Red dragon has the best sensor in the world DXOMark says

[KarimNassar]

The red dragon has out performed the mighty d800e sensor.

According to dxo mark it has the best performance, beating any dslr and medium format camera.

 

And that is at 6k ff at 82 frames per second.

 

 

http://www.dxomark.com/Reviews/RED-Epic-Dragon-review-First-camera-to-break-the-100-point-DxOMark-sensor-score-barrier/Overall-score-Epic-Dragon-takes-first-place-101-points

 

-As the new leader in this category, the prototype Epic Dragon surpasses the Phase One P65+ and P65+ HR models in color sensitivity, and it marginally exceeds the mighty Phase One IQ180 digital back in our rankings.

 

-While every effort was made to ensure the Epic Dragon adhered to our rigid testing protocols and that the results passed all the tests we performed, it’s clear the scores reflect a significantly different approach to image acquisition.

 

-It’s also worth noting that the Dragon’s native sensitivity is ISO 250 and measured at 104, while all other sensitivities were obtained by digital gain.

 

-For the tests, the camera was set to full 6k resolution at 23.98 fps, 16 bit and RC 5:1 compression.

 

-The highest color sensitivity ever measured: exceptionally low noise at the base ISO.

 

-The headline news is, of course, that of the Dragon’s exceptionally low noise levels. The SNR (signal/noise ratio) curve shown above is simply outstanding - it’s higher than the Nikon D4’s curve for the whole of that sensor’s signal response. The shape of the response curve is interesting as well.

 

-Close to saturation point, it shows a kind of plateau or leveling off, which indicates that the SNR is mostly limited by some pixel response non uniformity and not by the photonic noise.

This noise curve, coupled with a good color response, leads to a very high color sensitivity. At the pixel level (screen mode), the color sensitivity is simply the best ever measured. We normally calculate color sensitivity using an 8-bit output sRGB colorspace. In this case, however, the 8-bit sRGB color space was not large enough to accurately represent the color sensitivity of the Epic Dragon. As a result, we had to switch to a 16-bit sRGB color space!

 

-Conventional DSLRs benefit from Analog gain that seems to amplify read noise and fix pattern noise in a smaller way than a pure digital Gain. This explains, despite its quality, why the Epic Dragon has lower low-light performances than the top DSLRs. So for cameras, where the lighting can’t be controlled, analog gain is preferred. That’s not such a high priority with a cinema camera, but the Epic Dragon produces very clean looking files and can be used safely up to nearby ISO 3000, with an excellent image quality.

[Danyyyel]

This is a very good thing that DXomark is starting to measure the video camera sensor. It was long time we needed a proper scientific way to measure performance. It will pacify the forums, like it did in the photo world and debunk some of the fanboys.

 

For example, how will the Red and their fanboys take on the Dragon sensor numbers in DXOmark. On one side it is now the overall highest sensor ranking, but on the other side it has only 14.8 stop Dynamic range. Where are the 16-18 that Red has been barking over as the super feature of the Dragon. 14.8 is still very good but not much more compared to their main competitor Arri Alexa.

[HurtinMinorKey]

This is a very good thing that DXomark is starting to measure the video camera sensor. It was long time we needed a proper scientific way to measure performance. It will pacify the forums, like it did in the photo world and debunk some of the fanboys.

 

For example, how will the Red and their fanboys take on the Dragon sensor numbers in DXOmark. On one side it is now the overall highest sensor ranking, but on the other side it has only 14.8 stop Dynamic range. Where are the 16-18 that Red has been barking over as the super feature of the Dragon. 14.8 is still very good but not much more compared to their main competitor Arri Alexa.

 

Have they scored the Alexa? I don't think so. I guess it's because the Dragon is marketed as stills also? They might as well run that test too.

[dahlfors]

Have they scored the Alexa? I don't think so. I guess it's because the Dragon is marketed as stills also? They might as well run that test too.

 

Indeed. Any manufacturer can tell a number. How it measures in a testbed among other cameras is more important than what numbers they market it with. Only if DXOmark measures the cameras against each other in their tests there's a platform to compare from.

[wolf33d]

This Red Dragon is the best news I have ever read in my all life, for video ...... 

 

If you read carefully, the Red does 19mpx (6K) in RAW, with 100fps. 

 

This means, that with one second of video, you get 100 RAW images of 19mpx, which quality is BETTER THAN ON A D800 (according to DXO) this is absolutely fantastic for photographer (JUST IMAGINE ON A SPORT EVENT !!!!! you make a 10 seconds movie of a jump and you get 1000 pictures of 19mpx with best quality in the world !).

And this means, that the video quality of the Red is better than the STILLS quality of a D800 (because video of the Red = Raw = actually a lot of "raw stills" put together at either 24fps or 30 or more, which is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE for videographer. 

