7 replies to this topic

[cjames]

Any opinions on which to buy? Looks like about $1000 price difference, but 12.1 MPix looks nice.

[bvanant]

Not to start another Canon/Nikon/Fuji war but pixels are what count and both the D10 and the S2 have 6 million. The S2 generates those 12 MP via some clever interpolation but it is still interpolation. Also (I am a Canon guy) it would appear from the pictures that I have seen that the CMOS has a slightly better color capture than the CCD. That being said, I would look at some pics from each one (your local pro dealer) and see for yourself.
Bill

[scottyb]

He is correct on the pixel count. However the S2 has a second generation CCD called Super CCD and the color can be agued, greatly. I think it boils down to if you currently have an investment in Nikon or Canon lenses. If not, then it's a matter of which one has the features you desire most (type of batteries, TTL, etc.). If I had been a Canon person with a few canon lenses, I wouln't have hesitated to buy a 10D.

[Alex_Mustard]

Exactly. The other consideration is which housing(s) or more specifically ports you already own.

[craig]

The pixel layout of the S2 sensor is different that the 10D. Pixels are arranged on a diagonal grid rather than a rectangular grid. The reason for the 12 MP mode is that it preserves the additional resolution provided by diagonal arrangement during conversion. Reviewers universally claim that the S2 provides higher resolution than it's competitors when using 12MP mode.

[bvanant]

The reviews that I have seen suggest that the S2 is almost as good as a D100 in horizontal resolution and about 50% better in vertical resolution. The quote from a review that I read was "While the overall level of detail is higher with the S2 (especially in the vertical due to the D1X's rectangular pixels), there were some interpolation artifacts in the S2 images that the D1X did not suffer from, even when operating the S2 in raw mode".
I have not seen a resolution comparison to the D60 or 10D but I am assuming that the lens will probably have as much to do with the final product as anything else.
Bill

[james]

See - they don't even compare the S2 to the D100. They compare it to the D1x...that says a lot...:-)

Cheers
James

[craig]

I have not seen a resolution comparison to the D60 or 10D but I am assuming that the lens will probably have as much to do with the final product as anything else.
Bill

That's a very interesting statement because of what it says about lenses, digital AND film.