Last Updated on 06/28/2019 by Mark Beckenbach
The top 10 performing camera sensors list at DXOMark is taking shape.
It’s that time of the month again where we take a quick look at the top 10 performing camera sensors according to the guys and gals over at DXOMark. For the second month in a row, there is a newcomer to the top 10 list, and we’re sure as DXOMark continues to put newer cameras through their assault course, there will be more camera sensors shaking things up in the coming months. May saw the arrival of the Panasonic S1R which scored a massive 100 points overall, but which cameras sensor join the elite grouping this month? Join us after the break to find out.
This month we say goodbye to the Pentax K1. The K1 was Pentax’s first Full Frame DSLR, and (still is) a beast of a camera. The camera sensor in the K1 held its own for a long time, but this month it gives way to the sensor found in the Leica Q2. The Leica Q2 takes over the number 10 spot on the camera sensors list, but it’s there only by the smallest of margins.
The results DXOMark produces aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay. We know many people prefer their reviews to be of the real world variety rather than lab tests. However, when you combine real-world reviews like the ones we do here at The Phoblographer, and the lab test reviews from DXOMark, you can get a much better understanding of the cameras, the camera sensors, and what they can do. It never hurts to explore all the angles before dropping large sums of money on a new camera. Check out the full list of the top 10 performing camera sensors according to DXOMark below.
Hasselblad X1D-50C
Pros
- Small size and weight makes it easy to handle
- Feels nice in the hand thanks to the great grip
- Autofocus is fast enough even for street photography
- Easy to navigate menu system
- Exceptional Image quality with gorgeous colors
Cons
- Poor battery life
Check out our full review
Buy now ($5,495): Amazon
Pentax 645Z
Pros
- Excellent high ISO performance
- Out of this world dynamic range
- Incredible detail can be captured
- Despite its size the camera is nice to hold
Cons
- Only 27 autofocus point and they’re all in the center
- Auto focusing is a slow affair which is limiting
- This camera is huge and weighs a fair amount
- No rear joystick
Check out our full review
Buy now ($5,499.90): Amazon
Panasonic S1R
The Panasonic S1R has surged into third place. We’re still waiting on our review unit, so here’s an excerpt from the DXOMark review:
“With its combination of high pixel count, low noise, and exceptional color sensitivity, the Lumix DC-S1R is likely to appeal to the most demanding studio photographers. And when conditions require it, its excellent dynamic range means the S1R should be a viable candidate for interior, wedding, and landscape photographers. Finally, its competitive price will also strongly appeal to keen amateurs who are looking for a solid all-rounder.”
Buy now ($3,697.99): Amazon
Nikon D850
Pros
- Fantastic image quality
- Built like a tank
- Buttons that light up
- Touch screen makes the menu navigation so much better
- Great color depth and versatility
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- Putting the ISO button on the right side of the camera by the grip is the better long term strategy
- Weather sealing
- Lots of video options
- Dual Card slots
- The best viewfinder of any DSLR I’ve used, but still not as great as many older medium format DSLRs and SLRs.
Cons
- Slower autofocus than the Nikon D810 in some situations
- We wish the white balance levels were a bit more adjustable. Many of you may groan about fixing it in post and we know photographers who would want to smack you, accordingly. But we maintain the judgement that having a consistent, film-like white balance can help you in the editing process much more when it comes to both exposure and working with color channels.
- Sort of shocked the dual card slots aren’t both SD; we don’t know anyone that used XQD. Sony, the developer of the card, doesn’t even use them in their still cameras.
- We’re over DSLRs at this point, except if they’re medium format. The viewfinders are bugging me now.
