Really bad 'noise'...

[Bern]

Hope someone can help me. I shoot at present with an E520 and when I raise my ISO to 400 or above the noise levels are really bad, but worse on RAW. Its almost like vertical streaks/strips. I take a lot of live music pix and found that the noise levels in the E410 were minimal in comparison. Maybe I haven't got my cam set up properly but I was very disappointed in this aspect as I thought with an update in cam I would get the same outcome as previous. Ideas/help anyone? Appreciated.

[f2uk]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

Hope someone can help me. I shoot at present with an E520 and when I raise my ISO to 400 or above the noise levels are really bad, but worse on RAW. Its almost like vertical streaks/strips. I take a lot of live music pix and found that the noise levels in the E410 were minimal in comparison. Maybe I haven't got my cam set up properly but I was very disappointed in this aspect as I thought with an update in cam I would get the same outcome as previous. Ideas/help anyone? Appreciated.

Have you got the noise reduction turned on in the menu? I know it is there on the E500 not sure about the 520 but I can't imagine they got rid of it!

/Richard

[Barrie Norman]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

Hope someone can help me. I shoot at present with an E520 and when I raise my ISO to 400 or above the noise levels are really bad, but worse on RAW. Its almost like vertical streaks/strips. I take a lot of live music pix and found that the noise levels in the E410 were minimal in comparison. Maybe I haven't got my cam set up properly but I was very disappointed in this aspect as I thought with an update in cam I would get the same outcome as previous. Ideas/help anyone? Appreciated.

Noise will start above ISO400, as my main interest is wildlife photography I am regularly shooting at ISO400 or above but I use Neat Image noise reduction software. Take a look at my website and you will see the results. I can highly recommend this software, If you go on the web site open the images and hover over the top right end corner of the image with the mouse, you will see the exif data and it will give you the ISO settings, plus all the other settins I have used.

Barrie

[yorky]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

An excellent programme for trial is noisware, www.imagenomic.com

[Ken Lister]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

Remember that when shooting RAw, you will have to use a noise reductiion program such as Noiseware or Neat image, which have already been mentioned, as no noise reduction is applied to RAW files. Using my E510, I have the noise filter turned off and apply noise reduction as and when necessary on my PC. I have used ISO 800 with perfectly satisfactory results, after a little judicious noise reduction.
Check out detailed E520 reviews and camera settings on www.dpreview.com or wrotniak.net/photo/43/index.html. Well worth reading.

[dbutch]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

Bern

Think you need to upload a sample for us to look at as you are describing bad banding and streaks that could be more than just noise and may be a problem.

If you shoot raw and are processing in master or studio you can play with the noise reduction controls to see if they make a difference, also the contrast and sharpening setting can influence.

I know some say the E-3 has a banding issue at high iso's (1600+) and the 420/520 sensor is related to that but it should be fine at 4-800

Cheers

Dave

[EH1]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

I agree that ISO really should not be causing you a problem at the levels your talking about It could be a sensor problem!

[Adagio]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

The image below was taken at ISO800 RAW, firstly no PP other than size reduction and conversion to jpeg



This one judicious use of Neat Image and a little sharpening


If your noise is worse than this than perhaps there is a problem.

[Bern]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

WOW Didn't expect all this! Thanks for all the replies and yes I will post a pic to show the banding. Also thank you for the heads up on RAW and noise reduction and the software links, I will try them. I can really see the difference in your pic of the bullrushes, David, BIG difference. Sensor thingies? EEEEK! Might it need cleaned? Was thinking of taking my cam to Calumet for a cleanup as I think it needs it anyhow and I am way too chicken to do a sensor clean.
Fantastic forum this, glad I happened along

[Ken Lister]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

I doubt that your sensor will need cleaning. Spots at the same place on all the images are a good indication of the need for a sensor clean, not streaking. Also Olympus cameras have the best inbuilt sensor cleaner on the market. I note that you shoot a lot at gigs. Is the noise just in the shadows, or all over? Shadow noise would not be unusual at high ISO settings.

One more thought -I do get them occasionally- Is the banding you mention visible on screen or just on prints? I had problems with print only bands/lines which was down to my printer settings.

[photo_owl]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

Bern,

you have a had a lot of good advice already but I'm going to go out on a limb (prior to your posting an example) and suspect significant underexposure plus large shadow areas are your issue - primarily based on live band shooting becasue that's what a large number of people do!

if you get the time please email me one example raw file (my email in in profile and can handle the file size) to analyse

[EH1]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

Definately won`t have a dirty sensor!

[Guest]

Re: Really bad 'noise'...

Bern,

you have a had a lot of good advice already but I'm going to go out on a limb (prior to your posting an example) and suspect significant underexposure plus large shadow areas are your issue - primarily based on live band shooting becasue that's what a large number of people do!

if you get the time please email me one example raw file (my email in in profile and can handle the file size) to analyse

I would tend to agree with the Owl. It really is worth making sure your exposure is spot on before you worry about possible faults or buy expensive software.

Your histogram is always your friend.

Nick