Friends,

I hope that this isn’t too repetitive to prior posts, but I am having a hard time sorting out the issues concerning moiré for the new D800/D800E in the various recent discussions. There are bits and pieces of my issue in different posts, but not together.

I shoot mostly landscape (70-75%), then architectural (20%) and then macro (5-10%). I know that concerning landscape there seems to be no reasonable risk for moiré – so that is no issue and I am looking forward to the detail provided by the 36mp sensor (I’ll gladly deal with image file size/storage and computer capacity and processing needs).

However, there seems to be some risk of moiré, according to some (not all, and not consistently) of the recent D800E posts in about 25-30% of my favourite shooting conditions – architectural and macro.

When I am talking about architectural (and perhaps I am taking this differently than meant in the posts) I mean taking photos inside and outside of the wonderful classical buildings of Europe (churches, museums, etc.). My macro work is all outdoors with subjects such as insects, flowers, leaves, etc.

Do those of you who understand issues related to moiré with architectural and macro work (such as the subjects I describe) feel that there are sufficient concerns with potential moiré in this 25-30% of my shooting conditions that I should be concerned in ordering the D800E, or is moiré potentially a concern in other types of architectural and macro work?

Thank you for your responses to this question in this context.

FamilyMan

Visit my Nikonians gallery.

From what I understand IMHO the gains are minimal . It only seems to shine with the sharpest 4 - 5 Nikkor lenses . Good post processing will almost make the sharpness difference a non issue . Lens selection will have more influence on sharpness than an E or non E D800 body .

Hans K.

My Gallery

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Hans,

Hopefully, with some of the lenses I use, these gains will be evident. For me, even a little gain is worth it.

70-200mm f/2.8G AF-S ED VR-II
24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S ED
14-24mm f/2.8G AF-S ED
105mm f/2.8G IF-ED
50mm f/1.4D

Thanks,

Steve

FamilyMan

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Moire happens only when there are fine, strongly repeating patterns in the subject, such as screens and fabric. Your description of macro work does not sound like it's any different than the typical landscape, in that it emphatically does not sound like it has any of those repeating patterns. Maybe in the eyes of a fly, or maybe in the seedpods of a few flowers. I'd be more worried about photographing stamps or currency, where fine regular patterns are used to build up apparent shading - that's a sure recipe for moire. Moreover, your definition of architectural photography doesn't sound like would trigger moire very much either. The classic European churches and cathedrals rarely have anything that I'd describe as fine repeating patterns - the fluting in columns is very much wider than would produce moire, and anything smaller would likely be ornate and very irregular. Trying to find a screen- or fabric-like pattern in a Roccoco or Italianate church seems a very unlikely occurrence to me.

_____
Brian... a bicoastal Nikonian and Team Member

My gallery is online. Comments and critique welcomed any time!

Apparently the future will see a more cameras with the option as hinted by several new updates to post processing software that have added or improved Moire correction or brushes. New Capture NX2 will be released in the next couple weeks and Lightroom 4 Public Beta for example have added corrective features.

Stan
St Petersburg Russia

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Brian,

Sorry for my slow response - I was skiing all day on Monday and was away from my computer.

Thanks you very much for your response. I had suspected as much, but not being familiar with the technical details (or really ANY details!) of moiré I was not at all sure.

Regards,

Steve

FamilyMan

Visit my Nikonians gallery.