Check out our full review
Buy now ($2,996.95): Amazon
Sony A7r III
Pros
- Weather sealing
- Lots of RAW file versatility
- Sony a9’s autofocus
- Nice ergonomics
- New battery makes shooting with it for prolonged periods of time much better
- RAW files work fantastic with Capture One
- Touch screen capabilities for shooting
- Fast shooting capabilities
- Silent shooting abilities
Cons
- No one is going to actually use the Pixel Shift imaging mode because it’s complicated to work with and few people want to use Sony’s own software
- We’d love a top LCD screen
- We’d love to navigate the menus with the Touchscreen capabilities
- Sony got rid of the PlayMemories apps and therefore all abilities to do more with the cameras such as the touchless shutter. It absolutely baffles me as to why Sony doesn’t just put all that stuff into the cameras.
- Wireless flash capabilities need to be enabled via the menu in order to use them
Check out our full review
Buy now ($2,798): Amazon
Nikon Z7
Pros
- Good feeling in the hand
- Solid weather sealing
- Lots of focusing points
- Good high ISO output
- Lots of resolution
- A touch screen
- Image stabilization is very good
- The viewfinder is beautiful
- We genuinely appreciate the top LCD screen
- Outstanding battery life
Cons
- Little things annoy me, like not being able to push the joystick in to bring the focusing point back to the center
- Why the hell is there an XQD card slot?
- We’d really prefer dual card slots
- Changing the white balance I feel is the slowest thing
- While we understand Nikon’s philosophy in putting a dedicated ISO button, we’d have preferred a dial of some sort
- Did we mention the autofocus isn’t up to par?
- Nikon created a brand new camera system and yet they decided to keep the single most awkward mounting system that, like their DSLRs, requires you to screw the lenses in to the left instead of to the right like LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE DOES!
- The muscle memory learning curve is steeper than with most other cameras
- Expensive
Check out our full review
Buy now ($3,396.95): Amazon
Sony A7r II
Pros
- The best image quality that we’ve seen from a camera yet
- Surprisingly good high ISO results
- Very good RAW file versatility, but not the best
- Feels great in the hand
- Fastest autofocus of any Sony ILC camera body
- Improved battery life over previous generations
- 4K video is a nice addition
Cons
- Really, really want a direct joystick of some sort to move the focusing points rather than pressing a button and then moving them around.
- That cost…
- Sony could use better weather sealing for a camera body this expensive
Check out our full review
Buy now ($1,498): Amazon
Nikon D810
Pros
- Probably the only DSLR you’ll ever need
- Absolutely, positively, amazing high ISO performance
- Great color output
- Some of the most versatile RAW files that we’ve ever seen in Adobe Lightroom 5
- Fast autofocus in great lighting even with third party lenses
- Build very solidly yet isn’t too heavy
- Small RAW mode can be a lifesaver when you don’t have high capacity cards
- Same old simplistic Nikon menu system
- Quiet shooting mode makes this one of the most stealthy DSLRs that we’ve tested. But the shutter is already much quieter than previous Nikon DSLRs
Cons
- Price point
- Autofocus in extremely low lit situations (we’re talking about candlelit events) is inconsistent and requires lots of thought to carefully place a focusing point on a high contrast spot
- A tilting LCD screen when shooting timelapse videos would have been really, really useful
- AF assist lamp is in a weird spot that doesn’t always help enough
- Wish there was WiFi transmission built in instead of needing to use an external dongle
Check out our full review
Buy now ($2,796.95): Amazon
Sony RX1r II
Pros
- Excellent image quality
- Fast focusing
- Great lens
- Small
- Lightweight
- For most of us, it’s all the camera you’d possibly need
- EVF addition is welcome.
- Fair battery life for a Sony camera
Cons
- Sometimes very hard to hold and shoot with when doing street photography
- When used with a radio flash trigger, the EVF can get in the way
Check out our full review
Buy now ($3,298): Amazon
Leica Q2
Pros
- Good image quality, though arguably better offerings from competitors
- Weather sealed
- Feels nice in the hands
- Beautiful
- The lens is exceptional
Cons
- This is questionable, but the Leica Q2 could have really used a joystick. Not everyone wants to manually focus the lens.
- High ISO output is a bit under par
- The LCD screen is pretty low resolution
- Autofocus in very low light isn’t great
- Could have used a few more function buttons
Check out our full review
Buy now ($4,995): Amazon