Nasty D800 Pixelization

Do you remember my very first shot with the D800, the picture of my dog Lulu on the back porch from this post? You might want to take another look if you don't.

Well, a terrible problem has cropped up. There is huge, obvious, blatant pixelization in part of the shot: look at the peace signs on her collar:

Horrible! That's the worst stairstep pixelization I've seen in a long time. The D800 has let me down and I'm never photographing with it again.

Mike

(P.S. Good morning. Hope you've had your coffee, or you might not realize right away that I'm just being a wiseass again....)

Original contents copyright 2012 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

James Moule: "Having just received my new D800e in the mail yesterday (based partly on your recommendation), your post had a certain emotional impact."

Roger Bradbury: "As the great philosopher Charles Brown said, 'Good Grief!'"

CF Salicath: "Made my day! Good afternoon (from Norway)!"

Bob Rosinsky: "If you had photographed Lulu naked, this problem would not have surfaced."

Mike replies: Shocking!

Comments

[Dan Doviddio]

So the world didn't end then, huh?

[The day's not over yet. --Mike]

[Stephen Gilbert]

Perfect: you've captured the tone of many internet camera rants.

[Dennis Mook]

Real funny! Ha Ha! Scrooge.....

[Sareesh S]

Imagine how the dog must feel having to wear a crappy pixelated color. Now all you need to do is find a 40MP thread pairs per mm weaving machine, or stop looking at your dog blown up at 100%.

[Peter]

omg, shades of Poe's Law again.

[Oleg Shpak]

Was it END OF THE WORLD joke?

[Stephen McCullough]

Phew,
I thought for a moment that the D800 failure was part of the Mayan end of the world thing - especially given those strange symbols on Lulu's collar.

[Scott Kemp]

Proof that ignorance is bliss. I will continue to use my D700 with which I would not expect to see the peace symbols at all!

[Andrew Chambers]

You do realize that is the collar's fiber that appears as pixelization, right?

[Alan Fairley]

Mike, I don't thnk that is pixelization but that you are using an inferior uprezzing algorithm (that is an 800% crop, isn't it?)

[Max]

Hahahah, I guess it's a particular case of dog collar moiré generated by a combination of the dog's skin temperature and the frequency of the hair thickness distribution!

[toto]

Fortunately, it seems to occur only on circles and diagonal lines. Wavy dog hair doesn't seem to be affected.

[Philip Morgan]

Just think how bad it would be if you had gotten the D800E with no AA filter!

[Dan Gerth]

It's even worse - the peace signs are upside-down!

[John Hunter]

Mike, it's not the D800, it's that older, first generation collar. Those early, low-res models were like that, and they ate batteries, too. Poor Lulu, saddled with a sluggish old rig like that. Get her a newer one and she'll run faster, sharper and need far less post-processing.
John

[Dave in NM]

So, what's the thread count of a 36 MP full frame sensor?

[Marc Gibeault]

I'm just sorry not having seen this the first time you posted it and started the joke.

All the best Mike.

[John MacKechnie]

Just use SpotTone on the collar. Works miracles if used properly. Build the color up slowly and wipe the brush off gently before applying.

[Kazi]

Thats it, I'm switching to Canine collars

[Bob]

The State-of-the-Art for looms has passed this collar maker by. I think his loom needs to be updated with more resolution to solve the obvious "pixelation problem" that it has.

Don't scare me like that Mike, my Christmas present to myself is sitting in the closet and it is mostly your fault that it is there. It is a D800e, not a loom.

At least you got some micro-commission from B&H on the sale.

[Dwig]

This Mayan Calendar thing has really disturbed things. I didn't understand that it would make April 1 follow Dec 20. I guess I need to adjust the clock on my computer...

[V. Roma]

Jaggy lines all over the collar. Send it back!

[Mike Johnston]

"You do realize that is the collar's fiber that appears as pixelization, right?"

No way!

Mike

(P.S. You forgot to read the P.S.)

[Wolfgang Lonien]

Hmmm - maybe it's the time to get a proper camera, like a 99$ point & shoot. Wouldn't see that pixelisation with that I guess ;-)

[Ed]

Not only is it pixelated but the sensor is really crooked!

[Hudson]

So are you going to get rid of the Dog or the Camera? ;-)

-Hudson

[Andrew Molitor]

Wait, you can't zoom in forever? I assumed that I could just keep mashing Enhance and Zoom forever. Maybe that's the latest Canon, and it's the Nikon that grants you infinite sexual prowess? I can never keep the two brands straight.

[Arne]

You know, I think that dog collar could use a good washing.

[JohnMFlores]

Dog collars made of pixels - what will they think of next?!

[Iain]

The dog's fur on the left side looks out of focus to me...

[Hugh Crawford]

Salvador Dali had the same problem when he started using ultra high rez three hair paintbrushes

And this morning on the subway there was a little kid wearing one of these

http://www.jinx.com/p/minecraft_creeper_premium_zipup_hoodie.html

[Rahul]

I like my 4x5. Not sure how may pixels the resolution comes out at. The sensor size is, well, 4x5 inches. The only camera which is better than it is the 8x10 I have been lusting after.

[Eolake Stobblehouse]

I thought for a moment that you said "starship pixelization", since the symbols remind me of the the very pixellated spaceships in my youth's Invaders game in the burger bar.

[almostinfamous]

guess you oughta puta a filter on that. the superficial flaws will distract from the fundamental flaws :D

[Dogman]

So the camera is not perfect after all and the Mayans were wrong. Can't count on nuthin' no more.

[Marek Fogiel]

Hi Mike,
Now you have gotten yourself into trouble. We are waiting to see some real pictures from you in the coming year...
Merry Christmas !
Marek

[Jim A]

Ominous Mayan cataclysm warnings, Dragoon failures, inverted and pixilated early 90’s Oldsmobile emblems, I was starting to get worried.

[Marshall Smith]

For your amusement...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/78687170@N00/6049995683/sizes/o/in/set-72157621789238783/

Didn't think to pixel peep this back in 2011, but maybe should have.
Someone did comment that the fly better get out of the way cause a discdog's comin' thru!

[`/1nc3nt]

It's like having you best half princess and cancel the wedding because she has a spot on her back.

If you keep looking, you will always find imperfections on your D800.

PS: This is quiet schocking post. Is this a chrismast joke?

[Andrew Hughes]

That is what you call Knit picking

(Sorry comment is so late but could not resist!)