If you don't know what an AA filter is, please read this and come back when you're ready.
The issue is actually "Sharpness versus Moiré"
The thing is, most of you have never shot a digital camera without an AA-filter. I'm here to tell you that you haven't seen "sharpness" until you have.
My first experience with the H3DII-31 blew my mind when I saw the image details and raw sharpness straight out of the box. With the Nikon D3 files, you'd have to sharpen it significantly to attain that type of crispness. With the Hasselblad files, it was the way I always wanted them to look; tack sharp.
See the sample image. It's a RAW capture. Don't mind the blemishes. In fact, this might be a rude awakening seeing how if you're using this camera for beauty or fashion what you're going to have to clean up. But this is the kind of detail that I'm talking about with a non-AA filter camera.
Yes, Hasselbald is not Nikon. More sensor, more glass, more details. I get it.
But we're talking about the AA-filter here. Most of which is responsible for the clarity and detail in this image.
So it's a good idea to think about what your intent is. Because at the end of the day you're trading sharpness for moiré or vice versa. Are you shooting non-patterns or patterns. Natural patterns might arise in anything; landscape, fabric/fashion, still life. But usually the known enemies are fabric and architecture. Anything that would naturally be patterned. Personally I think landscape photographers will be fine with non-AA cameras. And even I've been able to get away from moiré with my H3DII-31 for fashion purposes. And yes, I have seen moiré in some of the fabrics I shoot.
For my purposes I would take a non-AA filter over an AA filter camera any day of the week. And if I can't convince you, maybe some of the D800E sample images can. Check out the sharpness on these bad boys!
How will the non-AA filtered D800 videos look? I have no idea. I have no experience with non-AA filtered video.
Moire is now easily corrected with a checkbox on Lightroom 4 :)
ReplyDeleteWhy would you want the AA filter?
Fixing moiré in Lr4 probably introduces some blur. I can't imagine there's an algorithm good enough to find and target moiré exactly.
ReplyDeleteProve me wrong! :)
Learn something new every time I visit your blog! Out of interest, what Polaroid / paper do you shoot with?
ReplyDeleteI don't shoot with Polaroid or paper :)
ReplyDeleteAh, I thought I saw some 'Polaroid' images on your flickr :)
ReplyDeleteThey do look like Polaroid don't they? :) Purely post-processing.
ReplyDeleteYep, must give it a go myself! I'm Belfast based, but one day hoping to attend your workshops. Don't know if you get many Irish candidates!
ReplyDeleteRossco, Irish not yet, but lots from Belgium! :) Hope to see you soon :)
Deleteyou can target moire with local adjustment tools in LR4. It's getting very problematic in video, I wonder if a camera without AA filter is usable for video...
ReplyDeleteI don't see how it would be too bad if the camera's position is changing along with the position of the subject showing moiré... it's only problematic if both are static.
DeleteYour blog posts seem to coincide with the questions I have and seem to come up at exact the right moment too.. it becomes scary
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of rubbish talk on the internet, mostly people talking about things they now nothing about and spreading false truths , I'm glad I ordered the non AA version, and you now confirmed it to be the best choice!