Cameras with best long exposure noise performance at high ISO?

[Majeed Badizadegan]

I did some long exposure night shots at high ISO a few days ago and it got me thinking... I'm just wondering which cameras are best with long exposure noise performance at high ISO? I'm assuming full frame cameras like the D700/800, 5d Mark II/III?

What limitations do crop bodies have at high ISO's with long exposures? What is a safe ISO value for Long exposures with crop bodies? And what are your thoughts on Long Exposure noise reduction in camera? Good/bad?

 

[TheBiles]

Full-frame obviously has the advantage. Don't even bother with in-camera processing, especially with high noise shots. I'd feel comfortable shooting a 30 second exposure at 800-1600 ISO on a higher-end crop body, but you can easily look at 3200-6400 with full frame. The ISO handling is really the huge difference between crop and full-frame bodies.

 

[Derrel]

DxO Mark's testing results will be some of the more easily-accessible data on that. Thom Hogan does long exposures and reports on "amp noise", which is a secondary issue when doing long exposures. AMp noise being not the sensor's noise per se, but the noise resulting from the camera's electronics/wiring,etc. AMP noise can be a BIG problem in some cameras...

 

[KmH]

You don't mention what you were shooting as far as land or sky.

Cameras that have a system for cooling the image sensor do really well at low-light, long exposure photography, because cooling the image sensor minimizes thermal noise.
Those types of cameras often also have very low noise amplifiers too, another source of image noise.

Many cameras designed for doing astrophotography are built that way. Parsec 8300M Monochrome Astronomical Imaging Camera | Orion Telescopes

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

You don't mention what you were shooting as far as land or sky.

Cameras that have a system for cooling the image sensor do really well at low-light, long exposure photography, because cooling the image sensor minimizes thermal noise.
Those types of cameras often also have very low noise amplifiers too, another source of image noise.

Many cameras designed for doing astrophotography are built that way. Parsec 8300M Monochrome Astronomical Imaging Camera | Orion Telescopes

Hmm, for stars mainly.

I'm sure it helps to have expensive bright ultra-wides!?

 

[GrantH]

Why high ISO on long exposure? Seems you could drop it down and extend the shutter for a few seconds at most?

 

[SCraig]

I have no experience with them personally, but according to DxO Mark the Nikon D3s, D800E, and D4 come out on top for low light / high ISO. REsults Here.

 

[TheBiles]

Why high ISO on long exposure? Seems you could drop it down and extend the shutter for a few seconds at most?

You are limited in shutter speed if you want to avoid star trails.

Sent from my Nexus 7