As many of you already know Nikon has released a special edition D800E version of its super high 36 megapixel resolution D800 camera body. Essentially the two cameras are identical in every way except the lack of the AA filter or Anti Aliasing filter in the D800E along with a higher price tag.
Why the missing AA filter you ask? Well, two reasons, sharper images and more captured fine detail in those images. This may be a great feature for studio and landscape photographers who may not mind the occasional occurrence of moire in SOME images while getting more sharpness and detail in EVERY image.
The bellow images and original ePHOTOzine article can be viewed by clicking the images bellow.
Stay tuned as we will be adding comparison images from various cameras we modify for our customers.
What about that moire? Pretty much every image post processing software now includes moire removal tools making it quite simple to remove in post processing (must capture in RAW). You could even batch process the images in a few of them to remove moire.
So why wasn’t this option available before? It was. In fact it wasn’t an option at all but a standard feature in most medium camera digital backs for the last decade. DSLRs have never had the kinds of resolutions that medium format shooters were able to enjoy until recently and so moire would be too frequent in their photos.
To understand why DSLRs were more prone to moire and why anti aliasing/low pass filters were necessary you must understand what causes moire. Moire occurs when 2 or more patterns (like chain link fencing or striped shirts) that are close to the same frequency or pitch (think size of fence grid or shirt stripes spacing) interfere with one another causing patterns to appear that are not really there. Perhaps you have driven by a property with chain-link fencing where you could see the fencing on the back end of the property through the front side fencing and noticed changing patterns appear as you drove by, well, that’s moire.
In digital cameras this occurs through the interaction of repeating patterns in the subject and the regular, repeating pattern of digital camera sensor pixels. When both are close to the same size or pitch/frequency, poof, you have moire. To prevent this camera manufacturers place an optical filter in the light path between the lens and imaging sensor to slightly blur the sharpness/fine detail (high pitch) that is similar in frequency to the sensor. This effectively prevents moire but at the expense of the full resolution and sharpness possible from the sensor.
Yes, but why were DSLRs more prone to moire than medium format digital backs? Simply because MF digital backs had much more resolution much earlier in their evolution than did DSLRs. DSLRs are only now catching up to the resolutions that were available years ago in medium format backs. For example, the Nikon D800 which has a 36mp sensor was released this year while the Hasselblad H3D 39mp back was released in 2006, that’s 6 years ago!
Why aren’t more DSLR makers making cameras without AA filters? Who knows, perhaps because moire is still possible and their target market may find it objectionable enough to affect photographer purchasing decisions. Perhaps because the competition isn’t either and they don’t want to venture out on their own. Looks like Nikon took the first step here, let’s hope more manufacturers in the future will follow suit and at least offer photographers a choice.
Can the AA filter / Anti-aliasing filter be removed from my DSLR camera? Absolutely. Since the release of the Nikon D800E we have been inundated with requests for AA removal modification. You can order the AA removal service on our website here.
Aside from the moire is there anything else to be aware of before removing the AA filter? Because the AA filter is a physically glued part of the low pass filter stack, removing it would also remove the infrared blocking filter. This would cause your now very sharp, detailed images to be contaminated with infrared light. In order to prevent this we replace the low pass filter stack with our own custom infrared blocking filter. This change could potentially shift the white balance a bit but this minor issue can easily be corrected with a custom white balance preset in camera or in post processing.
Can the AA filter be removed from my infrared, full spectrum, UV or H-Alpha camera? Glad you asked, since it’s in the stack along with the infrared filter it has already been removed.
Here are some interesting comparisons between the D800/D800E:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/nikon_d800_d800e_first_comparison.shtml
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/nikon-d800-vs-d800e-digital-slr-review-19764
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/nikon-d800-d800e-digital-slr-hands-on-review-18420
http://kenrockwell.com/nikon/d800/vs-d800e.htm
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Hi, I am going to send my Canon 5DII for aa filter removal.
Kindly ask would the sensor cleaning feature be disabled after the removal service?
Thank you.
Hi,
Yes, the sensor cleaning dust reduction system will be disabled with this modification.
Will this conversion affect the sensor cleaning feature of the D750?
Yes, The sensor cleaning is disabled for this modification for all Nikon dSLRs.
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Any tips? Manny thanks!
Hi,
I have a Canon 80D which is not an option in your order form.
Can it be done on this model?
Thanks,
Denis
Hi Denis,
We can definitely do that for you. Visit this page and select it in the drop-down menu.
Hi i have a Nikon D750, i do mainly birds and wildlife photography. Do you suggest to remove AA filter or keep it. When zoomed all the way in images are bit softer compared to my D7200…. Please also do let know how would i send it to you guys as i am in India. Cost? And how long should it take to get it back.
And does the warranty end by doing so…?
Please let know,
Thank you,
Rahul
Hi Rahul,
The AA filter removal should give you sharper images and more fine detail. You would have to place an order from our website. Here is the link where you can add the item into your cart, once you do that you can see the total price it would cost including shipping to India. Our regular processing time is 7-10 business days.
Hi,..
I m in Abudhabi UAE, i want to remove AA filter from my nikon D750, how can i do it….thank you.
Hi Hotmiando,
Here is the link for the ordering page. Select the D750 from the drop down menu and go ahead with the ordering process. We would be more than happy to replace the AA filter from your D750!
