Z50 vs Z7 crop mode

[mynj_story]

My question is about the Crop mode on the Z7 vs the full resolution of the Z50.
Currently using a Z50 with a Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 lens. I want to use the lens on the Z7 as well. I believe that it would be just about the same resolution on the Z7 crop mode. Since the Z7 has less iso noise, would the pictures be cleaner in crop mode on the Z7?

I know its a confusing question, but has anyone used both cameras at night?

 

[MNglass]

I don't think the Z7 has less noise . . . both from my own experience and this:
photonstophotos

 

[mynj_story]

So just to update in case anyone else was or will have the same question. Using the same lens (Sigma 18-35mm f1.8) which is DX. I got very different results from the Z50 and the Z7. Understanding that the Z50 is 20.9mp and the Z7 crop is 19.5mp. The images on the Z7 required lower ISO at f1.8 and looked much better. This is with same aperture and shutter speed. Settings exactly the same in both cameras. The picture was brighter with a lower ISO value. Both taken stationary. I am having a bit of a hard time understanding why the Z7 would outperform the Z50 sensor when it has about one megapixel extra and technically both running a cropped sensor. Any ideas?

 

[MNglass]

I assume you are processing RAW files? How are you post processing them? Some post-processing software will use the camera's picture controls to 'adjust' the RAW file to display something close to how the picture control presents the image on the LCD.

What exactly do you mean "required lower ISO"? That suggests that the metering is different between the two cameras (which wouldn't surprise me) or that you are not quite metering the same between the two images. Unless you are shooting a static controlled scene, it is often difficult to precisely match the metering depending on the scene and the metering mode.

 

[Palouse]

IF you or anybody can notice a 1 mp difference in an image, on screen or printed, you must be superman's father! That is a diffenece so minute it is of no consequence to anyone but a card-carrying pixel-peeper!

What shoting and metering modes? What are your settings for SS and f/? Exactly the same subject—EXACTLY?

 

[mynj_story]

I assume you are processing RAW files? How are you post processing them? Some post-processing software will use the camera's picture controls to 'adjust' the RAW file to display something close to how the picture control presents the image on the LCD.

What exactly do you mean "required lower ISO"? That suggests that the metering is different between the two cameras (which wouldn't surprise me) or that you are not quite metering the same between the two images. Unless you are shooting a static controlled scene, it is often difficult to precisely match the metering depending on the scene and the metering mode.

Hey, thanks for the reply, so what I mean is I mounted the lens through the FTZ adapter and took the same photo with both cameras. The Z50 showed more noise at the same ISO as the Z7. The Z50 is 20.9mp and the Z7 is 19.5mp so shouldnt the Z7 photo with same settings be worse than the z50?
Example:
photo of an apple
Z50 f1.8 1/60 shutter speed ISO 800
Z7 in crop mode f1.8 1/60 shutter speed ISO 800 still looked less noisy and brighter than the Z50. The metering was Matrix and both at the mid point where its not over or under exposed.
Is it because the sensor is just better on the Z7?
I use lightroom to process the photos. and compared them in lightroom. I had to lower the ISO on the Z50 and use a slower shutter speed to get a similar result as the Z7 photo. I am having a hard time explaining it clearly I hope it makes more sense now.

I will try to make the same photos with same settings and post them.

 

[mynj_story]

IF you or anybody can notice a 1 mp difference in an image, on screen or printed, you must be superman's father! That is a diffenece so minute it is on no consequence to anyone but a card-carrying pixel-peeper!

What shoting and metering modes? What are your settings for SS and f/? Exactly the same subject—EXACTLY?

lol I cant see a difference other than slightly more grain or noise on the z50 image, which really threw me off. Im just a lowely human though.

 

[MNglass]

Understand that Lightroom takes the picture controls of the Z7 or Z50 and 'interprets' them for sharpness, contrast, saturation etc. You'd need to zero out everything on both images and then copy any changes to both if you want to compare them. I doubt that even if you have the "same" picture controls assigned in both camera that you will get identical results.

All things being equal (which they never are) with sensors of the same generation/technology (which the Z7 and Z50 pretty much are), the sensor with the larger photo sites will show lower noise at higher ISOs. That is very much a generalization as there are lots of factors that come into this. The Z7 has slightly larger photo sites than the Z50 (the Z50 has more photo sites in the same dx area 20mb vs 19.5mb- so fewer sites in the same area means that each site is larger - by a very small amount) I would expect that the Z7 shows slightly less noise than the Z50. The graph from the photonstophotos web site that I referenced above suggests the same thing. So I'm not sure on why you think that the Z7 should not perform as well as the Z50 . . .

I also doubt that at ISO 800 you will see any significant difference in noise between these two camera - they are both pretty good at that (for these days) low ISO.

Finally, these are really two different cameras with different sensors, different features, and different intended uses. The Z7 excels at landscape, fine portraiture (think lace on a wedding dress) and probably architecture. The Z50 is more casual, easy to travel with, small to carry, light to pack - more of a family event camera. I wouldn't expect them to perform the same in any case.

In any case, to answer your original question, yes the Z7 should perform slightly better all other things being equal. But I'm suggesting that the differences are probably only apparent at 100% pixel peeper levels and high ISO's and frankly not photographically very relevant.

 

[mynj_story]

Understand that Lightroom takes the picture controls of the Z7 or Z50 and 'interprets' them for sharpness, contrast, saturation etc. You'd need to zero out everything on both images and then copy any changes to both if you want to compare them. I doubt that even if you have the "same" picture controls assigned in both camera that you will get identical results.

All things being equal (which they never are) with sensors of the same generation/technology (which the Z7 and Z50 pretty much are), the sensor with the larger photo sites will show lower noise at higher ISOs. That is very much a generalization as there are lots of factors that come into this. The Z7 has slightly larger photo sites than the Z50 (the Z50 has more photo sites in the same dx area 20mb vs 19.5mb- so fewer sites in the same area means that each site is larger - by a very small amount) I would expect that the Z7 shows slightly less noise than the Z50. The graph from the photonstophotos web site that I referenced above suggests the same thing. So I'm not sure on why you think that the Z7 should not perform as well as the Z50 . . .

I also doubt that at ISO 800 you will see any significant difference in noise between these two camera - they are both pretty good at that (for these days) low ISO.

Finally, these are really two different cameras with different sensors, different features, and different intended uses. The Z7 excels at landscape, fine portraiture (think lace on a wedding dress) and probably architecture. The Z50 is more casual, easy to travel with, small to carry, light to pack - more of a family event camera. I wouldn't expect them to perform the same in any case.

In any case, to answer your original question, yes the Z7 should perform slightly better all other things being equal. But I'm suggesting that the differences are probably only apparent at 100% pixel peeper levels and high ISO's and frankly not photographically very relevant.

Thank you so much for the explanation. I noticed the grain when I was very zoomed in. But what you say make a lot of sense. This is my first full frame so I was not at all used to it. Apreciarte it.