Does sensor size impact dynamic range?

1 week 4 days ago #763973 by Ruby Grace
When it comes to the dynamic range of a camera, how much of that range is impacted by the actual size of the sensor?  

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 17-40mmL, 24-105mmL, 100-400mmL, 300mm f/4L IS, Sigma 12-24mm, 430EX, Extension tubes
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1 week 3 days ago - 1 week 3 days ago #763993 by TCav
The difference in dynamic range between a 'Full Frame' sensor and an APS-C sensor is about a single stop. The same is true for the difference between an APS-C sensor and a 'Four-Thirds' sensor.

See www.dxomark.com/Cameras/Compare/Side-by-...S-500D___272_483_586

Click on the Measurements tab, then the Dynamic Range tab. You will see your own EOS 5D Mark II along with two Canon APS-C cameras of about the same era.


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1 week 3 days ago #763995 by Ruby Grace
Very helpful and interesting chart.  Thank you.  Now this brings up another question, when you look at that chart and see how ISO increases, the dynamic range for all the tested cameras drops off fast.  

Is this the case for all cameras or does higher ISO numbers just inherently harm a cameras dynamic range?  

:thx:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 17-40mmL, 24-105mmL, 100-400mmL, 300mm f/4L IS, Sigma 12-24mm, 430EX, Extension tubes
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1 week 2 days ago #763997 by TCav
It's the same for all cameras, though the slope of the decline varies.

Increasing the ISO simply amplifies the digital signal, so noise is amplified and dynamic range is decreased.


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1 week 1 day ago - 6 days 21 hours ago #764013 by TCav
Suppose you had a camera that captured 12 bit RAW images. A single photoreceptor might record a luminance value of:

0000 0111 1111

If you double the ISO, then that value would be:

0000 1111 1110

Doubling the ISO simply shifts the bits to the left while clearing the rightmost bit. The luminance value is doubled, while the most significant data-bit is closer to the maximum. Continuing to double the ISO shifts the bits farther toward the limit, thus approaching the maximum value that can be stored without adding anything of substance, so the dynamic range decreases.

In so doing, errant pixels (image noise) would be more pronounced, and the headroom (dynamic range) would be reduced.


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