Beginner Help with grainy images Canon 7D

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Alex_C

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Hello

I'm looking for some advice. The attached image 1 is at roughly 300% so I appreciate this is rather pixelated. Can I be doing something more to avoid this in camera or is this the best clarity I can expect from this combination? This is shot with a Canon 7D and this was taken at F6.3 with a 24mm-105mm EF F4l at 95mm and at ISO100.

Are there settings in camera I am missing somewhere? Both images look fine at 100% so it's no big deal but I'm trying to learn what is causing this higher level of graininess



I compare this with a similar image also at roughly 300% where the transitions between tones and shades is much smoother



Any Advice would be greatly appreciated
Alex
 
I did a 3:1 zoom in lightroom so not sure if that's a 300% zoom but I think so.

7d with the worst crappy zoom lens I ever used. large jpeg straight out of the camera

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Both images look fine at 100% - there's nothing wrong with it then!

It's processing artifacts by the looks of it. Try loading it up in Canon's DPP and see if the same thing happens.
 
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Alex - why do you feel the need to look at 300% ?? They both look good to me sharpness wise.

As soon as you go over 100% the software is having to interpolate the pixels between the ones that are actually in the image in order to display something on the screen that didn't exist in the original image - not good.

I think the second image looks better as the tones are lighter and the transitions less noticeable.

Stick to 100% unless you are retouching or have some other specific reason for going that high

HTH

D
 
There is always more noise/grain in darker tones, and any under-exposure with subsequent brightening in post-processing, will make it a lot worse. Much better to push the ISO.

Only a guess, but first image looks like both heavy noise reduction and sharpening applied at the same time. Always tricky to strike the right balance, but bear in mind the size the final image will be viewed at and don't go looking for perfection at 300%. Even the very best files look rubbish at that magnification, but it's irrelevant so don't worry about it.
 
you should start to expect to see an image breaking up at over 100% anything over 100% is made up of mostly invented pixels.
In this case it is enlarging the sharpening and the other artifacts that is causing the excessive patterning.
 
Both Images look fine with 100% then what is the requirement to capture those images at 300%? As the sharpness is good.
 
petersmart said:
There's pixel peeping and then there's insanity!

Get used to looking at a MAX of 100% if you must.
Click to expand...

I disagree because looking at the worst of the above I think there's improvements to be had and looking at "only" 100% might not fully reveal the consequences of less good decisions during shooting or post capture processing. There may be lessons to be learned here. I agree that 300% is excessive for normal purposes but if seeking to improve technique it might be worthwhile to see what's going on and what any changes would make to the final image.

Of course it's perfectly possible that what makes a picture look good at 300% might not work in a final image but then again it's also possible that getting the picture to look better at extreme pixel peeping magnification might just make for a better final image.
 
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