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Archive 20097D High ISO Samples
p.1 #17D High ISO Samples
Well as promised, I've gone out and taken some shots in dusk AND shadow conditions. I believe all EXIF data is intact. All these photos are taken directly from RAW files with no post processing whatsoever except to be resized to post here. The sun had mostly gone behind the treeline. The birds were fairly difficult to focus on from the lack of light but the 7D again found its mark fairly well. Trust me it was very very dark. I could barely see them. These are full frame shots with the birds only about 15 feet or less away from me.
Before everyone starts the comments on how noisy it is, I don't believe anyone who really wants to take a wall-hanger will bother with ISO 3200 or much less ISO 6400 (settings I never use personally). As these images show, the 7D does not produce as clean an image as a 5D mkII at the same settings. But this amount of noise can be removed with acceptable results if the photo is indeed that spectacular that it warrants all that work.
Honestly, I love the camera. It does what its supposed to do in terms of AF and shutter speed. That's why I got it. ISO noise was not really an issue because I only try to shoot in good light. Lately I've come to believe in the "optimal" use of equipment, not "pushing-the-envelope" use of it. Ok... let the comments begin!
First set at ISO3200
Before everyone starts the comments on how noisy it is, I don't believe anyone who really wants to take a wall-hanger will bother with ISO 3200 or much less ISO 6400 (settings I never use personally). As these images show, the 7D does not produce as clean an image as a 5D mkII at the same settings. But this amount of noise can be removed with acceptable results if the photo is indeed that spectacular that it warrants all that work.
Honestly, I love the camera. It does what its supposed to do in terms of AF and shutter speed. That's why I got it. ISO noise was not really an issue because I only try to shoot in good light. Lately I've come to believe in the "optimal" use of equipment, not "pushing-the-envelope" use of it. Ok... let the comments begin!
First set at ISO3200
Oct 01, 2009 at 02:28 AM
p.1 #27D High ISO Samples
As you can see, these are not impossible to clean up. IMHO Canon did a good job with the high ISO. I hope this helps you folks out in making your decisions. Cheers everyone!
Oct 01, 2009 at 02:32 AM
p.1 #47D High ISO Samples
That is FAR better than what I get from my 50d!
Thanks for taking the time and trouble in taking and posting these pics.
Really apreciated!
Thanks for taking the time and trouble in taking and posting these pics.
Really apreciated!
Oct 01, 2009 at 02:52 AM
p.1 #57D High ISO Samples
fraga wrote:
That is FAR better than what I get from my 50d!
Thanks for taking the time and trouble in taking and posting these pics.
Really apreciated!
You're quite welcome fraga! I feel your pain. My 50D is going up for sale very very soon. As you can see from my clean up photo, at ISO3200 the image can still be recovered decently. Mind you, I am NOT a PP expert.
far from it. I have only started using photoshop seriously for about 9 months so in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing, these pictures can really pop!
That is FAR better than what I get from my 50d!
Thanks for taking the time and trouble in taking and posting these pics.
Really apreciated!
You're quite welcome fraga! I feel your pain. My 50D is going up for sale very very soon. As you can see from my clean up photo, at ISO3200 the image can still be recovered decently. Mind you, I am NOT a PP expert.
far from it. I have only started using photoshop seriously for about 9 months so in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing, these pictures can really pop! Oct 01, 2009 at 02:58 AM
p.1 #67D High ISO Samples
dontbsme_2 wrote:
Thanks a bunch....
John
Anytime John! Glad to help fellow FM friends!
Thanks a bunch....
John
Anytime John! Glad to help fellow FM friends!
Oct 01, 2009 at 03:21 AM
p.1 #77D High ISO Samples
In your opinion is the 7D better than 50D? or is it to soon to tell?
not trying to hurry ya..debating a 7D as my next upgrade..
not trying to hurry ya..debating a 7D as my next upgrade..
Oct 01, 2009 at 03:26 AM
p.1 #87D High ISO Samples
Thanks for this Conrad. That last one with the Noise Ninja applied is excellent.
Oct 01, 2009 at 03:31 AM
p.1 #97D High ISO Samples
digitalbug30d wrote:
In your opinion is the 7D better than 50D? or is it to soon to tell?
not trying to hurry ya..debating a 7D as my next upgrade..
The definition of better is so subjective my friend. The 50D is great for the price its going for nowadays on the used market. 6fps is good enough for most folks. I just wanted more. The lower ISO performance is comporable in with both IMHO. AF really shines more with the 7D than the 50D again IMHO. But if your NOT doing BIF, focus issues are not really of great concern. You know what I mean? I spent the money for fast BIF photography as I intend to go longer then 400mm someday and would rather spent the cash on glass than bodies. I LOVED my 50D. I love my 7D MORE. Gosh I hope this helps.
