Just some sample shots taken with my new 1D X in lowlight

[Dwight]

Hey Everyone!

Oh 1D, how do I love thee?  Let me count the ways..... 

Just got my 1D X yesterday.  Been gun-shy because of this little "issue"(http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=10847.45) (credit to Northstar for starting the thread).

Anyways, just thought I'd share some of my ambient lowlight shots.  All with a 100L.  All SOOC JPEGs...no PP.  Absolutely unscientific and non-award-winning...all snapshots.  Just toying around with on-cam settings and familiarizing myself with the abundant (current 5DMk3 owner) settings.  The 1D X molds in my hand way better than my 5DMk3 with BG-E11.  So far, it's been a joy to use.

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/26582718_4k7KQD

Just to let you all know where I'm coming from and for future reference, I'm not a pixel-peeper nor a chart-shooter.  No disrespect whatsoever to people that do...just not my cup of tea.

D...what level of noise reduction did you use on these jpegs?   Also, did you use a tripod?

PP?  None.  On-cam?...'Standard'.  'Auto Lighting Optimizer'...Disable...always have mine turned off when shooting indoors in ambient lowlight.  'Long exp. noise reduction'...OFF.  Tripod?  I'd like to think I just used my arms, face, torso.    I'm one of the oddballs that doesn't drink coffee so I'd say I'm pretty steady! 

Hope that helps, Northstar.

I was curious about the on camera Jpeg noise red.   I've always set mine to low, but you make a good case here for using the standard or maybe high settings for high ISO jpegs....I guess my point is maybe in these high ISO situations I should stop shooting raw and maybe consider going with jpeg standard or high mode....it sure would make things easier.

FWIW, when shooting RAW, I disable everything pertinent to in-cam processing; i.e. 'ALO' - 'Disable', 'High ISO speed NR' - 'Disable', 'Picture Style' - 'Neutral'.  When shooting JPEG, indoors ambient lowlight, 'ALO' - 'Disable', 'High ISO speed NR' - 'Standard' or 'Low', 'Picture Style' - 'Auto' (IMHO, Canon did a great job on this) or 'Standard'.  When shooting JPEG, outdoors, 'ALO' - 'Standard', 'High ISO speed NR' - 'Disable', 'Picture Style' - 'Auto' or 'Standard'.  FYI, honestly, I shoot 70% JPEG and 30% RAW.  Please, to everyone, let's not make this another debate of the "pros" and "cons" of either format...I wouldn't take part in that.

[Dwight]

For what its worth a pro friend of mine did comparison tests between my 1Dx and his 5Diii and he found there to be at least a 1 one stop advantage with the 1Dx.

Now that I have a 1dx I much more enjoy reading comments like this? 
[/quote]

+1

[Dwight]

So how does anyone with a 5D3 think these compare to the 5D3 in comparable conditions?

The OP mentioned there is no PP in these pics, therefore, I say the 5D III is not quite near 1D X in term of high ISO. On 5D III, 12000ish ISO will require some NR in LR, but it's doable. I can say anything lower than 6400ISO, 5D III is really good.

Hopefully couple years from now, the price of 1D X will go down a bit. I might have enough money to get one.   Until then, I'll stick around with my 5D III.

Well maybe not in two but in three years from now the new 5DMkIV will beat the 1Dx at high ISO but a few months later the 1Dx II will strike back and put 5DMkIV to second place.  And so on and on

Life's too short!  We are all blessed to be able to do/have this hobby/profession.  Keep chuggin with what you got!  Never second-guess!  Never a "best" camera...only a "better" photographer! 

[paolotaverna]

Guys I am a little worried...please help!

I did two test shots
http://photos.paolotaverna.com/p552754205

at ISO 51200 with the 1dx...and i seem to get lot of noise compared to Dwights.

Dwight, how did you process your images
 were taken into LR with default adobe profile and exported in jpg

[Dwight]

Guys I am a little worried...please help!

I did two test shots
http://photos.paolotaverna.com/p552754205

at ISO 51200 with the 1dx...and i seem to get lot of noise compared to Dwights.

Dwight, how did you process your images
 were taken into LR with default adobe profile and exported in jpg

Hey paolotaverna!  Thanks for chiming in and for sharing!  No PP on mine...SOOC JPEGs uploaded to my gallery.  In regards to your images, I see quite a bit of random noise on both images and a trace of banding noise on the first image.  Examining the EXIF on your images, you shot ME (in comparison, I shot AE-Av).  Your SS were at 1/1600 and 1/2500.  Unless you have a valid reason shooting at those speeds, IMHO, the fast SS was the undoing of those images (not the camera nor the sensor per se).  Images in general get a lot of random noise when exposed at high SS and high ISO. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-noise.htm

Here's what I'd do and might be worth your while to try, I often use 'Center-weighted average' metering when shooting longer than 50mm in lowlight and low-contrast environment.  I use 'Evaluative metering' when shooting wider than 50mm in good to great light and high-contrast environment.  This assumes of course that the subject is not backlit nor is light constantly changing, in which case, I would use 'Spot'.