This also means, that we can do absolutely what we want in prod with the videos of the Red, like we would do on a picture. 

For exemple, on a GH3, you can't recover highlights, push the shadows, and push the colors to get an image like this (it's my image): http://500px.com/photo/58968152 

If you see the actual original shot from above, it is pretty disgusting. I would have film it with the GH3 = disgusting. Now with Raw on the Red, and with amazing sensor quality and 19mpx, we can get those images in a video .... 

 

I am blown away. 
 

And the best thing .......   This is a 30K usd camera, but it means in 5 years we ALL have in our pocket FINALLY a compact camera like a Sony A7R, 5 axis IBIS, and RAW in 6-8 k (>19mpx) with video quality exceeding stills quality we get from a D800. 

For a few xxx dollars. 

 

Futur is in front of us .... I can't wait. 

 

EDIT : bonus : awesome how he pushes shadows, highlights and so on... : 

And this one as well ... crazy : 

[Derek Weston]

As I've noted before, dxomark is useful for measuring sensor capability in existing dslr video enabled products.

The gh3, for example, has 12.x stops of DR.

 

It's how the video is processed of course, that affects actual realized DR.

 

The red dragon, for example, could have very poor processing and output only, say, 10 stops of DR range. (it doesn't, it's a 30 thousand dollar camera)

My point is... most of the DSLRs we see have really good DR should it be realized, but they're all saddled with poor video processing that causes this not to be realized.

[wolf33d]

Not only because of video processing, but because they don't have raw....  look how Raw video improve DR on the 5D3 for instance. But even with RAW video on the GH3, the quality is nothing to compare with RAW Stills of 5D3, or this RED. Probably because it is 1080P... 

The 5D3 would film in RAW 6K, the video quality would be as good as a Raw picture you take which the 5D3, which is amazing. 

The Red is the first to do that, and this is crazy. 

[Derek Weston]

Not only because of video processing, but because they don't have raw....  look how Raw video improve DR on the 5D3 for instance. But even with RAW video on the GH3, the quality is nothing to compare with RAW Stills of 5D3, or this RED. Probably because it is 1080P... 

The 5D3 would film in RAW 6K, the video quality would be as good as a Raw picture you take which the 5D3, which is amazing. 

The Red is the first to do that, and this is crazy. 

 

Yeah, raw is the lack of processing.

[Danyyyel]

This Red Dragon is the best news I have ever read in my all life, for video ...... 

 

If you read carefully, the Red does 19mpx (6K) in RAW, with 100fps. 

 

This means, that with one second of video, you get 100 RAW images of 19mpx, which quality is BETTER THAN ON A D800 (according to DXO) this is absolutely fantastic for photographer (JUST IMAGINE ON A SPORT EVENT !!!!! you make a 10 seconds movie of a jump and you get 1000 pictures of 19mpx with best quality in the world !).

And this means, that the video quality of the Red is better than the STILLS quality of a D800 (because video of the Red = Raw = actually a lot of "raw stills" put together at either 24fps or 30 or more, which is absolutely UNBELIEVABLE for videographer. 

This also means, that we can do absolutely what we want in prod with the videos of the Red, like we would do on a picture. 

For exemple, on a GH3, you can't recover highlights, push the shadows, and push the colors to get an image like this (it's my image): http://500px.com/photo/58968152 

If you see the actual original shot from above, it is pretty disgusting. I would have film it with the GH3 = disgusting. Now with Raw on the Red, and with amazing sensor quality and 19mpx, we can get those images in a video .... 

 

I am blown away. 
 

And the best thing .......   This is a 30K usd camera, but it means in 5 years we ALL have in our pocket FINALLY a compact camera like a Sony A7R, 5 axis IBIS, and RAW in 6-8 k (>19mpx) with video quality exceeding stills quality we get from a D800. 

For a few xxx dollars. 

 

Futur is in front of us .... I can't wait. 

 

EDIT : bonus : awesome how he pushes shadows, highlights and so on... : 

And this one as well ... crazy : 

 

I think you have to take the overall dxomark numbers with a little pinch of salt. The numbers are very close if you take the 3 individual values dxomark measures like colour accuracy, DR and low light but the D800 kills the Dragon in one aspect not measured. It has twice the resolution. Now it is true that 36 mega pixel is not needed every-time, but if you have to measure all the aspect of the sensor resolution (the easiest one to measure) should also be taken in. The second thing is the ergonomic/shooting photos. What about the autofocus and shooting for example in portrait mode. So it is not as straightforward as it seems. Dxomark measures only the sensor, and a photo camera is much more than just a sensor.

[Andrew Reid]

TowerJazz who make this sensor recently partnered with Panasonic.

[andy lee]

thats good news