Maximum iso..

[FeatherMonkey]

As title really have a Canon 600d think it's the T3i rebel on the otherside of the pond. So what is the maximum iso I should push? For example were I to print, I guess digital would be down to display size?

 

[Trangela]

I think you should not exceed 800.

 

[Write Lighting]

I've got a T1i and I generally don't push it past 800, but it's all personal preference as to how much noise you can stand. You'll have a little more leeway in black and white shots than color, since it comes out looking more like grain than that horrible color noise *shudders*. I've printed photos out that were shot at ISO 800 and not noticed much noise unless I got so close that I was eating the print.

 

[FeatherMonkey]

So general opinion is as low as 800 just in this thread A few close ups Macro Flower Eye and Watch Photography Forum the parrot eye is 1600 (sorry away from pc to see whether pp included denoising with profile) is to noisy?

 

[Overread]

The highest ISO is the one your camera goes to.

It is true that the higher the ISO goes the more noise you will get in the photo.
It is also true that if you underexpose a photo and then brighten it up in editing (either by adding brightnes or adjusting the "exposure" slider) you will get more noise appear.

It is further true if you do the latter you will get more noise than if you'd taken the same shot, with the same aperture and shutter speed, but a higher ISO.


Thus if the light is such that you have to raise your ISO to get the shot you want based upon the lighting and your aperture and shutter speed requirements then you raise the ISO. Now of course you will come to learn to balance this somewhat; you might start with one aperture and then say "well the lights pretty bad, I can use a slightly wider aperture - I'll still get the shot and I can use a lower ISO with it".


Note that I would look up both how to read the histogram and also the theory "expose to the right" as they will give you more guidance on digital exposure and upon how to minimise noise even when using a higher ISO. Note that Expose to the right is a theory and ideal situation concept. Many times in the real world you might simply not be able to use the theory - but it is there when you can.

Note also that you can fix things like high ISO noise and web-display and printing will all hide much of hte noise away anyway. Things like motion blur from using a too slow shutter speed or a too thin depth of field - they cannot be fixed in editing*.

*ok in theory you can fix them, but you'd be looking at hours upon hours of rebuilding and likely be more digital painting than "photography". Doable, but highly skilled and time consuming work to do to any degree of quality; this for all practical intent and purpose impossible for most photographers.

 

[Gary A.]

Generally Speaking:

The reason noise is bad is because it is a distraction from the image. As 'distraction' is subjective, each image stands on its own and the personal observation of the viewer, in regards to noise. Like most elements in photography, there is no simple answer, no Black or White decision, but gray with, again, the answer dependant upon the individual viewer and the actual image. A photo with a high level of Image Impact can take more noise and still hold the viewer's focus than a photo with less Image Impact. i.e.- Nick Ut's image of the young screaming child running naked up the dirt lane after being hit with napalm in Vietnam, is grainy and not sharply focus, but the capture of the raw emotions which overflow from that photograph engulfs the viewer and holds their attention. Conversely, the photos of Edward Weston's Bell Peppers, could not take such a grainy hit as Ut's photo. The Image Impact is much more subtle in the Weston shot and requires a different presentation. It is the lighting and the tonal range which makes the image successful in Weston's photo. It is the intensity of the subject matter which makes the Ut photo successful.

Noise is not a one-size fits all matter. Personally, I think that limiting yourself with restrictions prior to and without considering your subject matter is not very wise.

On the technical side, in low light situations, careful metering and low light shooting techniques go a long way to overcoming equipment inadequacies.

Good Luck and Good Shooting,
Gary

 

[FeatherMonkey]

Thanks Overread that makes sense. To over simplify for that shot use the iso you need. For the picture use them as tools of creation with good understanding of the basics. I'm guessing I should stay out of the extended, whilst I'm learning?

 

[TCampbell]

The answer completely depends on the shooting situation. You'll typically want to keep ISO low to reduce noise with any camera. But if you don't have enough light, your choices are to open the aperture, increase the exposure time, or increase the ISO.... OR... not take the shot.

(a) If your lens is already at wide-open then you can't do anything more with aperture (or if you need the depth of field.)

(b) You could increase the exposure time... but if it's a hand-held shot there are limits. If the subject is moving and you can't have the blur, then increasing exposure time may not be an option.

Either (a) or (b) would be preferable to increasing ISO... but if neither are options... then you're left with:

(c) increase the ISO anyway and put up with the noise or

(d) don't take the shot.

(Ok, you could bring your own extra light -- I left that out.)

I'd rather have a "noisy" shot than a "blurry" shot. I can do something about the noise in post processing on the computer. But there's not much I can do about "blur" other than try to convince people that I'm doing "impressionistic" photography and the blur was really intentional.

So yes... even with my old T1i (which max'd out at ISO 3200) I would sometimes shoot at ISO 3200 and deal with the noise problem later.

But I suppose the answer you were looking for is: At what point is the noise low enough that nobody really cares and you really don't even need to fuss with de-noising software on the computer?

On your camera, the noise is generally regarded as unacceptable at ISO 6400 -- by just about anyone's standards. But at ISO 3200 it might actually be ok -- but you will certainly see noise. At ISO 400 and below you can pretend the camera doesn't even have noise. At ISO 800 you'll see some, but it will be very low.

 

[FeatherMonkey]

Thanks everyone given me a lot more clarity on the subject.

 

[Overread]

Honestly I never touched extended ISO for ages - then I tried shooting showjumping indoors. Suddenly I found a need for it - enabled it and haven't looked back. Generally speaking extended is a "this is a feature of your camera, its not perfect and its not "as" good as it could be, but it can do it if you need it.

I'd enable it - you will only use it if you need to and its a lot better to have it there on the button ready to use than having to go into menus to find it and enable it in the moment that you need to use it.