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11-01-2008, 05:06 PM   #1
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K100D users, ISO experience...

It's been a few months since i got the K100D super.. So far i am mostly satisfied with it though there is one thing that has been bugging my mind lately...

The image, mostly in dim lit scenes suffer more noise than i would expect even at ISO 200.. I've never used a canon, a nikon or K10D, K20D so i do not know the noise performance on similar or higher end machines.. I looked up a few reviews but their results seem kinda better than what i get..

There is some though now much noise even at lowest iso setting..

Searched the forum and found a topic saying that theorically K100D has lower noise than K10D but the noise with K10D can be better dealth with with postprocessing..

Is there a noise issue with K100D super? And if i were to switch to K20D will i experience clearly lower noise or is it gonna be the same?

I do not think it's about the lens but mostly i'm using FA 50/1.4..

I can't set the ISO to 800 as the noise is above my standarts there.. And i think twice to set it to 400.. That practically noise-free sharp look is never there.. I'm stuck with ISO200 even at where i am not completely satisfied..

11-01-2008, 05:18 PM   #2
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you should post an image.

it is hard to tell what is happening without anything to review.

Note, I have an origonal *istD and fiond the noise excellent at ISO 200. the K100Super is essentually the same sensor.

ALso what are your settings, sharpness, contrast etc.
11-01-2008, 05:18 PM   #3
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post samples
11-01-2008, 05:23 PM   #4
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If you could post picture which you are unhappy with as an example, then it would be great. It would enables us to see what you are talking about and we could elaborate.
As for my personal experience, I have used two K100 bodies for nearly two years, and I've never been afraid to use ISO800. Even shooting Theatre rehersals, with DA40ltd, ISO800 was great. For entry level K100 has great ISO performance. Of course it gets outclassed by new models but then, it's older camera...

11-01-2008, 06:00 PM   #5
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Here is a quick one..at ISO 400..Picture of a wall which is seamless grey.. Left is the original full image resized, right is the %100 crop of the rectangle in red..



I have no RAW editors at the moment but i shot the same photo on both RAW and JPEG..noisewise, they were identical when i viewed them in the digital screen of the cam...
11-01-2008, 07:49 PM   #6
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Um, maybe a picture of something other than a featureless gray wall?
11-01-2008, 09:08 PM   #7
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yes... an actual picture will help, a lot. Also try RAW Therapee. Free, and good, but with no batch editing. Try it...

11-01-2008, 09:29 PM   #8
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that sample looks decent to me :/
looks like my K100D
11-03-2008, 12:47 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by k100d Quote
that sample looks decent to me :/
looks like my K100D
exactly what I thought lookin at it. But agree with other too... "real life" shot would be better example
11-03-2008, 01:23 AM   #10
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Quick, guess the ISO!

11-03-2008, 08:45 AM   #11
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No flash, indoor and no motion blur so should be very high.. 1600 is my guess.. But is this a K20-10D or a K100D?..

I just would not believe it to be a K100D with ISO 800 or 1600.. If it's a K20 or K10 than i should really consider a body upgrade as i would not be able to do this with my k100D..
11-03-2008, 08:56 AM   #12
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I thought the high ISO capability of the K100D was very good. In fact, that was my one disappointment when moving to the K10D (high ISO was worse to me). So I moved to the K20D and love it's high ISO capability.

However, back to your original comment - I think the K100D was/is a very good performer in low light.
11-03-2008, 09:11 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by throndor Quote
It's been a few months since i got the K100D super.. So far i am mostly satisfied with it though there is one thing that has been bugging my mind lately...

The image, mostly in dim lit scenes suffer more noise than i would expect even at ISO 200.. I've never used a canon, a nikon or K10D, K20D so i do not know the noise performance on similar or higher end machines.. I looked up a few reviews but their results seem kinda better than what i get..

There is some though now much noise even at lowest iso setting..

Searched the forum and found a topic saying that theorically K100D has lower noise than K10D but the noise with K10D can be better dealth with with postprocessing..

Is there a noise issue with K100D super? And if i were to switch to K20D will i experience clearly lower noise or is it gonna be the same?

I do not think it's about the lens but mostly i'm using FA 50/1.4..

I can't set the ISO to 800 as the noise is above my standarts there.. And i think twice to set it to 400.. That practically noise-free sharp look is never there.. I'm stuck with ISO200 even at where i am not completely satisfied..
I think you may be being over-sensitive. Your expectation of a 'practically noise-free sharp look' at 400 ISO or higher viewed at 100% is unrealistic. The K100D is pretty good at high ISO, but you have to accept that the higher the ISO the higher the noise. No getting round it, apart from PP using Noise Ninja or Neat Image - which do a really good job, incidentally, if you use them with care. If you had worked with 'fast' film, you would know what real noise was like ...

The K10D is slightly noisier viewed at 100%, but at equivalent image size there is little difference - still less after a bit of Noise Ninja. Haven't used K20D.

At a normal print size viewed at a normal distance, is the noise you describe intrusive? Or are you looking at the image at pixel-for-pixel on the screen?

The noise 'issue' is over-rated generally IMHO so far as DSLRs are concerned, although I would accept it makes compacts largely unusable higher than about 200 ISO.

Tim
11-03-2008, 12:36 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by timo Quote
I think you may be being over-sensitive. Your expectation of a 'practically noise-free sharp look' at 400 ISO or higher viewed at 100% is unrealistic.
I'd also point out that trying to judge this viewing featureless flat areas is not realistic either, and that when I viewed the images in question, I was more aware of what appeared to be JPEG compression artifacts than I was aware of noise.
11-03-2008, 01:20 PM   #15
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If you pixel peep at 100% you cannot expect a completely noise free area. But that's not a problem of your K100D, that's mainly a problem of physics, known as shot-noise. The Nikon D40 uses the same SONY sensor as the K100D and is know for its excellent noise performance. Nikon applies more noise reduction, which can yield a smoother appearance but then it also smears details.

Even at ISO 200 you'll find noise in shots featuring sky (but of course not just with a K100D).

I prefer the Pentax approach to noise reduction. If you want a lifeless, plasticky, digital picture you can always kill it with post-processing.
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