D500 Real World High ISO test

[Destin]

Alright guys, so I used my new D500 to shoot a hockey game last night for a local online publication I freelance for. I used the opportunity to test out a few shots at ISO levels higher than I'd ever have used previously. I know that you wanted to see this @smoke665 so I tagged you to make it easy.

Let me be clear: This is real world shooting. As such, I will not be pixel peeping or showing 100% crops. I'll make the files available to TPF members for download if you'd like to view them, and I can email over one or two RAW files if you're interested in seeing SOOC results.

Click here to view full gallery. Note that the wider shots were taken with my D7100, but there are only 4 of them. Download password for TPF members is: TPFExclusive

PM me if you'd like a few RAW files to play with.

The photos below have all been run through lightroom, color corrected, and had very minimal noise reduction applied (15-25 on the slider, no more than that.) I shot the majority of the game at 1/1000, 2.8, and ISO 4000. This was the absolute ragged edge of acceptable for my old D7100, and the D500 breezed through it. I think 4000 on the D500 looks better than 1600 on the 7100.

For me, even the noise in the last shot at 32,000 is useable in an absolute pinch. Downsized to 460px wide for the publication I work with, you'd likely never even see the difference.

1.) ISO 4000, hands down usable to me.

2.) ISO 8000, still extremely usable

3.) ISO 32,000 - would work in a pinch

4.) 51,200 in parking lot after game. The only post processing applied was a slight contrast increase and 20 points of color noise reduction. Again, I wouldn't use this every day. But worst case scenario, downsized for web use, it's useable to me. This file is in a different gallery, so I'll have to email it if you want to look at it full size.

 

[pixmedic]

wow. the ISO 4000 is impressive.
the progress is amazing...your ISO 8000 shot is better than our D100 would produce at ISO 800 14 years ago.

 

[Destin]

wow. the ISO 4000 is impressive.
the progress is amazing...your ISO 8000 shot is better than our D100 would produce at ISO 800 14 years ago.

8000 is better than my old D80s did at 1600, and that was only about 10 years ago. Honestly, I don't really need low light abilities to get better than this. It's to the point now that I can walk into any of my local indoor sporting events, and not have to worry if I'll be able to pull the shutter speed I need because of the lighting. It's going to be insane what sensors can do in another 5-10 years.

 

[Frank F.]

I use mine up to 20.000. Beyond that it is very hard to process good results even from RAWs. The D5 is another beast. I had one for a week as evaluation copy from NPS and I trust her up to 100.000 with post processing from RAW. The standard noise reduction on JPEGs is very and IMO unnecessary aggressive. So in situations like news agencies etc switch off the Noise Reduction in camera and later filter for chroma noise and live with significant grainlike noise.

 

[smoke665]

I know that you wanted to see this

I DID!!! This is the kind of real life information/comments I was seeking. Having mega ISOs is useless unless 1)they're usable in real life and 2)you're willing to take advantage of them. Thank you for taking time to post them.

On comments. at 51,200 I see a resemblance to my K3ii at the same ISO, there's a lot of color noise creeping in, but below that I would have used any of these in my newspaper days. However, on my screen, they look a little flat, maybe a boost in contrast, some sharpening and lowering the blacks a tad wouldn't hurt. I would've loved to have this capability way back when I was shooting basketball games for the newspaper. We used to joke that sometimes all you got were white shoes/socks, white shorts/shirts, white teeth and white eyes floating across the floor.

 

[Destin]

If any of you guys have an specific ISO settings you want to see, or any specific requests, let me know.

I'll be shooting basketball Friday and a cheerleading competition Saturday.

 

[Derrel]

Color saturation seems a bit lowered on these, but the noise seems good, and sharpness is good, and looks like the AF system is very capable. For publication on newsprint, these will totally,totally be A-okay, for sure! I've had worse D2x sports images printed, and they looked good on 4-color press, or in B&W, so this camera is most definitely LEAGUES better than that old camera. Definitely looks capable!