Lens Diffraction vs Camera Resolution

3 years 4 months ago #703187 by johnfr
I own a 5DSR that I usually use either my 70-200mm f/2.8 or 300mm f/4 prime lens to shoot stitched panorama images. I have been studying the problem of Diffraction with higher resolution cameras as a function of f-stop settings. On my 5DSR 50 megapixel sensor, I see noticeable Diffraction at f/11. At slower settings f/13-f/22 it is of course much worse. I have also studied this on the Sony A7Rii 42 megapixel sensor and see about the same results. If you do the calculations for lower resolution sensors like say a 5Diii with 22 megapixels, Diffraction isn't as big of a concern.

So my question is: The 5DSR has a setting to select either sRAW (2880x4320 pixels), mRAW (4320x6480 pixels) and RAW (5792x8688 pixels). If one were to select the mRAW setting how does the camera process the image? At that setting is is 74.58% of the maximum RAW resolution. Does the camera take some kind of average/weighting between adjacent pixels to come up with the lower resolution? If it does, then it would seem to me that this would help improve the noise which the 5DSR is known for.

Wondering if anyone out there has any insight into this? 


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3 years 4 months ago #703192 by Nikon Shooter

johnfr wrote: So my question is: The 5DSR has a setting to select either sRAW (2880x4320 pixels), mRAW (4320x6480 pixels) and RAW (5792x8688 pixels). If one were to select the mRAW setting how does the camera process the image?


The answer is in the question, John.

As clearly given, the relative pixel count to each sizes shows
the end result where the capture size of the pixel remains the
same throughout so the operation is accomplished either by
resampling or cropping. 

Only the very highest quality lenses have diffraction limited re-
solution, however (and normally) the quality of the lens limits
its ability to resolve detail. — Wiki.

Light is free… capturing it is not!
Photo Comments
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3 years 4 months ago #703193 by Nikon Shooter
ADDENDUM

This is a general optical physics concern that is
not exclusive to any specific manufacturer.

Light is free… capturing it is not!
Photo Comments
,
3 years 4 months ago #703255 by johnfr
I should have mentioned that I am not setting the camera to crop mode. Only changing the resolution. 

Overall, what I am finding that with higher resolution cameras, above about 40 megapixels Diffraction is an issue with even a higher end lens.

I am attaching some of my test results. I have included a example image of my test target.


Attachments:
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3 years 4 months ago #703264 by Ozzie_Traveller
G'day John

You are =also= getting into territory that most here will be unable to answer as it is outside our areas of expertise. You might be better to talk to the optics experts at DP Review.com

Hope this helps
Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

Phil from the great land Downunder
www.flickr.com/photos/ozzie_traveller/sets/

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