Camera Makers Are Increasingly Happy to Trade Image Quality for Other Benefits

After today’s initial testing of the Canon R5 Mark II sensor by DPReview, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that camera makers — namely the big three in Sony, Canon, and Nikon — are not only willing to, but happy to, trade still photo image quality for other benefits.

During a conversation among the PetaPixel team this morning, we had to really think back a ways to remember the last time we heard a camera manufacturer really tout image quality as a primary reason to pick up their latest full-frame camera. We decided that the last time we saw a purely image quality slide in a presentation was probably for the Sony a7R V. Companies do talk about image quality and have since, it just usually relates specifically to low light performance and they don’t typically linger long on color or dynamic range — if they mention it at all.

Instead, companies are spending a lot of time talking about autofocus speed and accuracy as well as video features. In 2024 and to the chagrin of many photo-first customers, camera makers are focusing on hybrid performance. In order to make their cameras better in the video department and with autofocus, they’re choosing hardware that isn’t quit as good at creating a still photo as cameras even five years ago were.

While Sony never promised outstanding image quality with the a9 III, I think many photographers were surprised how much of a dynamic range hit that camera took in exchange for its pure speed. With Nikon’s Z6 III, it got a lot faster and more accurate and packed in a bunch of great video features, but the new partially stacked sensor dropped its dynamic range performance noticeably behind its predecessor. Now with the Canon R5 Mark II, initial testing shows that once again, dynamic range is taking a hit in exchange for better performance elsewhere — namely in shooting speed and autofocus performance.

From a technology standpoint, this all makes sense given the nature of stacked sensors — right now, there is a tradeoff for the increased speed they provide. From a marketing perspective, of course these companies want to make cameras that are either the pinnacle of a particular technological achievement (like the a9 III or, you could argue, the Z6 III with it’s novel sensor design) or that appeal to the most users. To the latter’s end, creating a hybrid camera is the best way to do that.

Nikon has been laser focused on nabbing the bird and wildlife crowd with the Z8 and Z9, which is why its emphasis on mechanical shutter-free designs at its top-end makes sense. The Z6 III feels like an more entry-level way to get into that same niche. Sony has been focused on sports and action with its top-end cameras for some time.

Canon is the wild card here, as the company’s lens and camera releases aren’t as indicative of who it thinks its ideal customer is. Maybe the company thinks it is making cameras for anyone, which is not outrageous and would lead it to make these dynamic range compromises if it means better video performance — that’s what it did with the R5 Mark II, anyway.

This is not to say that Canon, Nikon, or Sony are making bad decisions — or good decisions. It just is, but photographers who only care about dynamic range in photography are likely finding themselves feeling ignored.

All this said, there is one company that is finding its products suddenly becoming more compelling because of this: Fujifilm. The company’s medium format offerings are strengthening simply due to the hybridization of full-frame. When before it was somewhat difficult to argue that there was a meaningful difference between its GFX line — with emphasis on the new GFX 100 II — and a high resolution full-frame camera (the “medium format look,” which has been debunked, aside) is suddenly much easier: if you care about image quality above all else, then there is really only one way to go.

Image credits: Elements of header photo licensed via Depositphotos.