In your opinion is the 7D better than 50D? or is it to soon to tell?
not trying to hurry ya..debating a 7D as my next upgrade..
The definition of better is so subjective my friend. The 50D is great for the price its going for nowadays on the used market. 6fps is good enough for most folks. I just wanted more. The lower ISO performance is comporable in with both IMHO. AF really shines more with the 7D than the 50D again IMHO. But if your NOT doing BIF, focus issues are not really of great concern. You know what I mean? I spent the money for fast BIF photography as I intend to go longer then 400mm someday and would rather spent the cash on glass than bodies. I LOVED my 50D. I love my 7D MORE. Gosh I hope this helps.
Oct 01, 2009 at 03:41 AM
p.1 #107D High ISO Samples
PierreB wrote:
Thanks for this Conrad. That last one with the Noise Ninja applied is excellent.
Thank you very much PierreB!
Thanks for this Conrad. That last one with the Noise Ninja applied is excellent.
Thank you very much PierreB!
Oct 01, 2009 at 03:42 AM
I now want one more than ever.
p.1 #127D High ISO Samples
Thanks for posting these
I assume you PP'ed these in DPP? If so, was the (automatic) NR turned off?
Care to take a few high ISO test shots in (mixed) indoor lighting for us low light shooters?
I assume you PP'ed these in DPP? If so, was the (automatic) NR turned off?
Care to take a few high ISO test shots in (mixed) indoor lighting for us low light shooters?
Oct 01, 2009 at 05:02 AM
p.1 #137D High ISO Samples
Wow. that cleaned up really well in noise ninja. I have not tried dpp but light room does pretty good on the chroma noise for jpegs. I have not been able to try anything else.
Oct 01, 2009 at 05:20 AM
p.1 #147D High ISO Samples
Very nice shots.
I was just about to buy a 5D mk2 when 7D came out.
I had a 7D for 1 day. The shop said I could take it back if I didn't like it.
First thing I did was try high iso, as I was looking for a camera to do weddings and low light and the shop said it would have better iso noise control than 50D and close to 5D.
I found typical problems with 1.6 crop, noise appearing at 1600 and above.
Not bad but nowhere near as good as 5D, and I found detail in shots to be softer than 5D.
I decided that the 5D would better suit my needs.
Please bear in mind these are my observations. I already have a 1D MK3 so I was just looking for something different.
I loved the body layout of the 7D, what the 5D should have been, and I really liked the new autofocus system and flash control. I think Canon missed a trick in not holding back and putting these features on the 5D. Roll on 5D mk3
The 7d is one hell of a camera and will sell by the bucket load.
Enjoy.
I was just about to buy a 5D mk2 when 7D came out.
I had a 7D for 1 day. The shop said I could take it back if I didn't like it.
First thing I did was try high iso, as I was looking for a camera to do weddings and low light and the shop said it would have better iso noise control than 50D and close to 5D.
I found typical problems with 1.6 crop, noise appearing at 1600 and above.
Not bad but nowhere near as good as 5D, and I found detail in shots to be softer than 5D.
I decided that the 5D would better suit my needs.
Please bear in mind these are my observations. I already have a 1D MK3 so I was just looking for something different.
I loved the body layout of the 7D, what the 5D should have been, and I really liked the new autofocus system and flash control. I think Canon missed a trick in not holding back and putting these features on the 5D. Roll on 5D mk3
The 7d is one hell of a camera and will sell by the bucket load.
Enjoy.
Oct 01, 2009 at 05:27 AM
p.1 #157D High ISO Samples
Conrad Tan wrote:
Lately I've come to believe in the "optimal" use of equipment, not "pushing-the-envelope" use of it. Ok... let the comments begin!
Conrad--thanks again for taking the time to shoot these images and share them with us. Well done!
I subscribe to the same "optimal" use paradigm. At this price point, for those of us who wish to find a camera which works well in 100% of all possible circumstances and shooting conditions, good luck! Having said that, I think we all wish for the best possible camera for the money that we shell out. Photography taken seriously is not an inexpensive hobby, avocation, or real job. I have a 7D on pre-order from Best Buy, and it will be a couple of weeks before I get mine (I have to admit, the wait is killing me). So, I've been living the last few weeks vicariously through others shooting with their early copies. It's kept me going, while I wait.
