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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · D800: 12-bit RAW vs. 14-bit RAW



slrl0ver wrote:

I would love to see some samples, and/or crops comparing 12-bit vs 14-bit.



Let me first start off by saying yes, there is a difference between 12-bit vs. 14-bit, and lossy vs. lossless. No question there, since the file sizes suggest this quite clearly. The real question (to be made individually by each photographer) is whether those differences are relevant to their shooting style.



Okay, with that out of the way, let me start with some simple examples. Here are 9 crops at 100% from the D800 at ISO 6400. To make things easier, I've only used the extreme raw compression settings: either 12-bit lossy (about a 35MB NEF) or 14-bit lossless (about a 50MB NEF). Click on the thumbnail to download the full-resolution file:



[url=http://luxography.ca/Images/DWF/12vs14-3x3.jpg]http://luxography.ca/Images/DWF/12vs14-3x3.jpg [/url]



Can you see any differences? Are you able to tell which images are shot at what settings? This is the point many people have made in the past: there is a mathematical difference between the various compression options, but you are not going to notice 99.9% of the time. I figure I'll use this as a starting point, then move on to situations that do show the differences. Let me first start off by saying, there is a difference between 12-bit vs. 14-bit, and lossy vs. lossless. No question there, since the file sizes suggest this quite clearly. The real question (to be made individually by each photographer) is whether those differences are relevant to their shooting style.Okay, with that out of the way, let me start with some simple examples. Here are 9 crops at 100% from the D800 at ISO 6400. To make things easier, I've only used the extreme raw compression settings: either 12-bit lossy (about a 35MB NEF) or 14-bit lossless (about a 50MB NEF). Click on the thumbnail to download the full-resolution file:Can you see any differences? Are you able to tell which images are shot at what settings? This is the point many people have made in the past: therea mathematical difference between the various compression options, but you are not going to notice 99.9% of the time. I figure I'll use this as a starting point, then move on to situations that do show the differences.





Apr 08, 2012 at 10:47 PM