A7RII REALLY high ISO

[dmward]

I decided to see just what 102400 ISO looks like.
I took A7RII with 24-70 F4.0 and walked around the house.
Here is a sequence of processed images from an image shot at ISO 102400, 1/125th, F4.

Here is the full frame image resized to 1024 on the long side.
That's about as big as most images used on websites.
"Grainy" but acceptable.



Here is a 100% crop of the focus point. LOTS of digital grain (noise)



Here is full frame with minimal Lightroom Noise Reduction (25 L, 25 C)



And the 100% crop.



Here is the full frame with probably too much Lightroom Noise Reduction (75 L, 75C)



And the 100% crop.



The heavily NRed image looks manipulated at full frame, even at 1024 pixels.

The minimal NRed is probably what I'd use for an image that is going onto a website or for small print size.

The image without noise reduction looks better than I expected as a full frame in Lightroom on a 21 inch iMAC. The image is about 8x12 inches on the screen and looks surprisingly good for the extreme ISO.

The histogram for the image is not blocked up in the blacks nor clipped in the highlights which helps.

 

[mjm6]

Is there any NR (default NR) being applied in the first two? It has absolutely no chroma noise at all seemingly, and I find that remarkable.

I understand that the a7rII will automatically cook some NR into the RAW files above 32,000 so that may be the reason, but really, considering the ISO the results are quite good.

Looks like a color version of P3200 that I used to shoot back in my college days for night assignments. I like it.


---Michael

 

[tashley]

Is there any NR (default NR) being applied in the first two? It has absolutely no chroma noise at all seemingly, and I find that remarkable.

I understand that the a7rII will automatically cook some NR into the RAW files above 32,000 so that may be the reason, but really, considering the ISO the results are quite good.

Looks like a color version of P3200 that I used to shoot back in my college days for night assignments. I like it.


---Michael

Does that moire on the table top go away if you turn lens corrections to OFF?

 

[dmward]

The first full image and its 100% crop do not have any Lightroom noise reduction applied.

The lens module does have the profile and CA ticked. That may be why there is no chroma noise.

 

[Chris Giles]

I don't think I live in a world of unrealistic expectations but I expected it to be better than that considering the BSI hype.

I'll be back later, just off to feed my Unicorn.

 

[Vivek]

OT: Chris, how does the Sigma f2 wde zoom do on the A7II?

 

[Chris Giles]

It's really nice.

 

[Zlatko Batistich]

Looks great for that ISO! I would use the minimal NR or maybe a little higher. Or maybe none, if I wanted that look. Might be a nice black & white too.

 

[Pradeep]

I think what this illustrates, for me at least is that one need not be afraid to take a picture even if the ambient light is really poor. Given IBIS on the sensor and with a Batis lens, I could get very usable (web viewing) images at events where I don't want to use an external flash or be intrusive in other ways.

After all, what do you do with any image? You either print it or post it. For the latter, this seems quite adequate.

Time for me to go and try it at home.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

If I ever go past ISO 6400 than I know for a fact I died and I am in a box 6 ft under. LOL

I just would never shoot past that

 

[dandrewk]

Again, I'm looking forward to seeing how DxO's prime noise reduction works on ultra-high ISO's.

C'mon DxO, add support for the new camera!

 

[Pradeep]

Again, I'm looking forward to seeing how DxO's prime noise reduction works on ultra-high ISO's.

C'mon DxO, add support for the new camera!

Have you tried Imagegnomic Noiseware? From the ones I've used, it seems to be the best (have not tried DXO of late).

 

[dandrewk]

In addition to great noise reduction, the DxO's lens/camera profiles are the best I have found. Since they profile individual lenses -paired- with individual cameras, their profiles tend to be limited to native mounts. But the results are outstanding.

It's ingrained into my workflow - export to DxO for profiling and (when needed) NR, then import back into LR as DNG. It works so well I am holding off post processing many images on the A7rII until they support the camera. It usually doesn't take them very long.

 

[dmward]

Does that moire on the table top go away if you turn lens corrections to OFF?

The moire isn't evident in the file in Lightroom. After some experimentation I discovered its being caused by the JPG reduction routine from camera pixel dimensions to the 1024 long side I used.

When reducing to 900 pixels on the long side there is nor moire.

I just tried an export at 1024 with lens corrections turned off and that image also does not have moire.

 

[Amin]

This one is ISO 102,400 with some NR using Nik Dfine:


DSC00212 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr


I don't think I'll ever use it, but I still can't believe how good it is!

 

[dmward]

It is something.
I'm tempted to send a couple of images for 5x7 prints just to see what they look like.
I also plan to shoot some really high ISO setting shots during a reception next weekend just to see what's possible.

 

[k-hawinkler]

This one is ISO 102,400 with some NR using Nik Dfine:


DSC00212 by Amin Sabet, on Flickr


I don't think I'll ever use it, but I still can't believe how good it is!

Many thanks Amin. Amazing IQ, considering.
Why not use such a high ISO if cirmcumstances warrant it?
I would if the alternative is to have no picture at all.

 

[Amin]

Many thanks Amin. Amazing IQ, considering.
Why not use such a high ISO if cirmcumstances warrant it?
I would if the alternative is to have no picture at all.

Good point, K-H. Also, I haven't even tried B&W conversions yet. The noise is very fine and relatively free of unsightly patterns.

 

[Vivek]

Amin, Try it in mixed poor lighting outside at night. It does look encouraging compared to the A7r.

 

[gandolfi]

:worthless:
It must surely be night time somewhere on this planet.