Photography question: low lighting / grainy pictures. Normal? (huge sample pic!!)

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  • mrthumbs
    salad tossing sig guy
    • Apr 2002
    • 11702
    #1

    Photography question: low lighting / grainy pictures. Normal? (huge sample pic!!)

    Im playing with my new Sigma F1.4 lens (55mm) (canon EOS) and i notice it produces 'grainy' pictures. Specially the area thats not focussed.

    The picture below (may take a while to load) was taken under low light
    circumstances with a 400 iso / 50 shuttertime.

    Is this normal for low f lenses.. ?

    Tags: None
    • mrthumbs
      salad tossing sig guy
      • Apr 2002
      • 11702
      #2
      Hmm.. let me try one with an even lower iso setting..

        Comment

        • TheLegacy
          SEO RobertWarrenSEO.com
          • Apr 2003
          • 18207
          #3
          do you not have a light meter? that will pretty much tell you what setting to use
          ​
          RobertWarrenSEO.com​
          Telegram: @TheLegacy54​

            Comment

            • mrthumbs
              salad tossing sig guy
              • Apr 2002
              • 11702
              #4


              Ok.. iso 100.. had to lower the shuttertime to 5 and i adjusted the brightness etc..

              Seemsto be better but its not very practical to photograph with such a low
              shuttertime...

                Comment

                • mrthumbs
                  salad tossing sig guy
                  • Apr 2002
                  • 11702
                  #5
                  Originally posted by TheLegacy
                  do you not have a light meter? that will pretty much tell you what setting to use
                  A what???? Dont let my iso talk confuse you.. i was looking for where toplace the film in my digital camera just a week ago.

                  Can you give me a brand / type i should go out and buy?

                    Comment

                    • mackey
                      Confirmed User
                      • Feb 2004
                      • 622
                      #6
                      Light meters are really only useful for lights... digital cameras in camera metering is fine for anything else (most cases)

                      This is more than likely two things, your ISO is too high (i think you can shoot ISO50 right?) and that maybe you are uping the brightness too much, which will cause grain in images.

                      Try shooting off a couple raw images on ISO50 and play with them, try using a different lens as well.

                        Comment

                        • TheLegacy
                          SEO RobertWarrenSEO.com
                          • Apr 2003
                          • 18207
                          #7
                          I have a sekonic L-358 Light Meter - there is a training manual that comes along with it and any reputation camera shop should have someone there to give you advice, I use henry's up here in toronto.

                          ​
                          RobertWarrenSEO.com​
                          Telegram: @TheLegacy54​

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                            • Bman
                              Confirmed User
                              • Aug 2003
                              • 1679
                              #8
                              Is your lens opened up?
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                                • Bman
                                  Confirmed User
                                  • Aug 2003
                                  • 1679
                                  #9
                                  also try not deleting the meta data in the pic...that will give a good indication if you read it to see if there is something wrong too
                                  ICQ 228211529

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                                    • vidvicious
                                      Confirmed User
                                      • Oct 2002
                                      • 4765
                                      #10
                                      50 Shutter???

                                      Are you using strobes or condenstent, what the Kalvin of the lights your using .. what are they projecting?

                                      Using abient light? no problem .. where are you what's the light source ... please give me as much information about the conditions of the set, with that I should be able to give you an accurate setting for your camera ..
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                                        • vidvicious
                                          Confirmed User
                                          • Oct 2002
                                          • 4765
                                          #11
                                          Sorry the pic isn't opening for me
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                                            • mackey
                                              Confirmed User
                                              • Feb 2004
                                              • 622
                                              #12
                                              From the pictures, he's just taking them in ambient light, no lights.

                                                Comment

                                                • DeanCapture
                                                  Haters & Trolls SUCK!
                                                  • Dec 2002
                                                  • 9275
                                                  #13
                                                  Originally posted by mrthumbs
                                                  Im playing with my new Sigma F1.4 lens (55mm) (canon EOS) and i notice it produces 'grainy' pictures. Specially the area thats not focussed.

                                                  The picture below (may take a while to load) was taken under low light
                                                  circumstances with a 400 iso / 50 shuttertime.

                                                  Is this normal for low f lenses.. ?
                                                  Your grain is not coming from your lens, it's coming from your asa/iso setting. If your shooting in low-light situations, you have two options. Use a high asa/iso setting which may produce unwanted pixelation (grain) or use more light (which will enable you to use a lower asa/iso producing less pixelation (grain). If you are forced to shoot in a low-light situation and you have no additional light to add to the scene, you can always use a higher asa/iso (which will produce grain) and then run the pictures thru some software like Noise Ninja which will tone down the pixelation/grain problem that your seeing.

                                                  Good luck
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                                                    Comment

                                                    • vidvicious
                                                      Confirmed User
                                                      • Oct 2002
                                                      • 4765
                                                      #14
                                                      YAh what he Said . LOL

                                                      Actually that's where I was getting too .. since I couldn't see the images, I couldn't really tell what was going on, from the posts, I figured you were using a low ISO and a high shutter speed .. should be the oppisite .. the ISO refers to the sensitivity of the Film, for example yuo would use ISO 100 to shoot on a sunny beach or a snowy mountain top .. 400 ISO for an overcast day or early evening ...etc ..

