6.01.2013

What does ISO 6400 look like on an a58?

I shot this in the low, low light of twilight at the end of the swim suit fashion show on Thurs. I can see some splotchy noise in the lefthand woman's left cheek. Part of the noise comes from a bit of underexposure. I had to increase exposure by half a stop in Aperture. Otherwise the image is unprocessed and no noise reduction was performed. While this performance doesn't put the camera into the rarified top classes of noise free cameras I think it's pretty respectable for a $600, 20 megapixel amateur-oriented camera.  Just an observation for anyone who is interested and also to show Mr. Lonien what the camera looks like there.

Of course, when the noise gets sticky the cowardly run to the black and white settings. A little monotone hides lots of sins...


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7 comments:

  1. Craig YuillJune 1, 2013 at 5:49 PM

    These results don't surprise me at all. I have shot many pictures with my lowly 10MP Nikon V1 at ISO 3200, a setting the V1 is "terrible" at (according to certain DxO worshipers). Sure, large areas of color with no detail can look "grainy", but I have been impressed by the high amount of detail I can also see in subjects. The 3200 images actually have a film-like quality to them. I recently took a few photos inside a museum with the V1. I'd swear the 3200 images on the V1 look less grainy than shots of the same subject I took many years ago using Kodachrome 64 and Ektachrome 160T.

    As far as I'm concerned, if you are getting photos with a quality you like, then keep using that camera. Others' negative opinions be damned.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wolfgang LonienJune 2, 2013 at 12:48 PM

    Thanks for showing these, Kirk. That puts things in perspective. Oh, and the B&W one is cool.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJune 2, 2013 at 8:56 PM

    You could shoot with a Holga and get great sharp images. It's talent talking.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JJ SempleJune 3, 2013 at 1:53 PM

    This image was captured with a Nikon v1, 18.5mm f/1.8 lens. Dim interior lighting. I know it's noisy, but that doesn't mean much if you like the image as much as I do.

    Wish I had take some with my a57, 50mm f/1.8 to compare. Next time...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kirk, Photographer/WriterJune 3, 2013 at 4:21 PM

      JJ, pu up the image....thanks.

      Delete
    2. JJ SempleJune 5, 2013 at 6:43 PM

      "This image" in my original comment is actually a hotlink. For some reason it only activates when you mouse over it.

      Delete
  5. UnknownJune 15, 2013 at 12:29 AM

    Excellent image from cheap amateur camera. Being myself a99 shooter, I know how FF nails it in the same situation. But still, a58 is surprising positively.

    ReplyDelete

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