Noise and artefacts and me being a numpty.

[jmorgan]

OK, bumped myself up from a 350D to a 7D MKI (second hand). I do like it however I think it has shown me up and I am at fault but not sure where. I noticed that I am seeing noise (luminance or chrominance or both, probably talking cobblers) at low ISO (100). Before buying the camera the reviews I looked at raved about it. After, I search on noise and there are many threads about the place however it is the internet so I am thinking I am doing stuff wrong.

Now I am paranoid and know that in all probability it is me being daft and do not want to send it back assuming I am the fault. But more importantly me going from 8 megapixels to 18 and not understanding the relationship and zooming in in a photo editor is not all it is supposed to be.

So, I think I had more rope to hang myself 8 megapixel. I would see digital blocking before noise. I really must get exposure correct and focus bang on. It would appear that 160 ISO is a more native ISO for this camera. Do I really know what I am asking?

Answers on a postcard and any pointers to good reading material much appreciated. I think I have a steeper learning curve.

[jmorgan]

PorscheGT4 said:

RAW or jpeg ?

RAW.

Simpo Two said:

Like when you upgrade your hi-fi speakers, you suddenly realise the recording wasn't as good as you thought... but the quick way out is to zoom it back to 100% so you can see the whole photo, put the oscilloscope away and carry on taking photos smile

I tried a shot from the 350 and one from the new one, same location (ish) same subject and sized them than started to get anal about them. Then kicked myself and stood back and looked at 6 be 4 size and thought "I like that", either one. The ones that got me were looking at the RIAT airshow shots and comparing others to mine but zoom lens and low light on some did not register in me noggin for some days. Wished I had never looked now......

Killwilly said:

It is a well known fact that the original 7D can suffer from noise, but it can be overcome by using the correct settings and careful post processing.
Read the link below and you will learn a lot about the 7D.


http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php...

Thanks. Might sign up to that to look see in the pictures. It does refer to high ISO though, the few that I have done in high ISO have blown my socks off, so to speak. Compared to what I had before.

Edited by jmorgan on Saturday 8th August 09:25

[jmorgan]

Simpo Two said:

So with a slowish lens and low light and only ISO100 were they massively underexposed so you caned them in processing? And/or were you shooting manual exposure with a fast shutter speed?

Lens. Yeah, that was also a difference. I need to understand that more, or rather what I can expect from it.

Post processing is also something I need to understand more. It seems many with this use the Canon DPP then transfer to PS to polish off.

Manual exposure. Yes, but still on a learning curve there. The full auto was not something I played with a lot on the 350 as it gave mixed results. I should try this more on this one. Aperture is the only manual setting. The other thing I discovered yesterday zooming in on a Swan, nice and white in this sunshine, it was the different results from the metering. Though on Auto, I need to get to grips with that as well.

[jmorgan]

That last bit is where I think I need to go. Too much going around in circles initially on the Internet. Not even touched the histogram bit yet, last one did not have it or at least I never discovered it.

[jmorgan]

andy-xr said:

It looks to me as though we're wandering around all possible topics of noise without actually seeing what the problem is.

It could be that the OP's shooting something at night at f/22 1/8000th and wondering why it's a bit dark, I have no idea what the actual problem is

Think so (the wandering around comment). The first replies have focused me somewhat and I have been off down some photography forums and found out some more.

LC2 above posted a pic of an aircraft, it was my RIAT pictures and comparing to others that sent me into a spiral of disappearing up my own chute I think, lots of sky. I think I started to dig that proverbial hole for myself.

Re shooting. It is low ISO. 100 etc. It would appear that some on the web advocate 160 as a lower noise option for the 7D. Experimenting still but working last weekend so looking for opportunities. Last week got to play around some at a hide with a bright white swan and darker heron. Put some examples up when I have a minute. As an aside I have realised I need to be ruthless for storage and still deleting stuff. But I use Canon DPP for previewing and sorting basics and might tweek in PSE 13 (that is the software I have and sticking with for the moment).

But. I need to know what I am doing and that is what has thrown me I think. Bumbling along with the 350 I was happy, then I went for a different tool and now it would seem my knowledge is not what I thought it was. I am sure it is me and a steep learning curve from what I have casually done before.

[jmorgan]

Listening to advice further up, I think the exposure issue is my downfall. Hoping to try out a few things on my next outing.

Been reviewing images and it seems that I am OK with exposed OK bordering on over exposure and suffering where it is probably under exposed. I think I have created a rod for my own back here and my knowledge needs expanding. As mentioned by LC2, blue sky in the airshow shots seemed to have kicked me off. One thing is certain, I need to practice a few things and understand a few more.

[jmorgan]

Sorry, did't mean to come across a bit rude. But yes, for a 100 ISO, I thought I was getting a lot of noise and I think what has been highlighted now, after a few comments, I do not understand what I am doing with exposure correctly. For some reason, before this camera (350D) I was 100ISO and metering on one setting (they never moved) and it spilled over to this one. I need to expand my horizons somewhat and use more of the functions. I cannot look at something and think the settings, I fiddle around with the f stop for a depth of field and let the camera do the rest.

It came tonight after an airshow (lots of sky in shots) but as pointed out, I have a slow zoom lens and was probably expecting more. I have probably started to look for an issue that is not there. Also looking at other non airshow image at 100% to see if it is in focus, I noticed the sky would be grainy. At 100ISO my brain said cannot be grainy, must be noise.

[jmorgan]

I did mean to do that.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/400se/BB1NYN 15-85mm
https://www.flickr.com/gp/400se/1ts3WW 17-300
https://www.flickr.com/gp/400se/xu95A5 this one niggled me when compared to others from the show, as did the helicopter.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/400se/727H53 This one I thought was OK.

They are private but should link OK I think?

Not sure that works but it is an example.

Edit, no post processing, just saved as the largest jpeg in Canon DPP. Should have the metadata.

[jmorgan]

Right. So the correctly (or near as damn it) is OK, and I am seeing what is not there in the others other than underexposed but need to address exposure. I should never have looked on the net and got myself in a tiz.


Edit. Heck, reviewing the data, I had auto ISO on the airshow shots. Did not do that on purpose.

Edited by jmorgan on Tuesday 11th August 12:41

[jmorgan]

Oh my giddy aunt. Just sorted on ISO for the airshow. Most are 100, some are higher. Some are set to Auto, the dial has auto as the next step and I must have had my greasy little mitts on it messing with the new toy and cocked it up rushing for that killer make me a million shot (not that I think I am that good ). The mode dial has shifted in the past without me noticing. So I also need to check again in the viewfinder and not crack on.


Need a smily for booting ones self up the nether regions. But the Pink tower was one concerning me as were a few others with the sky.


Drat.

[jmorgan]

As an old gaffer used to say "not the first and will not be the last"

However I do have quite a few at 100 that I am not happy (and delete anything now that does not look right). However the helpful people here have given me a direction. But I was right, it was me.