                                                      As for the shutter, it's the amount of time the camera allows light to reach the image plain .. Hense the faster your Shutter the lower the exposure is ..

                                                      Finnally the F-stop or Iris setting .. This refers to the Opening of the lens or Amount of light (rather then the Amount of time, ie: shutter speed) ...

                                                      Using simple math, or just playing with the 3 settings will teach you the fondamentals of photography.
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                                                        • mrthumbs
                                                          salad tossing sig guy
                                                          • Apr 2002
                                                          • 11702
                                                          #15
                                                          Originally posted by DeanCapture
                                                          Your grain is not coming from your lens, it's coming from your asa/iso setting. If your shooting in low-light situations, you have two options. Use a high asa/iso setting which may produce unwanted pixelation (grain) or use more light (which will enable you to use a lower asa/iso producing less pixelation (grain). If you are forced to shoot in a low-light situation and you have no additional light to add to the scene, you can always use a higher asa/iso (which will produce grain) and then run the pictures thru some software like Noise Ninja which will tone down the pixelation/grain problem that your seeing.

                                                          Good luck

                                                          thank you.

                                                          And for TheLegacy : let me pick up one of those devices to play with it.

                                                            Comment

                                                            • TheLegacy
                                                              SEO RobertWarrenSEO.com
                                                              • Apr 2003
                                                              • 18207
                                                              #16
                                                              Originally posted by mrthumbs
                                                              thank you.

                                                              And for TheLegacy : let me pick up one of those devices to play with it.

                                                              all the best MrThumbs and I hope it works out too. I actually learned a great many things from Vid's post as he is the expert in this field
                                                              ​
                                                              RobertWarrenSEO.com​
                                                              Telegram: @TheLegacy54​

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                                                                • SilentKnight
                                                                  Megan Fox's fluffer
                                                                  • Oct 2005
                                                                  • 24812
                                                                  #17
                                                                  I seldom go much above 80iso when workin' with available light - instead I go with longer exposures (on tripod) with cable release.

                                                                  Lately I've been finding it handy in the studio to wire the camera to a remote TV monitor when shooting in available light. Its easier to watch the monitor than the small lcd on the camera. Yeah, its a little cumbersome...but I find the pics are spot-on for exposure settings.

                                                                    Comment

                                                                    • DrGuile
                                                                      Confirmed User
                                                                      • Jan 2002
                                                                      • 2025
                                                                      #18
                                                                      Canon digital camery are usually pretty noisy in low light...
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                                                                        • SilentKnight
                                                                          Megan Fox's fluffer
                                                                          • Oct 2005
                                                                          • 24812
                                                                          #19
                                                                          Just to give an idea of results using 80iso (olympus e10) with longer exposures...shot these earlier today in the studio under both candlelight and the last one with plain flourescent. The candlelight exposures were approx. 1.5 secs.

                                                                          All are right from the camera, no post-edit except to resize.










                                                                          Last edited by SilentKnight; 01-04-2006, 10:50 AM.

                                                                            Comment

                                                                            • mrthumbs
                                                                              salad tossing sig guy
                                                                              • Apr 2002
                                                                              • 11702
                                                                              #20
                                                                              Originally posted by DeanCapture
                                                                              Your grain is not coming from your lens, it's coming from your asa/iso setting. If your shooting in low-light situations, you have two options. Use a high asa/iso setting which may produce unwanted pixelation (grain) or use more light (which will enable you to use a lower asa/iso producing less pixelation (grain). If you are forced to shoot in a low-light situation and you have no additional light to add to the scene, you can always use a higher asa/iso (which will produce grain) and then run the pictures thru some software like Noise Ninja which will tone down the pixelation/grain problem that your seeing.

                                                                              Good luck
                                                                              quite amazing

                                                                                Comment

                                                                                • mrthumbs
                                                                                  salad tossing sig guy
                                                                                  • Apr 2002
                                                                                  • 11702
                                                                                  #21
                                                                                  [QUOTE=SilentKnight]Just to give an idea of results using 80iso (olympus e10) with longer exposures...shot these earlier today in the studio under both candlelight and the last one with plain flourescent. The candlelight exposures were approx. 1.5 secs.


                                                                                  Yup... and even longer exposures give amazing results (well could
                                                                                  be more amazing but like i said.. just started playing!!):





                                                                                  I made this pic with a cheap 55mm lens f4 and 3 seconds exposure.

                                                                                  I decided to experiment with lower F lenses to compensate the exposure time
                                                                                  with light sensitivity of the lens. Movement is a bitch.

                                                                                    Comment

                                                                                    • PixeLs
                                                                                      Too lazy to set a custom title
                                                                                      • Jul 2005
                                                                                      • 11922
                                                                                      #22
                                                                                      Lookinh good mrthumbs. Great shots!

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                                                                                        • vidvicious
                                                                                          Confirmed User
                                                                                          • Oct 2002
                                                                                          • 4765
                                                                                          #23
                                                                                          your on your way .. keep experiementing . .pics are looking great !!!!

                                                                                          Hit me up anytime your in a snag I'd be happy to assit
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                                                                                            • DWB
                                                                                              Registered User
                                                                                              • Jul 2003
                                                                                              • 31779
                                                                                              #24
                                                                                              Could also be that your cam is set to save the images as the most compressed JPG. Try shooting one in a higher resolution or in RAW.

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