High-ISO Cameras For Pros Pixel Sensor Pixel Normal Extended Count Size (mm) Size* ISO Range ISO Range Full-Frame DSLR Canon EOS-1D X 18.1 MP 36.0x24.0 6.9 100-51200 50-204800 Canon EOS 5D Mark III 22.3 MP 36.0x24.0 6.3 100-25600 50-204800 Canon EOS 6D 20.2 MP 35.8x23.9 6.6 100-25600 50-102400 Nikon D4S 16.2 MP 36.0x23.9 7.3 100-25600 50-409600 Nikon Df 16.2 MP 36.0x23.9 7.3 100-12800 50-204800 Nikon D810 36.3 MP 35.9x24.0 4.9 64-12800 32-51200 Nikon D750 24.3 MP 35.9x24.0 6.0 100-12800 50-51200 Nikon D610 24.3 MP 35.9x24.0 6.0 100-6400 50-25600 Sony SLT-A99 24.3 MP 35.8x23.9 6.0 100-25600 N/A APS-C DSLR Canon EOS 7D Mark II 20.2 MP 22.4x15.0 4.1 100-16000 100-51200 Nikon D7100 24.3 MP 23.5x15.6 3.9 100-6400 100-25600 Pentax K-3 23.4 MP 23.5x15.6 3.9 100-51200 N/A Sony SLT-A77 Mark II 24.3 MP 23.5x15.6 3.9 100-25600 N/A Medium-Format DSLR Hasselblad H5D-50c 50 MP 43.8x32.9 5.3 100-6400 N/A Leica S Typ 007 37.5 MP 45.0x30.0 6.0 200-6400 100-6400 Pentax 645Z 50 MP 43.8x32.8 5.3 100-204800 N/A Phase One IQ250** 50 MP 44.0x33.0 5.3 100-6400 N/A Full-Frame Mirrorless Sony a7S 12.4 MP 35.8x23.9 8.4 100-409600 N/A Sony a7R 36.3 MP 35.9x24.0 4.9 100-25600 50-25600 Sony a7 24.3 MP 35.8x23.9 6.0 100-25600 50-25600 APS-C Mirrorless Fujifilm FinePix X-T1 16.3 MP 23.6x15.6 4.8 200-6400 100-51200 Fujifilm FinePix X-Pro1 16.3 MP 23.6x15.6 4.8 200-6400 100-51200 Fujifilm FinePix X-E2 16.3 MP 23.6x15.6 4.8 200-6400 100-25600 Samsung NX1 28.2 MP 23.5x15.7 5.7 100-25600 100-51200 Sony a6000 24.3 MP 23.5x15.6 3.9 100-25600 N/A Micro Four Thirds Mirrorless Olympus OM-D E-M1 16.3 MP 17.3x13.0 3.8 200-25600 100-25600 Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 16.1 MP 17.3x13.0 3.8 200-25600 100-25600 * Pixel size in microns ** Phase One IQ250 is a digital back, which can be used on a number of cameras Note that Pentax, Sony and most medium-format camera makers generally just list one ISO range, not separate normal and extended ranges 28 highest-scoring cameras for Low- ISO shooting. The highest-scoring big boost to high-ISO performance. Light ISO performance in DxOMark. medium-format camera in DxOMark. (DxOMark.com hadn’t tested these com’s sensor ratings are all full-frame com’s high-ISO ratings ranks 36th, and sensors at press time.) models. The highest-rated APS-C it does that by binning pixels, which Note that many cameras have a “nor- camera ranks 29th; the highest-rated reduces its 40-megapixel resolution to mal” ISO range and an “expanded” Micro Four Thirds model is 76th. 10 megapixels. That’s changing, how- range. The expanded range pushes Medium-format sensors histori- ever. Within the last year, Hasselblad, the processing more, thus image qual- cally haven’t been great at high-ISO Pentax and Phase One have introduced ity suffers. Also, you can generally set 1 photography because they have been 50-megapixel medium-format cameras normal-range ISOs in ⁄3-stop incre- CCD-type sensors, not CMOS, and based on Sony’s first medium-format ments, while the expanded ISOs go in they have been optimized for low- CMOS sensor, and this should give a full stops. digitalphotopro.com January/February 2015 | 77 DPPAB14_HiISO.indd 77 12/4/14 3:53 PM.