Why are my images so noisy?

[droidz]

Hey guys. So, I've just noticed that my images are more or less, grainy. I have no idea why, even in bright conditions, with ISO 100, I get loads of grain. It just doesn't come out smooth.

My camera specs:
12.1 Megapixels
4/3rds sensor.

Thanks!

P.S. sometimes i take shots of the sun, mostly at sunset, but occasionally I point my camera directly at the Noon sun. Would it have damaged my sensor? but those are like f/22 with 1/4000 shutter speed, shouldn't be too bad, should it?



Taken with 2 second shutter, f/5.6, ISO 100
Original Image:

a section of the fullsize image, you can see the graininess:

 

[D-B-J]

how about resizing your images. It took forever too load, then it was too big to display..

 

[droidz]

how about resizing your images. It took forever too load, then it was too big to display..

lol sorry. hopefully it should be better now

 

[skieur]

A hot sensor can be one source of picture noise. If you have already been shooting and you use a 2 second shutterspeed, then that could very well be the reason for the noise.

skieur

 

[KmH]

When you zoom into the image you posted, you are not seeing noise. You are seeing posterization.

 

[droidz]

When you zoom into the image you posted, you are not seeing noise. You are seeing posterization.

how can I reduce that? I see images that other people take, and its just so "smoothly" colored and without strange patches that mess up an image

 

[clanthar]

record and process RAW images. strange patches = JPEG artifacts.

Joe

 

[droidz]

record and process RAW images. strange patches = JPEG artifacts.

Joe

but i am shooting in raw =|

EDIT: NEVERMIND! Just checked my camera, I was pretty sure i had it on RAW+Jpeg, but apparently not =S
problem solved i guess? xD