DxOMark
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DxOMark

DXOMARK is a commercial website described as "an independent benchmark that scientifically assesses smartphones, lenses and cameras". Founded in 2008, DXOMARK was originally owned by DxO Labs, a French engineering and consulting company, which is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France. DXOMARK Image Labs was separated from DxO Labs in September 2017, and was later re-branded to DXOMARK in 2019. DXOMARK is now a wholly independent privately-owned company.

DXOMARK scores are used in many independent news publications and specialist media sites.

The score(s) awarded by DXOMARK are based upon a comprehensive and highly documented, but commercially secret methodology. An overall 'headline' (v) score is awarded, but that is based upon an aggregated overview of a number of other very specific and detailed test attributes, although the actual weighting of those individual attributes is unknown. DXOMARK themselves stress that "the overall score is not a weighted sum of the sub-scores. It is a proprietary and confidential mapping of sub-scores into a combined score". DXOMARK also highlight that they consult directly with the equipment manufacturers, with the objective of helping them make better cameras.

In respect of specific score figures, it is not clear what headroom or ceiling level is available to the DXOMARK scoring system. Some early high performers might have suggested an upper limit of 100 points, yet later high performers are awarded scores in excess of 100. It is also important to note that the DXOMARK score is not based on any averages.

The DXOMARK Sensor Score measures several important image quality metrics of the RAW image captured by the camera's sensor. The overall score is a confidential combination of three sub-scores:

Another metric, the Perceptual MegaPixel (P-MPix), defined as 'the unit of a sharpness measurement', is used to rate the resolution a camera produces when paired to a particular lens. DXOMARK claims that P-MPix is a more accurate and relevant value for photographers to consider than alternate measures of sharpness when evaluating camera and lens image quality.[unreliable source] As of December 2015, the Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens mounted on a Canon EOS 5DS R has the highest measured P-MPix (45 P-MPix), followed by the Carl Zeiss APO Sonnar T* 2/135 ZE (41 P-MPix on Canon EOS 5DS R and 36 P-MPix on Nikon D800E).

The DXOMARK Lens Score provides ratings for camera lenses, as tested using its proprietary tool-set in combination with various camera models. As with the DxOMark Sensor Score, the DXOMARK Lens Score is an aggregation of five separate sub-scores; namely: sharpness, distortion, vignetting, transmission, and chromatic aberration. As of December 2024, three lenses have the highest aggregated Lens Score of 55: the Nikon Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.2 S, the Nikon Nikkor Z 58 mm f/0.95 S Noct (both Nikon Z-mount) and the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG DN Art (for Sony E-mount).

As smartphones began to overtake point-and-shoot cameras, DXOMARK began testing smartphones and other mobile devices in 2011, and introduced DXOMARK Mobile in 2012. A major update was made in September 2017, adding tests designed to stress the capabilities of current-model smartphones, including those with dual lenses; such as lower-light shooting, telephoto zoom, depth effect, and bokeh. In September 2019, the DXOMARK Mobile score was renamed DXOMARK Camera.

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