[Klaus]

Useless because of the striping?

The subject is not the issue (what is what makes it "useless" to you), it is the effect you get from the PD AF lines/masking.

How is this for "useless shot"?
https://www.dpreview.com/files/p/articles/9488075251/Dynamic-Range/DSC_0869.acr.jpeg
The striping is much more clear here, in the blue/dark background on both sides of the model.

My comment was not about the striping.
The lighting condition is so extreme in this shot that it is simply no use case in the real world.
Thus what is the point of concluding anything from this?

If you point a laser into your lens, you will surely have even more banding.

As mentioned, the sensor surface is far from being deep black thus freak effects will happen with ALL cameras.

Ever since digital cameras came up there were lots of discussions about banding.
Two months after the release nobody cares anymore because people will start taking real pictures.