Camera comparison

Nikon D3X, D800 and various lenses

The combination of equipment owned by a friend and I enabled us to perform various tests comparing the Nikon D3X, the D800, and an assortment of lenses. Below is a subset summary of our testing.

Test Goals:

1. Compare image details on D3X versus D800.
2. Develop impressions on Zeiss Makro-Planar T* 2/50 ZF.2, Nikon 50mm f1.8 and Nikon 24-70f2.8 at 50mm.
3. Develop impressions on Nikon 24mm and 45mm PC-E lenses.

Other lenses were tested such as Nikon's 14-24mm f2.8, and we also tested all of the above at various apertures, but for purposes of this page I am highlighting summary findings. All pictures presented below are shot at f8. We did not explore high ISO capabilities during this session and shot all images at ISO 100. These tests aren't meant to be fully comprehensive, but are intended to give us an initial impression of the two camera bodies with a mix of lenses.

Test Conditions:

1. Both cameras set on a sturdy tripod.
2. Both cameras set to RAW, 12 bit mode.
4. All results below were taken at f8.
5. Both cameras set to ISO 100.
7. Both cameras focused on the same exact spot (I did use autofocus, or camera assisted focus for lenses without autofocus).

RAW Processing:

1. Both image files were opened in Photoshop CS5.
2. No sharpening applied, minor exposure adjustments may have been made as required.

Below are two images of the overall scene, taken with each of the two cameras.

D3X with Zeiss 50mm lens

D800 with Zeiss 50mm lens

The next three images explore detail between the two camera bodies.

Full image crop of D3X with Zeiss 50mm lens.

Full image crop of D800 with Zeiss 50mm lens.

D3X image on left, enlarged (Bicubic smoother) to 7,360 pixels across to match D800 horizontal image size.
D800, on right, shows a little more detail clarity as would be expected.

Focusing on the D800, we compare Nikon's 24-70 f2.8 zoom set at 50mm against the Zeiss 50mm lens.

Zeiss 50mm on left, Nikon's 24-70 f2.8 on right, both shot with the D800 camera. The Zeiss shows notably more sharpness.

The next image compares the D3X / Zeiss 50mm combo versus the D800 / Nikon 24-70 f2.8: That is, the lower resolution camera
with the sharper lens against a higher resolution camera with a slightly less sharp lens.

D3X/Zeiss 50mm on left, D800/Nikon 24-70mm (at 50mm) on right. In this setting, the D3X with the Zeiss 50mm
seems to render more detail than the higher resolution D800 with Nikon's 24-70mm lens. Once again, the
D3X image was slightly enlarged using bicubic smoother to match the D800's larger size.

The next image compares Zeiss 50mm prime verus Nikons 50mm f1.8 prime lens on the D800 body.

The Zeiss lens, on the left, appears to show more clarity in this test.

The next two images are additional reference shots using Nikon's 24mm and 45mm perspective control lenses.

D800 full image crop with Nikon's 24mm PC-E lens.

D800 full image crop with Nikon's 45mm PC-E lens.