How high can you push the ISO

[E-3]

Can anyone tell me how high you can push the ISO on an E-3 before noise causes problems?

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

It varies depending on the image content, contrast, exposure, colours, etc..

Best by far is to try experimenting and see what works.

Digital is no different to film in that some films work for somethings and not for others and you need to learn what the limitations and strengths of the system are.

Often with film we would push exposures one way and push process them another to get the results we wanted. Same with digital, you have to experiment and work out how to use the kit.

It's also great fun trying all these things and SO much cheaper than it was with film...

[Zuiko]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

A couple of examples for you:-

This was shot at ISO 1600 using in camera Noise Filter




This was shot at ISO 3200 and cleaned up with Dfine 2.0 noise reduction software

[photo_owl]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

As Graham indicates it's not noise per se that's the issue - it's the relationship between detail and noise (or noise filtration).

So a good, well lit, subject shot at 2000 will be OK, the same at 1000 would be pretty good.

Now take a poorly lit subject at the same iso settings and 2000 will be 'rough' (some might call the look moody) and 1000 will still lack detail.

[E-3]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

Thank you to all of you for your replys & especially zuiko for taking the trouble of posting pictures as examples, it has helped me alot.

[Kiwi Paul]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

Here's an indoor shot of Roz and her ball, 1/10sec, f4, ISO 3200 a RAW file processed in LR2 only using the LR2 noise slider.
I can generally tidy up E3 noise so shots are always acceptable.

Paul

[E-3]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

Here's an indoor shot of Roz and her ball, 1/10sec, f4, ISO 3200 a RAW file processed in LR2 only using the LR2 noise slider.
I can generally tidy up E3 noise so shots are always acceptable.

Paul

Thanks Paul, thats impressive for the given ISO.

[AlistairJ]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

The problem you run into is not the random noise, but the banding. I find the random noise quite acceptable anyway. But banding seems to occur above 1600 and its an image killer.

Apparently the E-30 and E-620 don't show any banding at high ISO, this will be something to welcome in the forthcoming E-3 replacement assuming there is going to be one.

[Kiwi Paul]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

I have never had any banding problems with my E3, I use high ISO's all the time, shoot RAW and process in LR2.6 and LR3 trial and I'm happy with the results.

Paul

[Ian]

Re: How high can you push the ISO

If you can get the exposure right, noise is much less of a problem, even at ISO 3200. For me the main problem with the E-3 is banding, whch can be visible in areas of relative darkness in high ISO images. To fix this you generally need to darken these areas further.

Ian