Why is my 5D3 so noisy???

[cayenne]

I've been seeing a LOT of my shots lately, come out with a ton of noise, on stills  and even video it seems.

This is is at ISO4000, and I've seen others post at this high with no problems like I'm seeing.

This is one of many, I've got some that were ISO 1000...and just as noisy and grainy as this one.

I've not altered this at all, straight out of the camera, underexposed, etc....but even with post I can't fix this.

Any suggestions what I've got going wrong here that causes my 5D3 to be so noisy?

Thanks in advance...I'm still (obviously) quite the noob.

cayenne

[bdunbar79]

As we've seen, sensor amplification is better than post-processing amplification.  If you underexpose a noisy shot, that's worse than raising the ISO to 5000 and getting more noise.  At least this is what I've seen in indoor sports.  I did way better at EC +2/3 at ISO 6400 than I did shooting -1/3 EV at ISO 6400.  I don't know, I did better with ETTR, I don't know why.

[bdunbar79]

Ok, next question.  Why did you use ISO 4000?  Your settings were 1/125, f/9, ISO 4000.  You don't need f/9 here.  I'll let the 1/125 go, because that's reasonable, but my gosh if you had shot at f/4, think what your ISO could have been.  800.  You could have then ETTR'd with 1000 or 1250. 

[iMagic]

F9 indoors?

[Dylan777]

Did you shoot Raw or JPEG? What is your in-camera noise reduction setting?

1. If you shot JPEG with noise reduction on, ISO4000 should not look like that

2. If you shot raw with or without noise reduction on, then this look normal. PP is required for raw. 25 - 30 noise reduction in LR will take care the color noise in your photo.

I agreed with  bdunbar79, F9 indoor without flash is not a good idea. f4 or f5.6 will be just fine for this type of photo(that just me of course, there is no right or wrong here)

[PhotographAdventure]

F9 indoors?

My friend who used to photograph weddings once wondered why his flash couldn't keep up at f5.6 when inside.  I have enough troubles at f2.8.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Did you shoot with RAW or JPEG.  If
jpeg, you will not have much ability to fixup a seriously underexposed image.
 
Expect to use NR with RAW high ISO images, using them out of camera will be a issue. 
 
ISO 12800, f/3.2 1/60 sec.  Plenty of noise, but it responds well to post production fixes.  DR is the biggest issue at very high ISO's.
 

 
Here is almost the same scene taking the evening before at ISO 25600, f/2.8 1/80 sec.  DR was a big issue so I dropped the shutter speed to 1/60 with my 24-70mm MK II the 2nd night and that dropped ISO a stop.  The light was just a little different as the lighting crew got better with practice.  Generally, I just shoot the first night of a dress rehearsal for practice
 
 

[Hobby Shooter]

Thanks for starting this thread, I have had similar experiences with my 5D3. I obviously know some of it is down to me lacking some of the skills, but I have also been thinking that it could be something wrong with my camera.

I always shoot RAW and PP in LR so most of it can be fixed. I do try to ETTR as bdunbar says also, that tends to help alot.

thanks
J

[wickidwombat]

F9 indoors?

My friend who used to photograph weddings once wondered why his flash couldn't keep up at f5.6 when inside.  I have enough troubles at f2.8.

so how do those group shots turn out at f2.8

I regularly shoot f4 to f8 indoors at night at weddings with flash, 2nd curtain sync slow shutter speed to keep the iso reasonable. job done.
Its pretty straight forward really.
To be honest if your friend was wondering that, then I'm wondering what he was doing shooting weddings in the first place.

Also 100% agree with bdunbar ETTR is critical at higher isos make sure your highlight alert is on and shoot as far over exposed without blowing out skin then reduce the exposure in LR dial in some shadow recovery and apply NR typically i'll over expose from the recomended meter settings but 2/3 to 1 and 1/3 stops usually set at 1 stop over and tweek as needed, I always shoot in manual as Av or anything auto will balls this up.

[pwp]

When shooting higher iso's, ETTR is an absolute 100% must.
Right from the start I've been astounded how much detail there is in 5D3 highlights before they blow to 255.

Modified technique on your part should deliver fantastic high iso 5D3 image files.

-PW

[bdunbar79]

Just a quick example.  I totally overexposed this shot, because it was so damn dark down there and midcourt was so damn bright.  Much easier and cleaner to bring down in post vs. underexposing and lifting:

[cayenne]

When shooting higher iso's, ETTR is an absolute 100% must.
Right from the start I've been astounded how much detail there is in 5D3 highlights before they blow to 255.

Modified technique on your part should deliver fantastic high iso 5D3 image files.

-PW

Thank you all so much for the replies.

I'm not familiar with ETTR...what is that?

This was one photo that I gave the camera to my Dad to shoot so I could be in one or two pics.
Most of them shot with f9 towards him, with a window that had sun coming in on one side, and I wanted to have depth of field behind him.  But even those shots...were VERY noisy...very!

I don't believe I have any noise reduction in camera turned on....

I only shoot raw. I have Aperture 3..and trying to use the noise reduction on that...but doesn't seem to be doing much of anything.


I'll try to find a representative shot of him, which was more indicative of what I was really shooting with these settings.



Thank you,

C

[rpt]

I'm not familiar with ETTR...what is that?

Expose to the right...

Edit: iPad changed my word "Expose" to "Exposé"! Wow! Corrected it...

[wickidwombat]

Just a quick example.  I totally overexposed this shot, because it was so damn dark down there and midcourt was so damn bright.  Much easier and cleaner to bring down in post vs. underexposing and lifting:

can you show the unedited shot for reference
also i'm guessing you shot with the 1Dx which will be even better than the 5dmk3

[bdunbar79]

Just a quick example.  I totally overexposed this shot, because it was so damn dark down there and midcourt was so damn bright.  Much easier and cleaner to bring down in post vs. underexposing and lifting:

can you show the unedited shot for reference
also i'm guessing you shot with the 1Dx which will be even better than the 5dmk3

Well, shoot yeah, that's right I did.  I will grab the RAW file anyways, if I've got it, let me look.