Now, back to "optimal use." I recently purchased a used 1Ds. It will probably arrive early next week. It's not a "perfect camera," but here is how I evaluated it:
Pros
Pro build quality
Pro weather sealing
Pro AF performance
Full-frame sensor
Film-like noise/grain
Great low ISO performance (< 400)
DEP function (last Canon to have this)
Makes gorgeous prints up to Super A3 (and probably larger)
Cons
Heavy
Large batteries
Sensor collects dust easily
Poor high ISO performance (> 400)
Targeted Uses
landscapes
portraits
macros
studio work
Miscellany
First DSLR to completely surpass 35mm film quality (2003)
First DSLR to approach medium-format film quality (2003)
First DSLR successfully marketed with a full-frame image sensor (2003)
An iconic and history-making camera for these reasons alone. A "collectable" camera which is still very usable for specific types of photography.
Take a look at the last part of the last sentence. Cameras are tools. As long as we shoot within their known limitations, we should be quite happy and get great results. I think we're all trying to determine the limitations and boundaries of where the 7D fits. I'll mostly use it for action, sports, motorsports, wildlife, and general photography in good light. I may dabble a little bit in astrophotography with it, as I did with my 20D. The 1080p HD video is a bonus to all still shooters. I'm not buying the camera for that, but it's a welcome feature. The AF performance is probably the single most important camera attribute that interests me with the 7D. So far, it seems to be far better than its xxD predecessors. The high ISO "pattern noise," which seemed to affect the 50D and is difficult to clean-up in post-processing, has been largely eliminated.
I've been told the noise on the 1Ds is much more natural-looking and film-like than any other DSLR (perhaps due to the large pixels and their pitch). So, for me, I don't care that it only shoots 3 fps (I will have the 7D for high throughput action shots). I bought the used 1Ds for one major reason: landscapes. My photography with this camera will be very deliberate, slow, calculated, and precise. I will use a tripod often, and will try to get the best light. I will "make" photographs instead of taking them.
I will use my 1Ds and my 7D cameras optimally, where they work best...
Edited on Oct 01, 2009 at 06:22 AM · View previous versions
Lately I've come to believe in the "optimal" use of equipment, not "pushing-the-envelope" use of it. Ok... let the comments begin!
Conrad--thanks again for taking the time to shoot these images and share them with us. Well done!
I subscribe to the same "optimal" use paradigm. At this price point, for those of us who wish to find a camera which works well in 100% of all possible circumstances and shooting conditions, good luck! Having said that, I think we all wish for the best possible camera for the money that we shell out. Photography taken seriously is not an inexpensive hobby, avocation, or real job. I have a 7D on pre-order from Best Buy, and it will be a couple of weeks before I get mine (I have to admit, the wait is killing me). So, I've been living the last few weeks vicariously through others shooting with their early copies. It's kept me going, while I wait.
Now, back to "optimal use." I recently purchased a used 1Ds. It will probably arrive early next week. It's not a "perfect camera," but here is how I evaluated it:
Pros
Pro build quality
Pro weather sealing
Pro AF performance
Full-frame sensor
Film-like noise/grain
Great low ISO performance (< 400)
DEP function (last Canon to have this)
Makes gorgeous prints up to Super A3 (and probably larger)
Cons
Heavy
Large batteries
Sensor collects dust easily
Poor high ISO performance (> 400)
Targeted Uses
landscapes
portraits
macros
studio work
Miscellany
First DSLR to completely surpass 35mm film quality (2003)
First DSLR to approach medium-format film quality (2003)
First DSLR successfully marketed with a full-frame image sensor (2003)
An iconic and history-making camera for these reasons alone. A "collectable" camera which is still very usable for specific types of photography.
Take a look at the last part of the last sentence. Cameras are tools. As long as we shoot within their known limitations, we should be quite happy and get great results. I think we're all trying to determine the limitations and boundaries of where the 7D fits. I'll mostly use it for action, sports, motorsports, wildlife, and general photography in good light. I may dabble a little bit in astrophotography with it, as I did with my 20D. The 1080p HD video is a bonus to all still shooters. I'm not buying the camera for that, but it's a welcome feature. The AF performance is probably the single most important camera attribute that interests me with the 7D. So far, it seems to be far better than its xxD predecessors. The high ISO "pattern noise," which seemed to affect the 50D and is difficult to clean-up in post-processing, has been largely eliminated.
I've been told the noise on the 1Ds is much more natural-looking and film-like than any other DSLR (perhaps due to the large pixels and their pitch). So, for me, I don't care that it only shoots 3 fps (I will have the 7D for high throughput action shots). I bought the used 1Ds for one major reason: landscapes. My photography with this camera will be very deliberate, slow, calculated, and precise. I will use a tripod often, and will try to get the best light. I will "make" photographs instead of taking them.
