If you don't know what an AA filter is, please read this and come back when you're ready.
The issue is actually "Sharpness versus Moiré"
The thing is, most of you have never shot a digital camera without an AA-filter. I'm here to tell you that you haven't seen "sharpness" until you have.
My first experience with the H3DII-31 blew my mind when I saw the image details and raw sharpness straight out of the box. With the Nikon D3 files, you'd have to sharpen it significantly to attain that type of crispness. With the Hasselblad files, it was the way I always wanted them to look; tack sharp.
See the sample image. It's a RAW capture. Don't mind the blemishes. In fact, this might be a rude awakening seeing how if you're using this camera for beauty or fashion what you're going to have to clean up. But this is the kind of detail that I'm talking about with a non-AA filter camera.
Yes, Hasselbald is not Nikon. More sensor, more glass, more details. I get it.
But we're talking about the AA-filter here. Most of which is responsible for the clarity and detail in this image.
So it's a good idea to think about what your intent is. Because at the end of the day you're trading sharpness for moiré or vice versa. Are you shooting non-patterns or patterns. Natural patterns might arise in anything; landscape, fabric/fashion, still life. But usually the known enemies are fabric and architecture. Anything that would naturally be patterned. Personally I think landscape photographers will be fine with non-AA cameras. And even I've been able to get away from moiré with my H3DII-31 for fashion purposes. And yes, I have seen moiré in some of the fabrics I shoot.
For my purposes I would take a non-AA filter over an AA filter camera any day of the week. And if I can't convince you, maybe some of the D800E sample images can. Check out the sharpness on these bad boys!
How will the non-AA filtered D800 videos look? I have no idea. I have no experience with non-AA filtered video.
