Independent imaging lab DxOMark,
has awarded the Nikon D800 its highest sensor score ever. The French company
empirically measures sensor qualities such as dynamic range, colour depth and
image noise.
The camera not only outscored
every other DSLR, including the recently announced flagship Nikon D4, it has surpassed the entire medium-format field,
which comprises considerably more expensive cameras such as the Phase One IQ180.
“…the D800 achieves the best
dynamic range and the highest color sensitivity ever measured, taking the lead
on the DxOMark scale with 95 points,” explained Dr. Frédéric Guichard, DxO
Labs’ Chief Scientific Officer.
“This camera illustrates the
consistent improvement that digital camera manufacturers have been able to achieve
in the last few years, mimicking Moore’s law that has ruled the silicon
industry for decades now.”
Looking back over past DxOMark tests
you can see the progress of sensor performance over the past decade. In 2002
the Canon 1Ds scored 63, while in 2007 the Nikon D3 and the Canon 1Ds Mark III
both acheved a DxOMark score of 80.
The
current top three cameras on the DxOMark list are the Nikon D800 (95), Phase
One IQ180 Digital Back (91) and Nikon D4 (89).
