I just stumbled upon this:
http://www.dxomark.com/index.php/eng/DxOMark-Sensor/Camera-rankings
See above link for full list of camera rankings based on sensor performance:
#7 - Canon EOS 5D Mark II
#16 - Nikon D5000
#31 - Canon EOS 7D
#32 - Nikon D60
#46 - Canon EOS 500D
Having a 18mp sensor smaller than that of D5000, I'm not surprised. This is what happens when the canon big bosses say "forget about the hardware, let's work on marketing" :devil:
a) The data in DXOMark is incomplete. The data they collect hardly tells the whole picture. As a matter of fact, that site is full of garbage.
DXOMark is also full of self-contradictions. Compare 50D to 7D. Look under SNR18%, DR and Color Sensitivity. Check out both screen (pixel level) as well as print (image level) tabs. What do you see? You'll find that the 50D/500D data follows the 7D VERY closely. Now look at the scores they assign for low light ISO. They gave 7D a score ~ 800 while the 50D/500D ~ 700. Why this self-contradiction? How can you rely on a site that does not even trust its own data?
Next, DXOMark results COMPLETELY contradict side-by-side comparisons shown in Imaging Resource, DPReview and the-digital-picture. This tells us there is something HORRIBLY wrong with them.
b) Read what some experts say about DXOMark data
here:
"Something is wrong with the 7D used by DxO. It has far too much read noise at high ISOs. Almost every figure I've seen regarding 7D read noise at ISO 1600 averages somewhere around 19 ADU, and the 40D is around 22 or so. With 1.8x as many pixels, the image-level read noise of the 7D should be (19/22)(1.8^0.5) = .64 or about 2/3 stop more DR. The DxO "Print" for DR shows the same results as the 40D for high-ISO ... this doesn't make sense."
c) Now, let's look at comparisons between different brands. Notice that the D90/D5000 sensor has BETTER performance than the recently released (and much more expensive) D300s? What's going on? They are ALL 12 MP APS-C sensors.
So, what's the mystery?
It all boils down to in-camera RAW NR performed in D90/D5000. The result is marshy PLASTICKY appearance at high ISO. Explains why DPReview initially finds the D90 images to be soft at the pixel level. You will find proof of D90 in-camera RAW NR
here.
Read
what others have to say about this:
"...the Canon 500D which does not do Noise Reduction (NR) to raw at all has the most detail (and noise), while the Nikon D5000 which does the most (uncaught by testing) NR to raw has the least detail and a slight amount less noise, where the K-x fits somewhere between."
And when you compare Pentax k-x vs Canon 7D etc, you'll find
this:
"what you are missing is that the actual improvement in apparent sensor performance of the K-x over the others at these high ISO's is just a matter of some extra clever Noise Reduction (NR) applied to the raw data that can't be turned off. The K-x images are very slightly softer than the others, which accounts for its improvement that can be seen."
So far, Sony (blatant and BADLY done), Nikon (less intrusive but softness is still VERY perceptible) and Pentax (slight and most skillfully done) apply in-camera RAW NR. Canon is the only company that hasn't done it... so far.
Face it: the 7D has the BEST (and most honest) APS-C sensor in the market right now. NOTHING else comes close.
d) As a Nikon user, it's extremely dangerous for you to troll in this forum. If reported, you'll most certainly be banned.