Canon high ISO best performance

Horrgakx

Horrgakx

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Hi - between the top end cameras (ie. 1Dx / 5D mk 3 / 5D mk 3 S / 5D mk 3 SR), which is the best performing for high ISO?
Am thinking application of indoor performance or for night landscape / star trail photography.

Thanks.
 
With star trail photography, you'll be wanting to keep the ISO as low as possible anyway, using multiple images (5 second shots on a tripod) and then stack them - so ISO capability isn't an issue with whatever you decide to go for.

High ISO for indoor, any of those will do, though it will still depend on how dark it gets. Sure you can shoot at 256000 ISO on all of those above - but you will get noise. Depending on light situation, at boxing events for example where its very dark, I can shoot at 10000ISO on my 6d quite comfortably and AF performance is really good.

Also, your glass (lens) is going to determine how much light is getting through to the camera anyway, so shooting with a F1.2 or F1.4 will suck a lot of light in allowing you to use less ISO and reduce noise (but depth of field is drastically reduced also). Its a bit of a juggling game.

Any of those cameras you have listed are great and are Pro cameras. If all you're going to do is star trails and some indoor photography, you could save thousands and get a Canon 7d mk2 or Canon 6d and with the extra savings, get a decent lens to boot.
 
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Thanks for your reply - I do lots of star trail and indoor stuff, I'm a CPS member with 1D bodies and L lenses. I just want to know which of the new bodies has the best (cleanest) ISO performance ...
 
Horrgakx said:
Thanks for your reply - I do lots of star trail and indoor stuff, I'm a CPS member with 1D bodies and L lenses. I just want to know which of the new bodies has the best (cleanest) ISO performance ...
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6D afaik
 
Horrgakx said:
Hi - between the top end cameras (ie. 1Dx / 5D mk 3 / 5D mk 3 S / 5D mk 3 SR), which is the best performing for high ISO?
Am thinking application of indoor performance or for night landscape / star trail photography.

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Canon's best high ISO performing camera - you left it off your list, currently its the 6d.
 
Carlh said:
With star trail photography, you'll be wanting to keep the ISO as low as possible anyway, using multiple images (5 second shots on a tripod) and then stack them - so ISO capability isn't an issue with whatever you decide to go for.
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Not so sure you're correct here. 5 seconds is going to see nothing, much more likely to be around 25-30s and even at F2.8 you will likely be in 1600+ ISO range.

Re the OP of the older bodies mentioned I believe the 6D has the most sensitive sensor how noticeable the difference is in the real world, don't know. With the newer 5D3S/R I think they have quite a limited ISO range (6400 max) so the'd be fine if you were going to always have a tripod but could be limiting if you need to hand hold somewhere.

Doh, didn't realise you had omitted the 6D, I believe it would be the 5d3 then.
 
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Personally I feel the 1Dx edges the 6D on ISO then 5D3 and then 5DS/R. The 6D has slightly more dynamic range but not something you notice in day to day shooting.

I've never really shot star trails at really high ISOs, never much more than 1600-2000. If you have a hankering to try Milky Way photography then FF is the way to go for sure.

I always go for 30 second exposures as it cuts down on the number of frames to stack and allows you to run the camera in continuos drive with a cable release locked down.

6D has the most sensitive centre AF point and looks a bit of a bargain as a grey. If you don't need the AF system and two cards of the others then the 6D looks as though it would do everything you want.

7DMkII isn't in the same league as the FF bodies regarding noise.
 
Wayne Els said:
Not so sure you're correct here. 5 seconds is going to see nothing, much more likely to be around 25-30s and even at F2.8 you will likely be in 1600+ ISO range.

Re the OP of the older bodies mentioned I believe the 6D has the most sensitive sensor how noticeable the difference is in the real world, don't know. With the newer 5D3S/R I think they have quite a limited ISO range (6400 max) so the'd be fine if you were going to always have a tripod but could be limiting if you need to hand hold somewhere.

