4K and Beyond—Comparing Digital Camera Performance: Part I

The selection of professional camera systems is not easy. At some point a decision regarding image quality is unavoidable. Which parameters play a role? Because spatial image quality is relatively simple to test, the question is one of photometric properties. It's internationally agreed that the most important performance data are sensitivity and dynamic range, although there is no accepted industry standard for their measurement. The first of this two-part article is intended to give a detailed description of the basics, problems and contradictions involved in the photometric description of camera systems. Part two will describe an attempt to measure and present these performance data more clearly.