Hi, I have a Nikon D750 and am seriously thinking in removing the anti-aliasing filter. After this procedure do you re-calibrate the focus on the camera??
Yes, as part of all of our camera conversion services we always calibrate the focus. Usualy to a tighter tolerance than it was received from the manufacturer.
Can you perform the work on nikon D5200 ?
Yes, we definitely can as we convert every Nikon dSLR and they all work well!
Hello,
Does your company make an anti moire filter that will fit on a broadcast camera lens? The back flange is a 2/3 inches bayonet mount.
Thank you.
Sorry John, we don’t. Our focus is on still photography equipment.
Can Canon 7D MK II filter be removed? If so any consequences? Thanks
Mike, Yes, we can convert the 7D mk2. The main consequence would be higher susceptibility to moire patterns.
Hi,
Can you do it with Canon EOS M3 camera? If yes, how much does it cost?
Thank you,
Stan.
Hi Stan,
We don’t perform AA removal on the M3, it’s not a good candidate for this service. You can visit our AA ordering section for a full list of supported models
Hi
Can you do a low pass filter replacement for phase one p20? The pictures have lots of spots.
Thank you
Jack
Hi Jack, you probably could but we don’t service medium format backs at this time.
Can you help me understand how much I would gain by removing the filter from a Canon EOS T4i? I use the camera mainly for photographing figure skaters under lower light conditions where I am shooting at ISO 1600-3200 with an f/2.8 70-200 IS lens in order to get useable shutter speeds. I have been considering a newer Canon 7D MkII, but I am curious whether removing the filter will allow me to get a bit more out of the T4i.
Many thanks,
Paul
Hi Paul,
What are you hoping to gain by modifying your camera and which conversion were you thinking about?
How will it affect video on a Nikon D600? Will it get rid of all of the moire/aliasing and make my images sharper? Thanks in advance.
Hi Joseph,
The video capability does not change after we convert a camera to IR and if you select the universal calibration, then all lenses will focus in live view and when shooting a video. The AA filter is automatically removed as part of the conversion process.
Hello, I am in Australia and interested in the aa filter removal is here any way other than sending my camera to America to have this done? Do you sell just the components? Then I could have it fitted here
Hi Stuart,
I am sorry but we only offer our AA removal modification in house but we would be more than happy to do it for you and we ship to Australia all the time!
If you remove the AA filter in Sony A7II, does it change the white balance. If so, can it be fixed by calibrating it with a grey card?
Hi Alfred, We have always encouraged our customers to set a custom white balance after the camera’s AA filter is removed but a lot of people continue to shoot in AWB and if you shoot in RAW, which most people do, then you can correct it in post processing very easily just by moving a slider. However, nobody has ever given us feedback that their colors were drastically off.
Hi, the sensor of my D610 is severely scratched. According to Nikon Service in the Netherlands the entire sensor unit has to be replaced. I wonder if the problem is solved when you remove the AA-filter, if possible? Sorry I’m not very technical.
What would be your recommendation?
Thank you for your reply
Hi Karin, We can either replace the scratched filter with a perfect OEM filter, or we can do this plus remove the AA filter at the same time.
Could the AA-filter be removed from a Canon 7D MkII ?
Hi Marc, Yes, we can definitely do this for you! Since your camera is not listed in the dropdown menu, just select the 7D as the cost is the same.
Will autofocus of various lenses be affected when the aa filter is removed and replaced?
Hi Paul,
Focus is never an issue with our AA filter removal modification.
My camera is the 5d mkIII. Would the operation be reversible if I wasn’t happy with the results?
Hi Laurence,
Yes, we can completely reverse a conversion on any Canon or Nikon dSLR for half the cost of the original conversion.
Hello!
Could the AA-filter be removed from a Sony A77II?
We have not yet removed the AA filter from the Sony A77 II but if you are still interested, please call us to discuss further.
I head rumors that when you convert a camera to IR, you remove the Anti-alias filter in that process, therefore wouldn’t our IR converted cameras that you did, no longer have an Anti-alias filter?
Hi Bill,
Yes, the AA filter is removed as part of the conversion process as it is part of the original filter stack that we removed.
Can the AA filter be removed from a Canon 5dmarkii, and if so, what is the cost and time frame.
Thanks.
Hi Howard,
Yes, it can be removed and the cost is $425. Normal turnaround time is 5-10 business days and you can order on our website.
Hmmm – ? This site seems to suggest that the 5DII suffers from the lack of an anti-aliasing filter:
http://www.newsshooter.com/2011/09/14/phil-bloom-reviews-mosaic-engineerings-upcoming-vaf-5d2-anti-aliasing-filter-for-the-5dmkii/
If it is relevant, I use both a 5DII and a 6D for the making of still photographs only. Thank you for whatever clarification you can provide. Best, Jack
HI Jack,
Both the Canon 5D Mark II and 6D have an AA filter.
most comparisons i have seen involve high pixel count sensors. what are implications for sensors in the range of 16-24 mp??
Same is true no matter the pixel resolution, though lower resolution cameras tend to produce more moiré patterns without the anti-aliasing filter.
Can the AA filter be removed from my Sony A7
Yes, we can remove the AA filter on the Sony A7.
How about the A7II?
Hi Mark, We would be more than happy to remove the AA filter from your Sony A7 II camera.