Doh, didn't realise you had omitted the 6D, I believe it would be the 5d3 then.
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The 5DS/R is pretty noisy at high ISO due to the silly amount of MP crammed in, the 6d and 5d3 are far cleaner.
 
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The 6d outperforms the 5d3 in my experience for star trails. 30s exposure at ISO1600 is my general rule of thumb, a higher ISO if going for the Milky Way.
The 6d also allows for better shadow recovery from the RAW files, there isn't much in it, but as indicated above, the 6 is worth a look, and would save you an awful lot of money too
 
1DX is the best camera Canon has ever produced for high iso performance.
 
http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/evaluation-canon-6d/

The Canon 1D Mark IV, 1DX, 7D and now the 6D are excellent sensors for low light work, with the 6D edging out the other top performers in some cases. These cameras have good sensitivity and low pattern noise at moderate ISOs (e.g. around ISO 1600). But for long exposures, longer than a few seconds, thermal noise becomes a factor in all cameras. While the thermal noise is similar for the 6D, 1DIV and 7D when the cameras are at similar temperatures, the 1DX has significantly higher dark current (and therefore more thermal noise). The 6D, having some 4 times lower dark current than the 1DX, combined with significantly lower banding noise, pushes this camera well ahead of the 1DX and other cameras for long exposure low light photography, including astrophotography. nightscapes, and night cityscapes. This places the 6D top overall Canon camera for low light long exposure photography as of this writing (among these 4 cameras), typical in nightscapes and astrophotography. I have not included the 5DII and in this group because of the higher pattern noise at high ISOs in that camera. I have yet to evaluate a 5D3 thermal noise.
 
Lots of great subjective opinions :) I would imagine nobody here has used all of the cameras side by side for testing purposes - but opions of course are always useful. The new range of the 5D S and R from what I've read show that neither are particularly good at high ISO - they are designed for more pro use at the low ISO end when people need stupidly big files coming out of a studio and the like. I use a 1DX - and I'm very happy with the high ISO performance, but of course it's not as good as it could be I'm sure. I was at an event on Sunday - where someone was struggling with an EOS 650 at iso3200 - I could see his screen was really delivering challenging images compared to mine rattling them off at ISO6400 and above. This isn't one of the cameras you mentioned obviously, but I'm very happy to see the results I was getting compared to this other Canon body. I was going home happy - he was going home frustrated.. You can of course achieve more with a higher end body.

Of course the 1D-X is expensive - but built very well. Will you be in an environment where the cameras will be knocked around? Or need to be weatherproof?
 
twist said:
http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/evaluation-canon-6d/

The Canon 1D Mark IV, 1DX, 7D and now the 6D are excellent sensors for low light work, with the 6D edging out the other top performers in some cases. These cameras have good sensitivity and low pattern noise at moderate ISOs (e.g. around ISO 1600). But for long exposures, longer than a few seconds, thermal noise becomes a factor in all cameras. While the thermal noise is similar for the 6D, 1DIV and 7D when the cameras are at similar temperatures, the 1DX has significantly higher dark current (and therefore more thermal noise). The 6D, having some 4 times lower dark current than the 1DX, combined with significantly lower banding noise, pushes this camera well ahead of the 1DX and other cameras for long exposure low light photography, including astrophotography. nightscapes, and night cityscapes. This places the 6D top overall Canon camera for low light long exposure photography as of this writing (among these 4 cameras), typical in nightscapes and astrophotography. I have not included the 5DII and in this group because of the higher pattern noise at high ISOs in that camera. I have yet to evaluate a 5D3 thermal noise.
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My brain was hurting trying to understand that article. Been toying with a 6D as a back up body but the 11 point AF puts me off a bit.
 
Gaz J said:
My brain was hurting trying to understand that article. Been toying with a 6D as a back up body but the 11 point AF puts me off a bit.
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+1 lol. I gave up and scrolled to the end. :LOL:

Yup, it does me to, Ive owned one.
 
