View single post by Eric
 Posted: Mon Dec 24th, 2018 10:18
Eric



Joined: Thu Apr 19th, 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 4424
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 As you may be aware I have been having noise dissatisfactions with my bird photos. The low winter lighting, the need to have good dof and fast shutter speeds pushed the ISO into 4000plus on many occasions.

While trying to ascertain whether my D500 was performing to spec I took a look at the on board High ISO Noise Reduction menu option setting.

I noticed my setting was on LOW. The default setting for the camera is NORMAL. Not sure when I altered that setting but it may be a significant reason for my current dissatisfaction? Need to do some tests after Christmas.

All this raises a question in my mind....what level do Nikon and therefore WE regard as High ISO, sufficient that it warrants noise reduction intervention?

Reading a couple of Nikon's bulletins, they talk about using Nikon cameras at “high ISOs of 800, 1600, 3200 or even higher”. REALLY?

The D500 normal ISO tops out at 51,000...with a H5 option of 1,600,000!!

I naively thought, with this potential, that 'high ISO' would be defined and 'start' significantly more than 800, 1600 or 3200?

So when does the High ISO Noise Reduction kick in? And with what intensity?

I gather? that the application of this damping effect is incremental through the ISO range. But, is it necessary / applied from as low as 800?

I suppose this is at the root of my disappointment.
Early dslrs we're fine at 100/200 but hit a rapidly increasing noise problem beyond 800.

Why so little improvement in LOW/MEDIUM? ISO noise intervention since then?

With 51000plus to play with, it would be nice if noise reduction wasn't necessary until (say) 5000.....ie 10% of the sensors full potential?

Last edited on Mon Dec 24th, 2018 10:39 by Eric



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Eric