D60 pics - Noisy

[pongerts]

ei guys...i just got my cam and i've got a question.
i always find my pictures to be noisy. look at the black areas of this pic. It has lots of noise. what should i do? do i have a faulty cam?

 

[AverageJoe]

Can you provide the technical specs behind this exposure? In windows, right click on the file, then click on Properties, then click on the Summary tab then click the Advanced button and tell us what the ISO was set at.

I'm not familar with Nikon but you could try locking the ISO at 400 or lower.

 

[rotchcrocket04]

I would imagine it's because of the ISO setting. Like AverageJoe stated, find the ISO setting and let us know.

My D40 does a pretty good job even with the ISO on auto, I rarely get any excess noise in the darker areas. This is with average/good lighting of course... I not talking about night shots though.

 

[toofpaste]

Dude....that picture....seriously.... Funniest picture ever.... ehm...er

but yeah. Try ISO

 

[Johnboy2978]

The iso is set at 400. Try some shots at 100 and see if that is an improvement. I don't find the noise to be too bothersome though.

 

[K_Pugh]

Doesn't look too bad, may be more noticeable 100% though. What sort of PP have you done, if any?

 

[Village Idiot]

Also, it looks under exposed. What mode are you using? If you're using Auto, then bump up the metering to over expose by 1/3 - 2/3 of a stop. Under exposed photos can show noise regardless of what ISO you're shooting at, especially on some cameras.

 

[Dao]

Looks like you guys are having fun cooking

Here are the info I found from the picture. (From Firefox EXIF viewer addon)

Camera Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D60
Image Date: 2008:08:27 23:38:08
Flash Used: Yes (Manual, return light detected)
Focal Length: 48.0mm (35mm equivalent: 72mm)
Exposure Time: 0.017 s (1/60)
Aperture: f/5.6
ISO equiv: 400
White Balance: Manual
Light Source: Flash
Metering Mode: Center Weight
Exposure: aperture priority (semi-auto)


ISO 400. Yes, you can lower the ISO but may need to lower the Aperture setting (wider aperture) if possible (like f/4). Or you may need to increase the exposure time but that may run into problem if you are not using tripod or your lens to not have VR, especially this picture was already taken with 72mm focal length and 1/60 shutter speed.

 

[pongerts]

thanks for the input guys.
i did use a tripod with this shot because, i'm in the picture too.
there i also used a flash unit to bounce the light (i guess the angle was a bit off).
no PP was done on this image.

maybe i just need to get more practice.

thanks for the help guys...

i do hope i get to learn how to shoot 'nearly' like a pro!

thanks again guys!

 

[Village Idiot]

thanks for the input guys.
i did use a tripod with this shot because, i'm in the picture too.
there i also used a flash unit to bounce the light (i guess the angle was a bit off).
no PP was done on this image.

maybe i just need to get more practice.

thanks for the help guys...

i do hope i get to learn how to shoot 'nearly' like a pro!

thanks again guys!

If you're using the flash (assuming it's an SU or SB unit with TTL), use manual. shutter speed 1/200 set your apeture appropriately...f/5.6-f/9 for a group shot maybe, your ISO to 200, and shoot. If it's dark, bump up the flash exposure compensation (FEC on Canon's flashes) by 1/3 of a stop until it's bright enough. Bounced usually gets +1 - +1 2/3 from me depending on ceiling height. That's usually what it takes in a house with standard ceiling heights.

 

[epp_b]

If you're pixel hunting, you're going to find noise, period. If you want noiseless results at high ISOs, you need to spend thousands of dollars on high-end Nikon bodies.

But, really, the noise in that picture isn't bad at all. Do you have a flash? Apparently, the SB400 is quite good and can be bounced off the ceiling to create a natural-looking light. You could do that and lower the ISO to reduce noise.

 

[Dao]

Also, you may also try using the noise reduction software and see if that give you a better result for the same photo. (i.e. Noise Ninja)

 

[manaheim]

I don't see a lot of noise in the pic at that size, but if you have noise issues on that pic, I would support the underexposed theory. ISO400 shouldn't have too much noise on it on ANY camera... it's not that high.

 

[Village Idiot]

Also, you may also try using the noise reduction software and see if that give you a better result for the same photo. (i.e. Noise Ninja)

The only time I like to use noise reduction software is for skin smoothing when I'm feeling too lazy to go in and do it the "proper" way.

 

[Dao]

The only time I like to use noise reduction software is for skin smoothing when I'm feeling too lazy to go in and do it the "proper" way.

That's true. I agree 100%. But I meant for that photo. And I believe that he may not have a chance to do it again. (Same place with same group of people and doing the same thing, so trying the software will not hurt)