Gaz J said:
My brain was hurting trying to understand that article. Been toying with a 6D as a back up body but the 11 point AF puts me off a bit.
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The AF is fine on the 6d! I've got lots of cameras and the 6d is no worse than any of them. It's more than good enough to use on fast sports for instance, and in low light its spot on.

Of course the af is no 7d2 or 1dx, but no way should it put you off :)
 
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Wayne Els said:
I didn't think it was. Although I read an article by a Travel Tog who reckoned he'd accidentally soaked his and it'd been fine.
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Yeah its the same (according to Canon). You can look at the sealing diagrams and compare them but Canon seem to be quite secretive about putting other details out, probably at the risk of customers taking chances then claiming any damages back!

Their official line is that 5d / 6d / 7d have the same level of sealing.
 
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Thanks for the varied replies!!

Looks like the 1Dx is the leader so far. I have two 1D mk3 bodies (one is an S version but with the full frame comes one stop less ISO performance). I'm in a position where I need to save a little more for the 1Dx but if it ticks the boxes then that's the one I'll be going for.
 
Horrgakx said:
Thanks for the varied replies!!

Looks like the 1Dx is the leader so far. I have two 1D mk3 bodies (one is an S version but with the full frame comes one stop less ISO performance). I'm in a position where I need to save a little more for the 1Dx but if it ticks the boxes then that's the one I'll be going for.
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If its for interiors and nightscapes / astro predominantly, the 1DX would be overkill. This is more of a full frame sports / action camera.

Also the 6d, which costs three times less, would be better for astro / nightscapes. It still has the edge over the 1dx there sensor wise.

If you *also* need a sports / action camera then the 1dx makes sense but otherwise it wouldn't make sense.

Its also HUGE !
 
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odd jim said:
Why do you say that?

Certainly not for astro where the 6d out performs it.

http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/evaluation-canon-6d/
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I struggled to understand it the first time and I'm no closer the second time.

What's that mean in the real world looking on a computer screen. Must admit that the few files I've processed from a 6D didn't seem better, in my eyes, than my 1DX.

But you've had one quite a while Jim so you're probably better placed to comment.
 
Gaz J said:
I struggled to understand it the first time and I'm no closer the second time.

What's that mean in the real world looking on a computer screen. Must admit that the few files I've processed from a 6D didn't seem better, in my eyes, than my 1DX.

But you've had one quite a while Jim so you're probably better placed to comment.
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Basically what the link illustrates is not just how well the 6d handles noise under normal shooting at high ISO, but that it suffers far less (400% less than the 1dx) thermal noise during long exposures (which of course heat up the sensor).

This link shows in practice what that means in practical terms;

http://dslrmodifications.com/6DReview/6DReview.html

...though this doesnt provide a direct comparison with 1dx / 6d it shows how the 6d still provides a clean image under long exposures in comparison, oddly, to the cropped bodies on test. This is one of the areas where the 6d outperforms the 1dx, and others would argue there are other sensor advantages too.

The 6d sensor was designed to provide very low thermal noise as well as low high iso noise.

You can combat this with some bodies by adding an astro / cooling conversion.
 
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Wayne Els said:
could you give a brief rationale as to how you come to this conclusion?
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Not really - I'm looking for an additional body for professional purposes. Currently the 1D mk3 / mk3 S bodies I have don't really cut high ISO performance ... so it's a choice of either a new 1 series or the 5 series that will be able to cover all bases for me.
 
Wayne Els said:
It's your decision and your money but could you give a brief rationale as to how you come to this conclusion?
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Looking at the thread, the 6d would be clearly the winner but it wasn''t on the OP original list. Therefore from the original list 1DX has most votes.

I count
6d: 6 votes
1DX: 4 votes
Nikon D750: 1 vote

If you ignore the 6d, and count where people have put 5d mark III as 2nd choice to the 6d then I get:
1DX: 4 votes
5d mark III: 2 votes
Nikon D750: 1 vote
 
I've own the 6D and have used a 5D3, in real terms I can't tell the files apart. I also expect this the same as the 1DX. Now if you shoot a black room and put them under a microscope you might find minor differences in image quality / noise but for day-to-day use no one is going to be able to tell the difference.

