camera noise - is it really that bad?

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mart77

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So after learning how to use applications to get rid of noise and having spent the last few months doing so ive decided to spend some time just accepting noise in images.

this is my "embrace the grain" phase.

anyone else think we a bit brainwashed into fighting for noise free images when in fact they dont actually look bad, just different.
Obviously tehre are times when you really dont want noise cos it does not suit and it can then be removed.

any thoughts?
 
Well I don't really suffer from any noise in my images and certainly don't use any specific noise reduction software or actions, in fact I don't even 'Sharpen' my images.

When it comes to print stage if I have any noise it is usually un-noticable on prints.
 
Noise and grain are very different effects. Grain can add a dimension with film that noise in digital just can't IMO
 
I've been considering this as reducing noise in PP gets rid of some of the fine detail. I was thinking about getting a samyang fisheye and imagining the shots i'd be taking with it, mostly skate and MTB - shots in the woods where i'd need to bump the iso up a lot and thought, in a B+W image with not so many clean lines it might even enhance the image. make it more low-fi.
 
V8burble said:
Noise and grain are very different effects. Grain can add a dimension with film that noise in digital just can't IMO
Click to expand...

I was really tempted to say I didn't agree with that... but just stopping for a moment and thinking about it, you're actually quite correct.

I'll never return to film for all sort of reasons, but there are images, VERY VERY grainy images shot on film that just wouldn't be the same if they were nice and smooth and sharp, and couldn't even come close if it were digital noise.

So thanks for making me remember that. I know we move on, almost relentlessly. But sometimes we need to stop and think for a second :)

cheers
 
If you turn the iso up you get noise.

btw you have noise in the pics on your website :)
you also have a lady with blue teeth, nice ;)

dseered said:
Well I don't really suffer from any noise in my images and certainly don't use any specific noise reduction software or actions, in fact I don't even 'Sharpen' my images.

When it comes to print stage if I have any noise it is usually un-noticable on prints.
Click to expand...
 
I guess it depends what medium the image is for.
As stated above noise is not noticeable if printed, at least at "normal" print sizes.
My sensor can be noisier than most but I have printed ISO1250 shots of dark horses in woodland on a dull day that look horrendous on screen to 12" x 8" and can see no trace of noise. I once compared a print with one printed after noise removal and preferred the non-processed one.
I wouldn't dream of using these images in a full screen slideshow however :)
 
V8burble said:
Noise and grain are very different effects. Grain can add a dimension with film that noise in digital just can't IMO
Click to expand...
Too true, too true, but it exists nonetheless. I've given up on worrying too much about noise these days - if it's there then it's there; if an image is good it's good regardless of the noise methinks :)
 
mart77 said:
So after learning how to use applications to get rid of noise and having spent the last few months doing so ive decided to spend some time just accepting noise in images.

this is my "embrace the grain" phase.

anyone else think we a bit brainwashed into fighting for noise free images when in fact they dont actually look bad, just different.
Obviously tehre are times when you really dont want noise cos it does not suit and it can then be removed.

any thoughts?
Click to expand...

going over board on noise reduction really softens the shot
with delicate use i found it tended to make some aspect of a shot seem more sharp...i used noiseware community...

there are things in life which are life itself...eliminating them can be harder than accepting them.
as you look for them they become your focus and you lose sight of the real image
i even have a grain setting on my software for the b>w stuff...
:thumbs:
 
mrcrow said:
going over board on noise reduction really softens the shot
with delicate use i found it tended to make some aspect of a shot seem more sharp...i used noiseware community...

there are things in life which are life itself...eliminating them can be harder than accepting them.
as you look for them they become your focus and you lose sight of the real image
i even have a grain setting on my software for the b>w stuff...
:thumbs:
Click to expand...

yeah i agree with this a lot, i think its ok to have a bit of noise. trying to get myself around to accepting there will be some and it isnt always such a bad thing.
 
The worst thing about high ISO is not so much the noise, but the loss of dynamic range.

All those rich dark shadow tones are turned into grey mush.
 
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