Here's what you could also try to do.  If you choose to shoot ME (I do too if I was really photographing in lowlight, but for snapshots and test shots, I don't bother; i.e. I trust AE to do its job),  use the 1/focal length rule and see if you get the same amount of noise.  If you're a shaky person and ~1/50 is too slow, prop your camera on a tripod (a monopod, in a pinch, will do) and see if the noise improves.  Otherwise, if you're only messing around and putting your camera through its paces, shoot AE and see how the exposures look like.  Good luck!  Keep us posted.

[paolotaverna]

Thank you Dwight

I have run 3 other shot tests
http://photos.paolotaverna.com/p552754205/h4c4dd62c#h4c4dd632

1- I put in AE mode
2- Shutter is now 1/400 (I assume this is a medium speed shutter)
3- I have used "exterior" light as it's early in the morning (naturally not much light)


When I look at my shots...I'm really concerned - when I look at yours it's like if I have a totally different camera...this is really disappointing...don't know what to do next.

[nightbreath]

Thank you Dwight

I have run 3 other shot tests
http://photos.paolotaverna.com/p552754205/h4c4dd62c#h4c4dd632

1- I put in AE mode
2- Shutter is now 1/400 (I assume this is a medium speed shutter)
3- I have used "exterior" light as it's early in the morning (naturally not much light)


When I look at my shots...I'm really concerned - when I look at yours it's like if I have a totally different camera...this is really disappointing...don't know what to do next.

How do you get JPEGs? Is it straight out of the camera or you use Lightroom or another image editing application?

I have noticed that choosing specific picture styles may add big amount of color noise to JPEG. Also sharpening an image makes noise more apparent.

[paolotaverna]

Good day,

1- I imported RAW in LR4  (in camera I used camera standard...but you will agree that it is useless as LR4 does not keep this)
2- Used LR4 default raw interpretation of the Canon 1Dx raw file (also default sharpening values)
3- I exported jped - large- no resizing and no output sharpening!



regards

[nightbreath]

Is there full-size JPEG available?

[tron]

 were taken into LR with default adobe profile and exported in jpg

Maybe it's because you imported Raw files to LightRoom and used LR to make a jpg and you didn't use  Canon's jpegs out of the box. Don't worry. Just check the histogram and shoot to the right.

Your SS were at 1/1600 and 1/2500.  Unless you have a valid reason shooting at those speeds, IMHO, the fast SS was the undoing of those images (not the camera nor the sensor per se).  Images in general get a lot of random noise when exposed at high SS and high ISO. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-noise.htm

Sorry but you said it in reverse. High shutter speed is the oposite of Long Exposure (= Very low Shutter Speed = many seconds) that is shown in the article you mentioned.

[Dwight]

 were taken into LR with default adobe profile and exported in jpg

Maybe it's because you imported Raw files to LightRoom and used LR to make a jpg and you didn't use  Canon's jpegs out of the box. Don't worry. Just check the histogram and shoot to the right.

Your SS were at 1/1600 and 1/2500.  Unless you have a valid reason shooting at those speeds, IMHO, the fast SS was the undoing of those images (not the camera nor the sensor per se).  Images in general get a lot of random noise when exposed at high SS and high ISO. http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/image-noise.htm

Sorry but you said it in reverse. High shutter speed is the oposite of Long Exposure (= Very low Shutter Speed = many seconds) that is shown in the article you mentioned.

Hey tron!  I'm sorry, but I don't see how I had my original statement in reverse.  paolotaverna's EXIF show that he was shooting at 1/1600 and 1/2500...equals fast SS (aka short exposure) as I've said, random noise, per linked article, is caused by short exposure (equals less light reaching the sensor) and High ISO.  Hence, there was a bit of random noise in his first 2 images.  paolotaverna was shooting with a 50L indoors in ambient lowlight.  I had suggested for him to shoot with a slower SS (aka longer exposure), at the same high ISO, perhaps at 1/focal length, to let more light into the sensor and to address the random noise on his images.

Bottomline, I can't see how Canon's flagship camera should have a high degree of manufacturing differences as evidenced by the amount and quality of noise in our images.

[Dwight]

Thank you Dwight

I have run 3 other shot tests
http://photos.paolotaverna.com/p552754205/h4c4dd62c#h4c4dd632

1- I put in AE mode
2- Shutter is now 1/400 (I assume this is a medium speed shutter)
3- I have used "exterior" light as it's early in the morning (naturally not much light)


When I look at my shots...I'm really concerned - when I look at yours it's like if I have a totally different camera...this is really disappointing...don't know what to do next.

paolotaverna, I'm concerned about your images too, but I don't think there are enough technical reasons to be alarmed just yet.  Would you please do this for us.  Would you shoot at 1/focal length?  You were shooting those last 3 images at 1/400.  I have no idea if it necessitated the fast SS based on your lighting (I know you were shooting AE-Av)...there didn't seem to be that much light as you've said, but just try ME and shoot at ≥1/50 (meaning slower or equal to...might need to use a tripod to avoid camera shake)...stop your 50L's aperture down (f2 or f2.8 is fine) and see if the noise improves.  Keep us posted.

[Dwight]

Good day,

1- I imported RAW in LR4  (in camera I used camera standard...but you will agree that it is useless as LR4 does not keep this)
2- Used LR4 default raw interpretation of the Canon 1Dx raw file (also default sharpening values)
3- I exported jped - large- no resizing and no output sharpening!



regards

paolotaverna, try DPP and see if there's any difference.  When shooting RAW, I always use "Neutral".