The 6D centre point focusing is excellent and as fast as the 5D3 I used. It may not have as many other points but then do you really need 61 focus points for night landscape (when you are likely to be using manual focus) or indoor photography?

Personally I love the 6D, with the 40mm F2.8 I can put it in a jacket pocket so it's a go-everywhere camera.
 
mike_6480 said:
Looking at the thread, the 6d would be clearly the winner but it wasn''t on the OP original list. Therefore from the original list 1DX has most votes.

I count
6d: 6 votes
1DX: 4 votes
Nikon D750: 1 vote

If you ignore the 6d, and count where people have put 5d mark III as 2nd choice to the 6d then I get:
1DX: 4 votes
5d mark III: 2 votes
Nikon D750: 1 vote
Click to expand...

Like I said his choice, his money. I get the OP wants a pro body but given 2 of the 4 1DX comments made no explanation why it is better suited for the types of shot asked and one of the others says there isn't really anything in it I was interested in his reasons.
 
Gary Coyle said:
Because the OP doesnt want the 6d so a no brainer, the 1DX by a mile
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He doesn't want the 6d or simply didn't consider it in his OP?

He asked what is the best performing high ISO Canon body - the 6d.

Then specifically mentions Astro - which the 6d is most suited by far due to its very low thermal noise output.

Unless the OP is replacing his entire 1d setup and consolidating it into one camera, buying a 1dx for Astro and interiors certainly looks a little like overkill and not entirely suited to what he has already stated, especially when you factor in cost.

So, if it's to consolidate all cameras - 1dx if sport / action is something the OP does lots of.

Otherwise if it's as per the original OP, 6d.
 
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odd jim said:
He doesn't want the 6d or simply didn't consider it in his OP?

He asked what is the best performing high ISO Canon body - the 6d.

Then specifically mentions Astro - which the 6d is most suited by far due to its very low thermal noise output.

Unless the OP is replacing his entire 1d setup and consolidating it into one camera, buying a 1dx for Astro and interiors certainly looks a little like overkill and not entirely suited to what he has already stated, especially when you factor in cost.

So, if it's to consolidate all cameras - 1dx if sport / action is something the OP does lots of.

Otherwise if it's as per the original OP, 6d.
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He doesnt want a 6d, why is that so hard to understand, the OP SPECIFICALLY says he wants a camera from the top end pro range which the 6d isnt
Horrgakx said:
Not really - I'm looking for an additional body for professional purposes. Currently the 1D mk3 / mk3 S bodies I have don't really cut high ISO performance ... so it's a choice of either a new 1 series or the 5 series that will be able to cover all bases for me.
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There you go, he cant say it more plainly
 
Gary Coyle said:
He doesnt want a 6d, why is that so hard to understand, the OP SPECIFICALLY says he wants a camera from the top end pro range which the 6d isnt

There you go, he cant say it more plainly
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He said he wanted a body for "professional purposes" which is rather vague, but which a 6d is more than capable. I mean, "professionally" what can't the 6d (or 5d3) not do re interiors or Astro?

He didn't really qualify why the 6d doesn't meet the bill (not that he really needs to but it helps when giving advice). I'm guessing the best high ISO and best body for Astro from the Canon stable as per his OP isn't actually that important then?

And if it's an additional body the 6d makes even more sense.

I think I'm seeing the usual camera snobbery rearing its ugly head here...
 
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Gary Coyle said:
Because the OP doesnt want the 6d so a no brainer, the 1DX by a mile
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In my last post I was talking about pro bodies. As you're one of the 2 that gave no reason why the 1DX is a country mile better than the 5D3 I'd just like to know why? (for astro/landscape/indoors). So guessing speed/autofocus/weatherproofing don't matter so much. There's a big difference between £1900 & £4400 particularly when astro/night landscapes will most likely be manually focussed.
 
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