High ISO noise: A55 vs A65 or NEX7 please share your experience

[tom in mpls]

I have the A55 and have very much enjoyed using it. I would like to move up to the higher pixel count of the newer Sonys. However, I am concerned about noise. I shoot raw, and almost never use a flash. I sometimes shoot at 1600 and have been very pleased with the results. Will I still be satisfied with the noise level at 1600 if I move to the A65 or NEX7?

 

[hot]

I've A55/NEX5/NEX7 ... NEX7 is "the best" of them, but the other are adequate (NEX5's biggest disadvantage: no viewer)

For NEX (E-mount) I'm using 30 different lenses - not possible with A55 (A-mount)

 

[mazor]

nex 7 prob has the better high iso performance out of the selection as it has no translucent mirror by default. losing half a stop of light is half a stop of light

 

[tom in mpls]

nex 7 prob has the better high iso performance out of the selection as it has no translucent mirror by default. losing half a stop of light is half a stop of light

You make a valid point, none the less I would still likely be shooting at ISO 1600 and would like to hear if others have found the noise difference at this ISO to be appreciably greater. Perhaps it is irrelevant in the real world, visible only when pixel peeping.

 

[Paul2660]

I have been shooting the Nex7 now about 4 weeks, about 1/2 of the time with the EA2 adapter which has the mirror. Between 100 and 400 very clean, 800 starts to show a good bit of noise, and 1600 is harsh. Both noise and what I have to call detail smearing all with raw shots. Having the EA2 on doesn't seem to have much of a difference in noise either.

The noise on the camera is however more pleasant to work with than what I have been working with on Canon over the past 10 years. The Nex7 noise between 400 and 800 is more like grain and doesn't have the same amount of color noise that I am used to seeing.

After reading the LuLa review I realized that by having the camera on auto ISO allows you to get the incremental iso's and over the past few days I have started to work this way.

Still finding the camera a very pleasant surprise.

Paul

 

[douglasf13]

Hi, Tom. It entirely depends on how you judge noise. I've had both the 5N and NEX-7, and, if you output high ISO files from both cameras to the same size, there really isn't much between them.

 

[mazor]

tom in mpls, what I mean by losing 1/2 stop of light is that one would need to push the ISO one extra level than what they would usually use due to the less light getting to the sensor in the A55 and A65. The difference between shooting at ISO 1600 and 3200 would definitely show difference in signal to noise.

So for your case moving from an A55 to Nex 7 should yield slightly better results, as you will be gaining half a stop of light, which may mean you are able to shoot at ISO 800 on the nex 7 instead of 1600 on the A55. Plus the nex 7 is a more modern sensor so even though it is a higher 24MP sensor over 16MP in the same size sensor, the signal to noise should be improved.

Recently I had the privilege of testing an A65, and compared it to my Nex 5n. In low light my 5n blitzed the a65 as the A65 required higher ISOs to give the same exposure as the 5n.

 

[mazor]

Hi, Tom. It entirely depends on how you judge noise. I've had both the 5N and NEX-7, and, if you output high ISO files from both cameras to the same size, there really isn't much between them.

Does this apply if you set the Nex 7 to JPG 4240 x 2832 reduced size or does this similar noise characteristic only occur when you down sample from RAW?

 

[tom in mpls]

tom in mpls, what I mean by losing 1/2 stop of light is that one would need to push the ISO one extra level than what they would usually use due to the less light getting to the sensor in the A55 and A65. The difference between shooting at ISO 1600 and 3200 would definitely show difference in signal to noise.

So for your case moving from an A55 to Nex 7 should yield slightly better results, as you will be gaining half a stop of light, which may mean you are able to shoot at ISO 800 on the nex 7 instead of 1600 on the A55. Plus the nex 7 is a more modern sensor so even though it is a higher 24MP sensor over 16MP in the same size sensor, the signal to noise should be improved.

Recently I had the privilege of testing an A65, and compared it to my Nex 5n. In low light my 5n blitzed the a65 as the A65 required higher ISOs to give the same exposure as the 5n.

Yes, I did understand your point. Thank you. Maybe I'll shoot at 1250 on the 7, whereas I would shoot at 1600 on the 55.

 

[HansAlbert]

I have the A55 and have very much enjoyed using it. I would like to move up to the higher pixel count of the newer Sonys. However, I am concerned about noise. I shoot raw, and almost never use a flash. I sometimes shoot at 1600 and have been very pleased with the results. Will I still be satisfied with the noise level at 1600 if I move to the A65 or NEX7?

I had the A700 and now have the A65. Looking at the photos at 100 % there seems to be as much noise as before; of course the photos are much bigger now. Shooting almost only raw I avoid more than ISO 1600. For stationary objects you have an ace up your sleeve: multiframe auto iso for jpgs.
At first I was a little disappointed that the high isos weren't better, but meanwhile I appreciate that the sensor gives you in return a splendid resolution and the possibility of cropping.
Here are some examples from the Wartburg (Eisenach, Germany):

Multiframe ISO Auto= 4000, JPG

100%

Multiframe ISO Auto = 6400, JPG

100%

Raw ISO 1600 Luther's desk

100%

Multiframe ISO Auto = 3200, JPG

100%