Highest Noise Level?

[Ed Rooney]

 

What's the highest noise level you're willing to correct on images submitted to Alamy? 

 

Edo

[Steve F]

Edo, I judge it by eye when I'm editing. But I don't think I'd ever use much over 4000-5000 when shooting, and that is very unusual for me already, I try to keep below 2000 in low light.

Otherwise, it's tripod time.

Steve

[sb photos]

I have used iso 3200 and 4000, and often resized to 3000 pixels on the longest length. 

[spacecadet]

3200, similar downsize to sb's . But it's probably a pretty old sensor by now (A58). I tested it when acquired- there was a multi-shot in-camera so-called noise reduction mode at 6400, but I was onto RAW by then and the jpeg  looked like mush. So I never used it and it hasn't been a problem, even though my inclination to carry a tripod has been very slight for years. I took one to NZ and didn't use it.

You might need one from about October, Ed. It gets pretty dark up there.

[meanderingemu]

not sure I have limits anymore, if it makes it through it will be on.  Would i prefer it had a notice "May contain imperfection", yes but that is not an option.  

[Ed Rooney]

 

Oh boy, this is very encouraging. I rarely have anything over 1,600. 😀 

 

You are a bunch of wild men. 

[spacecadet]

Go, Ed. If anyone's technique is up to it, it's yours. 

This statistic surprised me, but bore than 15% of my submitted images are above 1250- and 10% at 3200.

I have quite a high noise reduction import preset above 800 in LR and I think I downsize above 1600. They license well enough.

Edited September 8, 2022 by spacecadet

[Ed Rooney]

 

It seems we have a conservative Scot here in Alex. 😃

 

I thank you, Mark, for that undeserved compliment. 

 

I do my own noise reductions in Lightroom Classic. 

[spacecadet]

27 minutes ago, Alexander Hog said:

Wouldn't go over 400 if I can help it otherwise it can be dire to edit for a novice 

Surely in Scotland that means that in winter there's only enough light to take photographs around lunchtime?

Other side of the coin, turning out of the pub in Kirkwall at midnight in summer, I noticed it was kinda still daylight.

Edited September 8, 2022 by spacecadet

[Allan Bell]

The highest setting on my cameras iiiiissssss - - wait for it, just going to check, ----- well! I am surprised, it is 400 on my A6500 and 800 on my A6000.

 

Allan

 

[sooth]

I recently tried my hand with handheld night photography with a R6 (20MP, FF, Ibis) with wide angle lens at iso 4000-4500. No noise reduction or resizing. submitted three in my last batch. Looked good, i should have gone higher.

Edited September 8, 2022 by sooth

[Michael Ventura]

I think I have a few, on Alamy, in the low 1000's ISO.  I have definitely done editorial shoots in the 3 to 4000 ISO range and they looked great published.  This is with my old Nikon D700 and more with my D850.  

[Ed Rooney]

1 hour ago, Alexander Hog said:

So true I agree Couldn't last till 1am in a pub now especially drinking rusty nails(drink) 

 

Drambuie and Scotch? Couldn't say no to that on a winter day north of the border. I really really want to visit Edinburgh in the near future. 

[Harry Harrison]

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

400 on my A6500

??? - this on DPReview for the Sony A6500

Auto, 100-25600 (expandable to 51200)

[Harry Harrison]

1 hour ago, Allan Bell said:

it is 400 on my A6500 and 800 on my A6000.

 

Sorry, misunderstood, you mean on Alamy. Doh!

[spacecadet]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Drambuie and Scotch? Couldn't say no to that on a winter day north of the border. I really really want to visit Edinburgh in the near future. 

Maybe next year now, though we did once camp there in late September and got away with it. Though if you had enough of your corroded fastenings you might not notice.

[Malcolm Park]

I regularly shoot (handheld) news images from very dark London theatre venues with spotlights at 8000iso with the splendid Nikon D5 and 70-200mm f2.8 lens with virtually all noise eradicated in camera raw.

[Ed Rooney]

On 08/09/2022 at 13:09, Ed Rooney said:

 

Oh boy, this is very encouraging. I rarely have anything over 1,600. 😀 

 

You are a bunch of wild men. 

 

Thanks to this wild bunch, I have upped my own iSO top level to 2500. I'm feeling invincible! No longer afraid of the dark. Less light, shorter days, and the chill of autumn have encourage this . . . and soup and brandy. 

[M.Chapman]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Thanks to this wild bunch, I have upped my own iSO top level to 2500. I'm feeling invincible! No longer afraid of the dark. Less light, shorter days, and the chill of autumn have encourage this . . . and soup and brandy. 

With which camera? RX100? If so it's also worth trying the handheld twilight mode, (although it's jpg only and no good for moving subjects). 

 

Mark

[John Mitchell]

I seldom shoot at above 800 ISO. Guess I need to be more adventurous. 🤠

 

P.S. I find Sony's handheld twilight mode to be very good. I do have a few 1000+ ISO images shot using it. If there's any question, I usually downsize considerably. For some reason, I'm not very good at identifying noise in images unless it's really obvious. Any suggestions on how I could improve my noise-spotting skills?

[Ed Rooney]

2 hours ago, M.Chapman said:

With which camera? RX100? If so it's also worth trying the handheld twilight mode, (although it's jpg only and no good for moving subjects). 

 

Mark

 

I'm using an RX100/7 and an RX100/5 and an a6000. The twilight mode is good but I always shoot RAW with the aperture mode. 

 

John, I don't have much trouble hand-holding in the dark. (Sounds romantic.) 

[John Mitchell]

1 hour ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

John, I don't have much trouble hand-holding in the dark. (Sounds romantic.) 

 

Sounds like you've been listening to a lot of old Beatles songs over there in Liverpool. 😎

[Chuck Nacke]

On 08/09/2022 at 06:37, Ed Rooney said:

 

What's the highest noise level you're willing to correct on images submitted to Alamy? 

 

Edo

Edo,

 

I have a large number of news photos shot at 1600 a few at 3200, not many.  Most shot with NIKON D800 and a few with the old D700.

 

Chuck

[AM Chang]

Edo,

 

For Alamy stock, I found couple of photos with 1/40 sec at f / 4.5, ISO 1250;

for Alamy news, I found couple of photos with 1/80 sec at f / 4.0, ISO 6400 (all shoot with 5D Mark III, years ago).

 

Now, I shoot news outside Alamy, as far as possible I avoid passing ISO 5000. It's another story but I'll still leave it as a reference.

I'm not a heavy electronic consumer and I try to be minimalist, so I still use my 5D MIII, yes I'm old school. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wilkopix]

I don't shoot 'news' for Alamy where I can imagine higher iso is normal but for general stock I dont go above ISO400.