Body Comparison

All at f/4, ISO 200, FA 100mm.

istD




K10D




K7




All at same metering and sized to 1477 pixels wide. I just noticed the colour space is Adobe on the istD and K10....

Regards

If you resize to 800 pixels wide before uploading to Photobucket the forum will handle the images better.

In any event, there's a bit of a problem with clipping of the yellow tones, meaning that detail in the brightest part is being lost. A slight reduction in exposure will help.

It's interesting that you say two of the images are AdobeRGB, because for the web somewhere they are being changed to sRGB anyway. Whichever colour space you choose, it's essential that the camera and Photoshop are set to the same. You will also get better results with web display if you make your images sRGB.

Did you not get a warning dialog from Photoshop about colour spaces when you opened the files?

Hope that helps!

I will re-shoot as the wind did not help. Sizes will be 800. PS is set to sRGB. Don't recall any warning messages. I didn't want to alter exposures.

I am looking to see what each sensor/electronics offere from body to body. If anything, I may change to centre weighted rather than matrix metering.

Hopefully the sun will shine again tomorrow?

Regards

That may help. I have centre weighted metering set on all my digital cameras and find that exposures are less prone to over-exposure as a result.

I'm sorry to put a dampener on your little experiment

to do is properly you need to standardise all three camera's first.

the reason

all three camera's will see colour differently

calibrate each camera and save in bridge with some think like x-rite

then shoot your subject with the same lens (even different lenses will see colour differently )

then lets see the difference in sensors

James

Not a dampner James.

The cameras will be set as I normally use them. Everything straight line and mid point so no extra colour boost, sturation and contrast etc. I had not realised that the K10 and istD were set to Adobe RGB as I have been using the K7 for the last few months.

The same lens was used, the 100mm f/2.8 macro. Iso will be 200 as thats as low as the istD can go.

As for calibration, not an option. I use the cameras at the highest quality JPEG and live with whatever results.

I never bother calibrating screens anymore as I don't change anything on the image. I ignore any difference in colour between the laptop and the desktop as I know the camera image is as it should be from the camera.

Basic work I'm prepared to do is crop, levels/curves, sharpening and if needed a mono conversion.

My reasons:
A digital body is equivalent to one type of film. Yes you can enhance colour and contrast in camera, but I dont.

I also believe that a certain body/lens combination produces better IQ than other combinations. My istD with the Sigma 70-200EX Mk1 is a killer combo. IMO.

My K10D seems to like the 50mm f/1.4 better than other lenses. IMO. The K7 is easy to feed, at the moment I think it likes anyhting on the front which has to be a good thing.

Most importantly, it's the confidence in the body/lens combo that has the most impact for me. I can get on with the shots and I know what the results will be.

I'll do round two toorrow and make an effort to keep things standardised.
I may even do comparisons with the D700 and Minolta 7D with links to those images rather than post directly here.

Best regards

Well the istD has come out with the best image IMO.
That is a strange statement in my opinion, because the camera offers different sensitivity settings and even jpeg settings, so it's a lot more versatile than a single type of film. And I see the RAW conversion process as analogous to developing a negative. One of the main reasons for the difference in these shots is the things the processing engine is doing to the RAW image. In a RAW converter, you could probably replicate the effect you see in shot 1. I see that flexibility as desirable. But... each to his own I guess!

will be interesting to see.

OK. Just been out and shot the three cameras, istD, K10D and K7 using the new (to me) Pentax A 50mm f/1.7 that I bought this morning.

Here are the images. All from the same tripod spot.

istD




K10D




K7




All at ISO 200 and f/4. Odd that the K10D used 1/750 second whilst the istD and K7 used 1/500. Any one got any explanations? Although set to matrix, I believe the metering defaults to center weighted when a manual lens is fitted?

No sharpening. A miniscule level adjustment, no curves and sized to 800 pixels from the full image.

Regards

I read previously about the AWB and forgot to set it to daylight!!!

Will re-shoot and see if the K10 pulls back in line.

Regards

Whaite balance set to daylight. All else as before. Maybe a little closer with the tripod though.

istD 50mm daylight WB




K10D 50mm daylight WB




K7 50mm daylight WB




No curves or sharpening. VERY VERY slight touch of level adj just to bring cursor under histogram at the white end.

All shutter speeds now show same.

Regards

Strange, but I do prefer the way the istD renders the colours, they appear to be the most natural and warm. You would assume the the more modern the sensor the better the colour handling, but to me this appears the reverse.

The K10D has a slight tendency to yellow, probably intrinsic to the design. The IistD is warm neutral and the K7 neutral.

Of course you could change this with all the cameras.

The pictures look much better than the first set!