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.htmHere'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.