09-23-2010, 11:58 AM
[quote name='Brightcolours' timestamp='1285242149' post='3153']
The bayer pattern does not actually soften the image... it is quite capable of recording luminance (where the detail lays) to a surprising degree.
The AA-filter is not bayer specific... one can also put an AA-filter in front of a foveon sensor for the same reasons (not wanting to record false details and moire effects).
There are two ways to look at diffraction softening. At pixel level (where it makes little sense) and at image level.
At pixel level you probably are correct, the AA-filter "softening" may slightly cover up diffraction softening, but it will not be much at all.
But the low resolution of Sigma sensors till now anyway covered up diffraction softness. So on pixel level, diffraction would be detectable on a 7D much sooner than on a SD14.
On image level (where diffraction actually does matter), there is/will be no difference between cameras with different types of sensors and different resolutions. Diffraction of the projected image will be the same with similar sized sensors. A lower resolution sensor merely will cover up diffraction softness due to its own lack of resolution.
[/quote]
Working backwards, I'm with you on the last point. I'm not normally a pixel peeper and recognise "good enough", and think too many people lose sight of the bigger picture where it matters.
In the case of the SD1 sensor, we do have something very different from everything else. At a technology level, I want to know what possible level of improvements it can give in the best case, even if in practice it wont necessarily deliver that in every case. So pixel peeping is worth doing initially to see what it really delivers. If you do so, you need to make sure the rest of the system isn't the limiting factor hence the diffraction consideration.
The bayer pattern does not actually soften the image... it is quite capable of recording luminance (where the detail lays) to a surprising degree.
The AA-filter is not bayer specific... one can also put an AA-filter in front of a foveon sensor for the same reasons (not wanting to record false details and moire effects).
There are two ways to look at diffraction softening. At pixel level (where it makes little sense) and at image level.
At pixel level you probably are correct, the AA-filter "softening" may slightly cover up diffraction softening, but it will not be much at all.
But the low resolution of Sigma sensors till now anyway covered up diffraction softness. So on pixel level, diffraction would be detectable on a 7D much sooner than on a SD14.
On image level (where diffraction actually does matter), there is/will be no difference between cameras with different types of sensors and different resolutions. Diffraction of the projected image will be the same with similar sized sensors. A lower resolution sensor merely will cover up diffraction softness due to its own lack of resolution.
[/quote]
Working backwards, I'm with you on the last point. I'm not normally a pixel peeper and recognise "good enough", and think too many people lose sight of the bigger picture where it matters.
In the case of the SD1 sensor, we do have something very different from everything else. At a technology level, I want to know what possible level of improvements it can give in the best case, even if in practice it wont necessarily deliver that in every case. So pixel peeping is worth doing initially to see what it really delivers. If you do so, you need to make sure the rest of the system isn't the limiting factor hence the diffraction consideration.
<a class="bbc_url" href="http://snowporing.deviantart.com/">dA</a> Canon 7D2, 7D, 5D2, 600D, 450D, 300D IR modified, 1D, EF-S 10-18, 15-85, EF 35/2, 85/1.8, 135/2, 70-300L, 100-400L, MP-E65, Zeiss 2/50, Sigma 150 macro, 120-300/2.8, Samyang 8mm fisheye, Olympus E-P1, Panasonic 20/1.7, Sony HX9V, Fuji X100.