willie_901
Veteran
Recently Peter van den Hamer published an informative article on The Luminous Landscape site. If you ever wondered what the DxO Mark ratings were about and what, if any, useful information they contain, this article is a must read.
If you were ever confused or just want to learn more about how sensor size, resolution, ISO and technology developments affect performance, I highly recommend this article. If you want to understand how increasing ISO affects image quality, read this article.
article link[/URL
This article explains that the DxO Mark camera rating essentially evaluates the signal-to-noise ratio of the camera system. Of course SNR is closely linked to the system dynamic range.
The difference between ISO in analog and digital photography is highlighted. There is information that can help us choose the optimum ISO for different circumstances.
The article also explains when sensor size is important and when it's not. It describes how image resolution depends on the lens more than the sensor. It explains the importance of lens speed as the sensor size decreases. It explains and depicts empirical evidence about the role sensor resolution plays (or doesn't play).
The article is well written and it's hard for me to imagine how the factors important to digital image quality could be better explained. The article is long but easy to read.
Many of the anecdotal reports you've read on RFF that compare cameras are verified by the article's conclusions.
Another interesting aspect of the article is you can see how digital camera performance has increased over the past decade.
I realize the DxO Mark ratings can be controversial. By no means am I claiming they are the only factor relevant to camera ownership decisions. The DxO Mark data is only one part of the complicated issues relevant camera ownership decisions. At the same time, DxO's system is a useful way to compare camera SNR. More importantly, the article uses DxO's data for 183 cameras to explain the basics of sensor performance. Whether or not you appreciate DxO's rating system, the article contains valuable insights.
If you were ever confused or just want to learn more about how sensor size, resolution, ISO and technology developments affect performance, I highly recommend this article. If you want to understand how increasing ISO affects image quality, read this article.
article link[/URL
This article explains that the DxO Mark camera rating essentially evaluates the signal-to-noise ratio of the camera system. Of course SNR is closely linked to the system dynamic range.
The difference between ISO in analog and digital photography is highlighted. There is information that can help us choose the optimum ISO for different circumstances.
The article also explains when sensor size is important and when it's not. It describes how image resolution depends on the lens more than the sensor. It explains the importance of lens speed as the sensor size decreases. It explains and depicts empirical evidence about the role sensor resolution plays (or doesn't play).
The article is well written and it's hard for me to imagine how the factors important to digital image quality could be better explained. The article is long but easy to read.
Many of the anecdotal reports you've read on RFF that compare cameras are verified by the article's conclusions.
Another interesting aspect of the article is you can see how digital camera performance has increased over the past decade.
I realize the DxO Mark ratings can be controversial. By no means am I claiming they are the only factor relevant to camera ownership decisions. The DxO Mark data is only one part of the complicated issues relevant camera ownership decisions. At the same time, DxO's system is a useful way to compare camera SNR. More importantly, the article uses DxO's data for 183 cameras to explain the basics of sensor performance. Whether or not you appreciate DxO's rating system, the article contains valuable insights.
