Do you use high ISO Settings?

[glsammy]

Whilst doing the RSPB Bird watch I decided to experiment with high iso shots. On the Canon 20D and many others, you can select up to ISO 3200. I've never bothered using this, as I assumed the shots would be next to useless. Having had a little go, I'm not so sure.
Here's a couple of ISO3200 shots, which would have been just about impossible at much less, as I was still only on a shutter speed of 1/200 sec.





OK, I accept a fair amount of detail has gone, but they're not the horror story I was expecting.
I have of course done some work on them, including running Neat Image over them.

It's certainly changed my ideas on the potential use of this extreme setting, where the light is atrocious and any image is better than none at all!

And yes, that is a Dunnock on a feeder! He/she comes reguarly, and will even see off Sparrows and Blue Tits.

[Fourwings]

The high iso settings on the 20D certainly have their uses Graham, as you correctly say they can be used to provide you with that vital record image in the most appaling light conditions.

I use iso 800 when the light is dodgey, but to be honest when using a macro lens the loss of detail at the iso settings above this is quite considerable, and a macro image without fine detail is a bad 'un.

The images you have posted are suprisingly good and are of a good quality for web use eg 640x480, what do they look like at full size on the monitor?

[Ollie]

Those images are better than I would have expected at ISO 3200 Graham. Must admit the highest ISO I have ever used on the 350D and 400D is 800 and to be quite honest I've never really seen any noticable difference between 800 and 400. Looking at your shots thouh I will certainly be tempted to try ISO 1600 when the light is bad.
Roger

[matt_xyz]

they also look better than I would have expected Graham. I've never gone beyond 800 on my 400D. I think the 20D/30D has the edge on the 400D in terms of noise (or lack of it). I think it important to avoid underexposing when using high ISO settings as that obviously amplifies the noise. I have one or two ISO 800 shots which were very noisy because I'd underexposed. A well exposed ISO 800 shot has relatively little noise though, even on the 400D.

Matt

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by matt_xyz

they also look better than I would have expected Graham. I've never gone beyond 800 on my 400D. I think the 20D/30D has the edge on the 400D in terms of noise (or lack of it). I think it important to avoid underexposing when using high ISO settings as that obviously amplifies the noise. I have one or two ISO 800 shots which were very noisy because I'd underexposed. A well exposed ISO 800 shot has relatively little noise though, even on the 400D.

Matt

I've read in more than one place that the 350D, which the 400D is of course a direct replacement of, was better at low light shots than the 20D. I've no idea if that right or not, but both of them are superb high ISO performers, compared to many others.

As for ISO 800, virtually all the shots I took at Center Parcs were at 800. Neat image did wonders on those, I only used it when the loss of detail on the main subject was not evident. Your right re the exposure, it certainly shows up the noise if your off.

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

The high iso settings on the 20D certainly have their uses Graham, as you correctly say they can be used to provide you with that vital record image in the most appaling light conditions.

I use iso 800 when the light is dodgey, but to be honest when using a macro lens the loss of detail at the iso settings above this is quite considerable, and a macro image without fine detail is a bad 'un.

The images you have posted are suprisingly good and are of a good quality for web use eg 640x480, what do they look like at full size on the monitor?

Not bad at all Steve. My monitor is at 1280x1024, and even at full size the image isn't horrific. As I said, there IS loss of detail, and I certainly wouldn't recommend using those settings for any Macro work, where detail is the be all of the image, but as a record shot of something your unlikely to see often, it's very usable.
What bought me to try this was my experience yesterday. I was at Potteric Carr and we saw a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker high in the trees. The light levels were terrible, I managed a couple of shots at iso800, but I now wish I'd taken the plunge and upped the levels to 3200. The shots would have been much better, as the main problem I had with the ones I got was the movement of the bird, due to the very low shutter speeds.
Oh, by the way, I also got a shot of a flying Bittern! Again, the shot is terrible, from a long way off, but it's definitely recognisable as a Bittern!

[Kev Lewis]

I would agree the Canon is very usable, as a last resort, at 3200iso I wouldn't recommend Nikon users try this though as they will just cry lol

[themightyzog]

Oh dear into the wars again - I'm a Nikon man and regularily shoot at 1600 ISO with no trouble at all.

But whatever ISO I use I always run them through NeatImage (and normally FocuMagic) - if you have never seen what this software can do, take a look at my website (in the software page).

Chris
Web Site: My Left Eye

[Kev Lewis]

Originally Posted by themightyzog

Oh dear into the wars again - I'm a Nikon man and regularily shoot at 1600 ISO with no trouble at all.

But whatever ISO I use I always run them through NeatImage (and normally FocuMagic) - if you have never seen what this software can do, take a look at my website (in the software page).

Chris
Web Site: My Left Eye

Using Neat Image on all of your images regardless of the iso they were shot at is a very bad idea. I don't even consider using Neat Iamge on shots taken below 400iso and even at 400 iso I only occasionally use it. Neat Image is a great noise reduction tool but it still removes detail as well as any noise. At iso values below 400 you are just throwing away detail using it and not gaining anything.

I use Intellisharpen II for the final sharpening process and it doesnt create any sharpening halos

[DaiTheDragon]

When i have to get rid of noise I use Noise Ninja but I mask the Bird first, apply Ninja to the background and then just sharpen the bird.

Dai