Tern dive: Super high ISO

[arash_hazeghi]

This image was made at 8:30PM, right after sunset. instead of packing and going home I figured I would experiment with high ISO a bit. Of course DR is compromised and detail is not as good as lower ISOs but still a nice record shot for the dive pose!

I see a lot of time images posted are soft due to lack of shutter speed, there is cure for noise (in most cases) but there is no cure for motion blur or soft focus. Better to bump up the ISO and get a sharp image, than getting a soft image at low ISO!



1D4 500f/4 + 1.4X TC, 1/1600sec f/5.6 ISO 12,800.

noise reduction with DPP and NeatImage.

[David Stephens]

That's very nice Arash. The high-ISO performance on these new cameras is amazing.

Is there enough DR to bring the eye up a little? In this size, the shot is very effective as is, but I always long to the see the eye on a black head.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Having fun with the 1D4, huh? :) I agree about raising the ISO and would only add that exposing to the right of the histogram can make quite a difference, too.

[arash_hazeghi]

That's very nice Arash. The high-ISO performance on these new cameras is amazing.

Is there enough DR to bring the eye up a little? In this size, the shot is very effective as is, but I always long to the see the eye on a black head.

no David, not enough DR to see the eye!

[Peter Farrell]

Great capture, arash. Very impressive results at that high ISO.
Peter

[Lance Peters]

Hi Arash - impressive at the high ISO for sure - but IMHO not useable for anything other than a ARTISTIC vision.
I have played with 12,800 also - just find that the lack of fine detail is a killer at least for me - UNLESS i am using it in a artistic way.
Graphically this is very strong.
Just - IMHO!!!

[arash_hazeghi]

Hi Arash - impressive at the high ISO for sure - but IMHO not useable for anything other than a ARTISTIC vision.
I have played with 12,800 also - just find that the lack of fine detail is a killer at least for me - UNLESS i am using it in a artistic way.
Graphically this is very strong.
Just - IMHO!!!

Your camera should do well at 12,800. I actually saw a 18X12 wildlife print (grizzly at dusk) that was made with D3S, still had detail in the fur!

[Harold Davis]

artistically/graphically this looks really nice, i'd just like to be able to see the eye.

[Alfred Forns]

Sweet an good going on the ISO ! No question to go for the shutter speed,worry about making a sharp image first. Totally agree

[Dave Mills]

Hi Arash,most has been said above. I feel its well handled considering the conditions you were dealing with. Good example of working with a high iso under low light...

[Ray Rozema]

Very impressive for that ISO. Like the pose very interesting . Crop works well. wish could see the eye.
But still very pleasing image

TFS
Ray

[Harshad Barve]

Sweet an good going on the ISO ! No question to go for the shutter speed,worry about making a sharp image first. Totally agree

With You Alfred , excellent image Arashbhai
TFS

[WIlliam Maroldo]

I'm in agreement with Lance; Although getting any recognizable image at all, especially with the detail you've managed here with the lighting is indeed impressive, the lack of better detail is still a big problem.
Your point about shutter speed is very important as well, and I've noticed blurry parts of an image, at high ISOs, seem to suffer much more noise than you would expect, even though the luminosity is high enough to depress noise otherwise.
I was wondering, does the camera use noise reduction automatically when using these high ISOs? regards~Bill

[arash_hazeghi]

I'm in agreement with Lance; Although getting any recognizable image at all, especially with the detail you've managed here with the lighting is indeed impressive, the lack of better detail is still a big problem.
Your point about shutter speed is very important as well, and I've noticed blurry parts of an image, at high ISOs, seem to suffer much more noise than you would expect, even though the luminosity is high enough to depress noise otherwise.
I was wondering, does the camera use noise reduction automatically when using these high ISOs? regards~Bill

No Bill, Canon cameras do not apply additional noise reduction to RAW files, beyond the tricks that is done on-chip. Although ISO 12,800 in MKIV and 5D2 is not a real ISO, it is derived numerically from ISO 6400. The Nikon D3S is the only camera that has real ISO 12,800. Nevertheless most of these details are field irrelevant. It is also worth noting this image was still underexposed (just not enough light as it was after sunset) so the amount of detail I could recover in the whites is still very good :) In better conditions ISO 12,800 should produce printable results, if it is more than 80% of frame and not too dark like this one.

I have applied several rounds of advanced noise reduction to the image above, certainly not something you can get straight from RAW converter...

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Thanks Arash, appreciate the explanation about what the ISO number really indicates, and it makes more sense to me at least. I would agree that the underexposed base image, if exposed correctly, would have shown even more impressive results, and along with proper NR a quite useable image. regards~Bill