Canon 5D Mark IV Dynamic Range

ziggy53

I just posted a comment on DPReview regarding a comment they made about the Canon 5D Mark IV and Dynamic Range. Below is the full comment repeated:
(Permalink to the comment)

Regarding the review comment about the Canon 5D Mark IV, "Although its dynamic range still isn't best-in-class", I would point out that, according to DXOMark, by ISO 200, the Canon 5D Mark IV dynamic range (DR) is the same as the Nikon D810. By ISO 400 the Canon 5D Mark IV leads the Nikon D810, and continues to lead in DR through all higher-sensitivity ISOs.

The Canon 5D Mark IV leads in high-ISO dynamic range, and in SNR 18% for that matter, where it counts. It would be appreciated if DPReview would accurately represent the facts. (Exposure Latitude and ISO Invariance are interesting, but not representative of Dynamic Range by itself.)

In short, the Canon dynamic range ranks with the best sensors out there for High-ISOs (along with the Sony a7R II).

This is not a slam against the Nikon D810, which is an extremely well designed camera, nor is it a slam against Nikon in general. I own lots of Nikon SLR and dSLR bodies, and truly enjoy and appreciate them as fine cameras.

In support of my claim:

(Feel free to corroborate: https://www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-side/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-IV-versus-Nikon-D810___1106_963)

The yellow freehand line surrounds those ISOs where the Nikon is better. The red freehand line surrounds those ISOs where the Canon is better. Significantly, the Canon sensor is better when the cameras are DR limited, which is at High-ISOs, and that's the region where reduced DR matters most.

Tasmanian

For me, you can't see the difference beetween two pics...

ziggy53

@Tasmanian said:
For me, you can't see the difference beetween two pics...

For RAW files, the lowest ISOs and default settings, the extended DR of the two cameras is largely lost on both cameras. You need to use extraordinary processing of the RAW files in order to make the D810 "reveal" its extra DR. The point is that by ISO 128,000* ISO 12,800 the Canon 5D Mark IV has around 1 EV (roughly 1 stop) of extra DR. So 8 EVs of DR for the 5D Mark IV, vs 7 EVs for the D810.

If you need to push the exposure in post, or if you need twice the shutter speed (which you would gain by increasing both ISO and shutter speed), the extra DR of the 5D-IV is going to be appreciated.

(I'll be honest here and admit that if printing, due to the extra resolution of the D810, it's really never worse than 2/3 EV worse than the 5D-IV because of the normalizing effects of printing. The full 1 EV advantage of the 5D-IV is only available at the pixel level. Still, the 2/3 EV advantage of the 5D-IV is nothing to sneer at when you are DR limited.)

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• Edited to correct typo, too many zeros.