's description of EV -4 is as follows: "Night, away from city lights, subject under half moon." We really aren't far from a camera that is suitable to be handheld under practically any lighting condition, day or night, that we can find.
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I see your point with the wides etc as a 15mm Heliar in a dark space can be very frustrating ... but these things are starting to see better than we do ... the machines are going to take over the world ...

I'm off to my bunker! 😀
 
Vividly sharp totally frozen images of action sports etc obviously has appeal
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Yep, for sports magazines and newspapers who pay money for such shots. I suspect that a friend who shoots UEFA Cup and other football matches will probably get one of these as soon as it comes out.
 
jke said:
Yep, for sports magazines and newspapers who pay money for such shots. I suspect that a friend who shoots UEFA Cup and other football matches will probably get one of these as soon as it comes out.
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It isnt just sports mags and newspapers that will benefit. Anyone who likes shooting at night will.

The High ISO gains aside, the other big news on the D3s is the introduction of a "quiet mode." I don't know how quiet the quiet mode will be, but between that and an ISO that goes to 11 on the STS (spinal tap scale), a massive, chunky DSLR could very well set the new benchmark for night-time street shooting.
 
Completely ridiculous and I swear it's true that the folks that lust for this kind technology are the ones responsible for turning out the photographic dribble that's poured all over the pages of glossy magazines, bilboards and packets of toilet paper.

I'd me more impressed with a true super speed film, but then who wouldn't?


No doubt some hack from the National Geo. will be craving one to shoot bats in a cave though. Fair enough.
 
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Once you can't see to set the controls, or focus the camera, you have to rely on automation. How long before we also need image intensifiers just to see through the finder?

Cheers,

R.
 
Well, as others have said, the advantage isn't seeing in total darkness but giving us higher shutter speeds and smaller apertures in low light situations. I think Nikon has really changed the game with this camera.
 
Keith said:
[...]

I sometimes feel that ultra high ISO image capturing, as being persued by Nikon and Canon etc, is totally at odds with nature and how the human eye actually perceives the world!

Or is it just me? 😕


Leica have no need to compete with this sort of thing ... and they'd tie themselves in knots trying IMO!
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Keith, don't you find that photography as a whole is at odds with the way we perceive the world? For me, that's one of the more appealing traits of the art. I feel that at time one of my photographs is more "real" and concrete than the the event, moment in time, or subject it represents. At other times, a picture feels like a more abstract representation of the subjects I tried to depict. In the latter case, this is not due necessarily to a technical attribute of the photo (e.g. OOF area, blur, lighting) but just to they way time was sliced in the photo. Either way, I find that my photos are usually at odds with the way I perceive everyday life.

I've not seen yet a HDR picture that I like, but that says more about more about my lack of research in this technique, or perhaps the skill of the photographers who have attempted it. However, in the hand of a capable artist I have no doubts HDR could have merit and be more than a gimmick.

The increased ISO sensitivity might lead to an equally bland and uninspiring crop of photos, but I'm equally confident that good photographers would put the capability to good use. With the caveat that for me photography is always a surreal art form, I think increased light sensitivity might actually produce images that are more "natural" (though not necessarily better) than ones that are flash-flooded.
 
I'm kind of hoping that sony/nikon/zeiss can turn this progress into a lowlight, lightweight, rangefinder mean lean photographic machine.. 😛
 
I may be totally wrong, but I have faith that Japanese camera makers will deliver us a full frame digital sensor in an OM-ish size (not necessarily design, but size) SLR body within 3-5 years. Obviously it won't be an all manual camera, and it'll have 65 point matrix auto-whatever, but you'll be able to turn that stuff off if you'd like, and it'll be pretty damn cool.
 
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