Canon 7D noise :(

[StRoRo]

Can some one who has a 7D or knows a lot about 7D please look at the example photograph taken today and tell me if you think the noise is too much.

I know that th 7D is quite a noisey camera and the Nikon is better in this area but I think this is terrible. When I try to sharpen any photograph it just makes the noise more apparent.

The picture info is.
ISO200
Exp. 1600th
F 7.1
100% crop, no editing done.
Camera sharpenss is set to level 3.
Camera Firmware is 1.2.3

What are your thoughts on this, is the camera too noisey?

[glsammy]

The first thing I'd do is remove all the in camera settings. I'd rather apply my sharpening in software rather than let the camera decide what to do. Trying to sharpen an image when sharpening has already been applied is asking for trouble.
So firstly reset your camera! I have mine set to neutral, with everything at 0.
Then try some tests shots again.

[slimrbp]

Like gslammy says, turn off in camera sharpening as sharpening will also sharpen the noise it's a balancing act which I think is better done in editing software.
Either that or play with different levels of sharpening until you find the one that works best.

Also on my monitor the shot looks a little underexposed and I have found that there is a little more visible noise in underexposed images on the 7D.

[Gaza]

100% crop! Wow!

I'm not surprised!

Mine would also look noisy at 100% crop!

You have me worried now. Are there many photographers here, that actually crop 100% ?

What is the noise like at 50% crop ?

I think you will find that any make of camera is going to show, noise at 100% crop, and if it doesnt. The image quality will be lost, anyhow!

I have just had a look at some of my stock photos and cropped them 100% One or two of them didn't show noise, due to a very light sky. But the image quality had gone.

For me to try and regain the quality, through processing would mean introducing artifacts ( Noise )

A lot of very good photographers that I talk to. will not crop more that 10% due to inherent noise problems. The more you blow up the image ( as it were ) The more you introduce noise!

What does the noise look like at no crop ?
What does the noise look like at 50 % crop? ( that's my limit on cropping )

Can you show us some results at 0% crop and 50% crop?

Also. What lens are you using ?

[glsammy]

Good point Gaza. I have used 100% crop but not unless there's no other option.
One things for certain, unless you've got everything right, exposure, light and camera settings you can't expect the image to be good.

Here's an example.


That's a 100% crop. Untouched, straight from the camera. Not too hot a shot?
Here's the one I actually uploaded:


Quite pleased with it, when it's at a more realistic size.

[Gaza]

My point exactly, Graham

There is a lot of difference in the quality of image between the two!

!00% cropping just isn't a good idea, in my view.

I think that sometimes ( I have done it myself ) we try to over crop, because we weren't near enough to the subject.

This is often the case ( As I know only too well ) When we havent got big enough lenses for the particular subject.

I learned that quality of image becomes more important, than size of image.

Having said that!

I would still like to see the OP's image at 0% and 50% crop, to really see what the noise is like.

[glsammy]

Just to prove myself wrong, here's a 100% crop image from today. There were good reason why it worked, mainly perfect light and I got the exposure correct.

[tom w w]

Do you save as raw files? If you save as JPG what quality do you have set?

At that ISO and speed the pictures should be fine.

I don't think thats a camera fault, it looks like settings somewere in the line IMHO.

This shot is sharpen a bit. But smoothing of the sky was not nessasery, and you have better iso and speed than me.



This is a 100% crop. partly done because there was so much detail in the shot. The full image shows the full bird and then some.



I would reset everything, take a pic of a clear sky, or plain card and see how it works out, try different setting to see what you get and what works for you.

(ps hope the links work its my first post on here )

[MeadsMan]

Originally Posted by Gaza

100% crop! Wow!

I'm not surprised!

Mine would also look noisy at 100% crop!

You have me worried now. Are there many photographers here, that actually crop 100% ?

What is the noise like at 50% crop ?

I think you will find that any make of camera is going to show, noise at 100% crop, and if it doesnt. The image quality will be lost, anyhow!

I have just had a look at some of my stock photos and cropped them 100% One or two of them didn't show noise, due to a very light sky. But the image quality had gone.

For me to try and regain the quality, through processing would mean introducing artifacts ( Noise )

A lot of very good photographers that I talk to. will not crop more that 10% due to inherent noise problems. The more you blow up the image ( as it were ) The more you introduce noise!

What does the noise look like at no crop ?
What does the noise look like at 50 % crop? ( that's my limit on cropping )

Can you show us some results at 0% crop and 50% crop?

Also. What lens are you using ?

At last I found someone who sees things the way I do !! Believe me your in a Minority.

[johnf3f]

Originally Posted by StRoRo

Can some one who has a 7D or knows a lot about 7D please look at the example photograph taken today and tell me if you think the noise is too much.

I know that th 7D is quite a noisey camera and the Nikon is better in this area but I think this is terrible. When I try to sharpen any photograph it just makes the noise more apparent.

The picture info is.
ISO200
Exp. 1600th
F 7.1
100% crop, no editing done.
Camera sharpenss is set to level 3.
Camera Firmware is 1.2.3

What are your thoughts on this, is the camera too noisey?

7D noisy? Compared to what camera? Yes a 1D4/D3s will beat it but at the price they jolly well should do!
I should state that I do not have a 7D, but know quite a number of people who do and they have not mentioned noise problems until they get to silly ISO numbers.
If you read Amateur Photography the 7D (JUST!) beats the D300s on noise levels though both are exceptionally good for APSC cameras. Also remember if you are viewing at 100% the 7D's 18MP image is much larger than the competition so it's not realistic to compare it at this level. Please remember ALL DSLR's show some noise at 100% but how relevant is this? The character of the noise can be more important, for example the high ISO noise on my 5D Mk1 can be very useful, especially for monochrome.
Just my 2p