I will use my 1Ds and my 7D cameras optimally, where they work best...
Edited on Oct 01, 2009 at 06:22 AM · View previous versions
Oct 01, 2009 at 05:36 AM
p.1 #167D High ISO Samples
Thanks for posting these, Conrad.
It's good to see so many examples. You're answering a lot of peoples' questions.
It's good to see so many examples. You're answering a lot of peoples' questions.
Oct 01, 2009 at 05:47 AM
p.1 #177D High ISO Samples
The noise looks like film grains... pretty impressive.
Oct 01, 2009 at 05:47 AM
p.1 #187D High ISO Samples
canonical wrote:
With PP you can do anything. If you want unvarnished comparisons with other bodies, go to imaging resource. This body is not all that spectacular at high ISO...marginally better than the 50D. That's not opinion, look for yourself. For the Canon fanboys, I'm sure you will allege that IR is biased.
Considering it's 18MP crammed on a APS-C sensor, yea that's pretty spectacular.
With PP you can do anything. If you want unvarnished comparisons with other bodies, go to imaging resource. This body is not all that spectacular at high ISO...marginally better than the 50D. That's not opinion, look for yourself. For the Canon fanboys, I'm sure you will allege that IR is biased.
Considering it's 18MP crammed on a APS-C sensor, yea that's pretty spectacular.
Oct 01, 2009 at 06:29 AM
p.1 #197D High ISO Samples
canonical wrote:
With PP you can do anything. If you want unvarnished comparisons with other bodies, go to imaging resource. This body is not all that spectacular at high ISO...marginally better than the 50D. That's not opinion, look for yourself. For the Canon fanboys, I'm sure you will allege that IR is biased.
True. In many ways it is marginally better than the 50D at high ISO, but that's not the point of the camera. However, in terms of "pattern noise," it's orders of magnitude better than the 50D. But you seemingly don't understand what pattern noise is. I don't believe that you'll ever "get it."
If you follow the forums here and at MOST of the VIDEO forums around the world, this camera is rolling off the shelves as quickly as Canon can ship them. Can you tell us why SO many people are buying the 7D? What is your response to that?
I have to admit, I'm going to laugh out loud here. When you show us similar examples shot with the Nikon D300S you'll have a leg to stand on. Until then, your less-than-educated opinions will be just that on these forums.
I am "hiding" this poser.
Carry on.
Edited on Oct 01, 2009 at 06:37 AM · View previous versions
With PP you can do anything. If you want unvarnished comparisons with other bodies, go to imaging resource. This body is not all that spectacular at high ISO...marginally better than the 50D. That's not opinion, look for yourself. For the Canon fanboys, I'm sure you will allege that IR is biased.
True. In many ways it is marginally better than the 50D at high ISO, but that's not the point of the camera. However, in terms of "pattern noise," it's orders of magnitude better than the 50D. But you seemingly don't understand what pattern noise is. I don't believe that you'll ever "get it."
If you follow the forums here and at MOST of the VIDEO forums around the world, this camera is rolling off the shelves as quickly as Canon can ship them. Can you tell us why SO many people are buying the 7D? What is your response to that?
I have to admit, I'm going to laugh out loud here. When you show us similar examples shot with the Nikon D300S you'll have a leg to stand on. Until then, your less-than-educated opinions will be just that on these forums.
I am "hiding" this poser.
Carry on.
Edited on Oct 01, 2009 at 06:37 AM · View previous versions
Oct 01, 2009 at 06:32 AM
p.1 #207D High ISO Samples
canonical wrote:
With PP you can do anything. If you want unvarnished comparisons with other bodies, go to imaging resource. This body is not all that spectacular at high ISO...marginally better than the 50D. That's not opinion, look for yourself. For the Canon fanboys, I'm sure you will allege that IR is biased.
No I allege that you are a hopeless Nikon fan boy - and should fast stop trashing a camera that wipes the floor with Nikon's (marginally updated) best crop DSLR...
With PP you can do anything. If you want unvarnished comparisons with other bodies, go to imaging resource. This body is not all that spectacular at high ISO...marginally better than the 50D. That's not opinion, look for yourself. For the Canon fanboys, I'm sure you will allege that IR is biased.
No I allege that you are a hopeless Nikon fan boy - and should fast stop trashing a camera that wipes the floor with Nikon's (marginally updated) best crop DSLR...
Oct 01, 2009 at 06:34 AM