Noisy Neighbors

[Joel Bookhammer]

Im looking at expanding my horizons via higher iso's, I tend to try and stay away from them due to "noise", but will still use them so I dont miss a shot.The main reason is Im planning on getting the 400 5.6 prime and sense its a 5.6 Im going to have to use higher iso's in some shooting situations. So what program(s) is best for eliminating the noise but still keeping the image sharp as correct color. I have read and heard that Noise Ninja is good, but as of right now I have only been using the noise softwear provided by Photoshop CS3. Any input would be great.


thanks


joel

[slemmon]

I was weighing out the same question a little while back and over and over and over I saw folks posting to use either Noise Ninja or Neat Image. So, I downloaded the trial size apps of each and tested a half-dozen times and EVERY time I liked the quality of Neat Image over Noise Ninja. I heard testimonials for both and for a few more out there, but I figured I was gonna have to sell myself on one or the other, ultimately.

[George Slusher]

This was discussed a bit less than two weeks ago. (Search the forums on "ninja," for example.) As I wrote in that thread, the best advice is to get the trial versions of each program and try them out.


You also might want to consider the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS lens instead of the 400mm f/5.6L prime. Read Bryan's reviews and think about what you want to use the lens for. The advantages of the 400mm f/5.6L prime would include:

• Weight (slight--2.8lb vs 3.0 lb)
• Sharpness (again, only slight)
• Distortion (less pincushion, as is typical for primes)
• Cost ($1140 vs $1460 at B&H; on the other hand, the zoom will probably hold its value better, as it is much more popular)
  

The advantages of the 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS zoom would include:

• Versatility (especially if you don't have a 70-200 f/2.8L IS zoom + 1.4x extender)
• Size (7.4" vs 10.1" minimum, though the 100-400m gets a lot longer when zoomed out, but it's easier to put in a bag; if a bag holds the 70-200mm f/2.8L lens, it should hold the 100-400mm, as they're almost the same size)
• Minimum focus distance (5.9 ft vs 11.5 ft)
• IS

IS a major advantage, around 2 stops. If you're shooting subjects that aren't moving very much, themselves, the 100-400mm's IS will allow you to use slower shutter speeds or lower ISO, mitigating the noise problem. The 400mm prime probably should be on a tripod most of the time, whie the 100-400mm zoom would be a bit more "hand-holdable."


The 100-400mm zoom is my primary lens for nature photography. I started out using a 70-200mm f/4L, but that wasn't long enough. For many situations, 400mm really isn't long enough, either. The 1.4x extender helps, though it disables autofocus on my 30D. Manual focussing an effectively f/8 lens is non-trivial.

[devsalvi]

Have you guess tried the "Noise correction" and "Colour correction" option in DPP provided by canon. It has worked for me on few occasions before.

[Sinh Nhut Nguyen]

I use Noise Ninja, I found the most important tool of Noise Ninja is the Brush. I apply the noise reduction on the entire image, then use the brush to bring back the details on the subject. Noiseis more visible in the bg because it's usually darker than the subject.


Here are two shots that under circumstances didn't allow me to use anything lower than 3200


40D, 400 f/5.6L,f/5.6L, 1/320, ISO 3200, Handheld, Noise Ninja





40D, 400 f/5.6L, f/5.6, 1/500, ISO 3200, Handheld, Noise Ninja.





Larger Versions : http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=8486619&size=lg, http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=8870152&size=lg