Canon 7D noise :(

johnf3f · #21 (**permalink**) 02-06-2011, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JaySteel

I shoot with a Canon 40D which produces more noise than your 7D. For my outdoor snake photography I use ISO 1600. I then use selective sharpening and noise reduction on my images on Photoshop. The noise reduction is handled by a Photoshop plug-in by 'Neat Image' and this process leaves my images looking sharp in all the right areas and virtually noise free in the background.

Here's an example of a 100% crop. Please click to view full size version:

Best regards,
Jason

OMG the noise is deafening - NOT!!!
The 40d is a great camera IMHO.

SouthwestSnapper · #22 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 12:05 PM

I can see by the photo that its a clear sky, and by the shadow on the leaf the subject is in full sunlight..so the F stop you have chosen is clearly wrong, it should be around F4 and a half to F5.6...PM me if you want to know how I can work that out in a second without even getting my kit out of my bag as I walk up to the subject...I dont ever use the inbuilt metering of my cameras and only ever shot in full manual mode, I have a pupil who has owned there 60d for about 5 weeks now and i chuckled the other day when they asked...'oh does this camera have a light meter built in then?''

They are happy with there results and as yet have not used the cameras metering due to there understanding of exposure and light..

shadowx · #23 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 12:58 PM

Dont keep the knowledge secret, do tell us your technique for getting the right F stop.

To be honest I almost always shoot in the widest aperture possible for my lens, usually f4ish. The only times I change that are if i need more DOF (IE landscape or even some macro) or if i need to get a longer exposure. ISO stays usually at 100-200. Rarely I will go to auto if I am in changeable conditions and the shot isnt static.

Back on topic that image is incredibly noisy, I would have to say one of two things really, either an issue with the camera itself or a dodgy setting. Factory reset is a good idea and then try again.

Temperature can also increase noise, electronics work better when they are cold, the colder the better, hot summer days can introduce noise to an extent but I wouldnt expect it to reach those levels. And like others have said sharpening is a pain for noise.

My technique for getting around that is to use two image layers when I edit the image in the GIMP (free editor, just as good as PS) The top layer will be the subject/focus area, EG a bird, i sharpen this layer to get the subject (bird) nice and detailed without looking too obviously sharpened. This will make the background, eg sky, very noisy. So the bottom layer I will use extreme noise reduction ignoring the subject, the bird then gets fuzzy and nasty but the background is smooth. I then use a layer mask to blend the two together, allowing the smooth sky to show through the top layer so i get my sharpened bird against my smoothed out sky.

On my flickr is an image of a barn owl, link: All sizes | Barn Owl | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Shameless plugging of my own photos.. BUT you can view the image at 100% crop which is the original size. I used the layers technique on that photo since i had a fair bit of noise at 75%+ crop which now is fairly low IMHO. Considering it was on an f4 lens at 200mm and it is 100% crop i think the noise is acceptable.

I wouldnt ever try to sell an image at 100% crop, it just wont happen, even with top quality lenses (I'm ashamed to say that's an L series lens :P Not that I could afford it without borrowing money

) but for specimen shots or just for your own enjoyment a 100% is great. Before I edited it you could see me in the reflection of the Owl's eye, so dont be afraid to keep a photo at 75% or more crop, just put some more time into sorting out the noise and sharpening etc.

Foz · #24 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 01:43 PM

Nice owl shot with little noise, shadowx.
But your whites are blown on the head

shadowx · #25 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 02:06 PM

Haha, I know I know! I was just feeling lazy!

I dont know if I can be bothered to develop an underexposed image from the RAW and then blend it all in, re-apply all the noise reduction etc... so for now it stays, just squint a bit, that reduces the over exposure

rogpow · #26 (**permalink**) 10-06-2011, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowx

Dont keep the knowledge secret, do tell us your technique for getting the right F stop.

I imagine SouthwestSnapper is referring to the "Sunny F16 Rule".

In full sunshine, with the sun behind you, correct exposure should be obtained by setting f16 and a shutter speed that corresponds to the ISO you've set.
So according to the rule, the settings for the photo by the OP should have been:
f16 at 1/200th which equates to f5.6 at 1/1600th rather than the f7.1 he used.

Rog

momji1971 · #27 (**permalink**) 11-06-2011, 06:56 PM

Would have to urge caution on the old sunny 16 rule from shadowX. A good guide dating back to film days, but thats all it is, a guide.

Far more accurate (as a sensor behaves very differently to our eyes) is to look at the histogram. After all, this is the information you'll be looking at back home on the computer.

Checking the histogram and altering shooting parameters accordingly should save you from blowing out highlights as in the owl example shown previously.

regards.
Stu.