The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) test on the D800:
http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3335_s02.pdf
" Conclusion
- The camera has very limited controls when in video mode, but has reasonable connectivity, allowing full- resolution external monitoring and recording.
- Sound facilities are sparse, the internal microphone is adequate for note-taking or guide sound, and the microphone connector is a 3.5mm jack offering only un-balanced input.
( The test procedures were as described and recommended by the EBU, in Tech 3335 (http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3335.pdf). )
- Video performance is not really acceptable at 1080p, much less so at 720p. Even though the sensor has 36.8 million photo-sites, it achieves only about 1,355x764, little better than 1,280x720.
- Noise levels are very low, even with ISO settings up to 6,400.
- Significant coloured spatial aliasing is always present, and is clearly visible even on the camera’s LCD display (921k pixels, about 1,176x784).
- In theory, meticulous control of the shooting style can reduce this but is unlikely to eliminate it, by using only motivated pans together with fairly short depth of field, such that detail out of the focused plane is always soft and therefore can never provoke aliasing.
- Exposure range is, potentially, as high as 12 stops, although this will be limited by the acceptability of the noise levels near black.
- Colour performance is good, and the camera does not respond to infra-red illumination.
- Motion portrayal is good, the effects of the rolling shutter are nicely suppressed.
- This camera cannot be recommended for serious programme-making.
D4 is on their recommended list.
http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3335_s02.pdf
" Conclusion
- The camera has very limited controls when in video mode, but has reasonable connectivity, allowing full- resolution external monitoring and recording.
- Sound facilities are sparse, the internal microphone is adequate for note-taking or guide sound, and the microphone connector is a 3.5mm jack offering only un-balanced input.
( The test procedures were as described and recommended by the EBU, in Tech 3335 (http://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3335.pdf). )
- Video performance is not really acceptable at 1080p, much less so at 720p. Even though the sensor has 36.8 million photo-sites, it achieves only about 1,355x764, little better than 1,280x720.
- Noise levels are very low, even with ISO settings up to 6,400.
- Significant coloured spatial aliasing is always present, and is clearly visible even on the camera’s LCD display (921k pixels, about 1,176x784).
- In theory, meticulous control of the shooting style can reduce this but is unlikely to eliminate it, by using only motivated pans together with fairly short depth of field, such that detail out of the focused plane is always soft and therefore can never provoke aliasing.
- Exposure range is, potentially, as high as 12 stops, although this will be limited by the acceptability of the noise levels near black.
- Colour performance is good, and the camera does not respond to infra-red illumination.
- Motion portrayal is good, the effects of the rolling shutter are nicely suppressed.
- This camera cannot be recommended for serious programme-making.
D4 is on their recommended list.
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