noise reduction versus resolution , or not

[kevinbythebeach]

anyone know if shooting at a lower resolution will reduce noise all other settings the same?

say 600 iso at 7.4 mpeg versus at 15?

also whenu lower camera raw res what actually happens? Do all pixes still detect and software eliminates like every other or few in some kind of patern? or are only once needed to detect , turned on?

[Blazing fire]

I believe shooting at a lower res does improve noise levels at 100% but I do not recommend doing so.

I suggest shooting at the best possible settings ie. Highest resolution. After which, apply noise reduction using softwares like neatimage/ninja noise. This allows you to control the amount of noise reduction applied, thereby controlling how much detail is retained.

[kevinbythebeach]

yah am looking at noise ninja , guess ill give it a try...just trying to get the best image i can in camera and do less pp.....

Another question.....


Anyone use in camera noise reduction? and if so what settings....

any pros or cons doing 'Strong" noise reduction settings in camera versus doing it PP?

[Colin Southern]

Everything you ever wanted to know on the topic can be found here.

[kevinbythebeach]

thanks Colin for making my brain hurt....

i think ill just shoot full res and get noise ninja....

[Colin Southern]

i think ill just shoot full res and get noise ninja....

Or just expose the image properly in the first place - then noise shouldn't be an issue

[kevinbythebeach]

Doing it correctly the first time never occourred to me...gge I am such an idiot...

maybe u can tell me how youd correctly shoot surfing in post sunset light , where u need a shutter sped of atleast in my expierence 1200th/sec to geta clear unblurred shot...

I have to crank my iso up to atleast 500 after the sun is no longer visible...

sure i can expose for the lighter part of the sky, but then the surfer and the wave hes on is extremmely underexposed./...

and those dont make good surf pics......


SO MR DO IT CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME...WHY DONT U COME TO SOCAL AND SHOW ME HOW YOUD DO IT.. i NOTICE MOST OF YOUR SHOTS ARE OBJECTS THAT DONT MOVE....

WHY DONT U TRY SOEMTHIGN MORE CHALLENGEING...?????

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Kevin,

Trying to get 1/1200s after the sun has set sounds downright impossible to me (and I was out before the sun rose this morning, so I know what it's like).

Clearly you need to (try to) expose the subject correctly, not the sky (who brought that up?), but there are limits, and without an example, how are we to know.

Just wack the ISO up to 3200 or whatever your maximum is, shoot full resolution, with in-camera high iso NR at medium and bludgeon the resultant noisy pics to death with 'Ninja (although I use Neat Image, I gather there's not a lot to choose between them). Aim for the highest shutter speed you can get, but I doubt you'll get to 1/1200 for very long before the light fades.

If there is blur, try something like Focus Magic on it, you get 10 free goes.

Only other thought; depending upon how far out they are, is the use of a big flash a possibility?

Cheers,

[kevinbythebeach]

Dave,

almost all the shots are at 200mm and these guys are too far out to use lighting...infact if its low tide i am usally standing in a few inches of water or kneeling in it , trying to get even closer...and its cold...

the reason i brought up exposing for a lighter sky is it would be somewhat usable in some conditions / angle of the shots , but not normally.....

There probably is no correct way to shoot in these conditions like you said...I was just looking for some advice or opinons other than , do it right the first time....

infact i think ill borrow that response and use it to reply to other posts...it will undoubtedly be as much help to others as it was to me....

No wonder people drop out of this forum frequently.....

[Donald]

I'm not sure that rudeness and impoliteness is the most effective way of conveying views.

[Blazing fire]

A few things.

1. Like Dave responded, it's quite impossible to get 1/1200 shutter speeds after the sun has set. You probably need an ISO value of 6400 or greater, coupled with an aperature of F/2 or larger. You're saying that you only need to crank it up to ISO 500? Perhaps the street light and moon light are much brighter in your area.
2. I do not see the need to use such a fast shutter speed even when using a 200mm telephoto lens. I believe that 1/400 with good panning technique and good tripod is sufficiently fast to capture subjects in motion. Were you using a tripod or monopod?
3. If you know your main subjects are so far away, then you should have gotten a longer telephoto lens. 200mm is not that long you know... If cost is an issue, you can always rent a lens for these situations. Eg 400mm f/2.8. Be sure to use a good tripod and wimberly sidemount.
4. It is possible to use flash when your subjects are far away. Colin showed me a device which concentrates the flash light onto the subject. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the name of it.
5. Could you show us a sample of your surfers in post-sunset conditions please? It would be my first to see such a photo. I thought they closed the beach after hours.

yah am looking at noise ninja , guess ill give it a try...just trying to get the best image i can in camera and do less pp.....

Another question.....


Anyone use in camera noise reduction? and if so what settings....

any pros or cons doing 'Strong" noise reduction settings in camera versus doing it PP?

If you wish to obtain the best image, then there's no reason to shoot at lower resolutions.

Like exposure, there is no perfect noise reduction value. It really depends on your ISO, exposure and subject among other things. Sometimes minimal noise reduction is prefered to retrain details you want (eg, skin texture). Sometimes large noise reduction is acceptable because there is minimal detail in the scene (eg, sky). Do bear in mind that luminance noise rarely shows up in print.

I quote from the tutorial

High magnitude noise can overpower fine textures such as fabric or foliage, and can be more difficult to remove without over softening (and removing detail in) the image.