New DSLR High ISO Comparison

Nikon D750 Vs. D810 Vs. 7D Mark II Vs. 5D Mark III - What This Means for U/W Photographers

By UWPG News, December 5, 2014

Underwater housings for the Canon 7D Mark II will be available from the major brands starting in about 2 weeks through early 2015, so there's no better time to take a look at the top DSLRs' sensor capabilities when shooting at high ISOs.

Camera website DPReview.com has just added the Canon 7D Mark II and the Nikon D750 DSLRs to their studio shot comparison tool. This tool is a great resource for comparing camera ISOs and settings under differet lighting conditions on different subjects (shadows, detail, etc).

In short, we've looked at results for the Nikon D750, Nikon D800, Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 7D Mark II at realistic ISOs for shooting underwater video or wide-angle with ambient light.

Below are the results.

Comparison at ISO 1600

Comparison at ISO 6400

Analyzing Results for Underwater Photo and Video

The Nikon D750 is a surprising winner at both ISOs, followed closely by the Canon 5D Mark III. The photos above speak for themselves, but keep in mind that most underwater photographers probably won't be using their camera out of the ISO 100-200 range until they are more advanced shooters. Some examples of high ISO underwater photography would be ambient light wide-angle scenes, certain low vis situations and night diving with a blue light like the Sola Nightsea (check out our article 'Fascinating Fluoro Photography').

Underwater video shooters might reach these ISOs when shooting ambient light in deeper water or on cloudy days.

All four of these cameras are excellent choices for underwater photo and video. Be sure to read through Bluewater Photo's 'Best Underwater DSLR Choices of 2014' for another great camera comparison resource.

You can also use DP Review's Studio Shot Comparison tool here.

Further Reading

• Canon 5D Mark III Underwater Settings

• Nikon D800 Comparison for Underwater Photography

• Canon 7D Mark II Specs for Underwater Photo & Video

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