D3 ISO Test Continued
 

Here are the rest of the examples

Andy,
I did not realise these were posted in two threads. Second image is probably recoverable in NX but up to ISO 6,400 is a good enough test for me anyway.

I feel I'm in the fast lane when I get to ISO400 :D

Don

Hi Don - you did ask on one of my pictures about an ISO test - I am going to repeat these last three on auto aperture as they show signs :D of overexposure. I'm interested to have a closer look at noise at the high ends so I may post 25% crops to see what's there.

Andy,

Perhaps the high ISO ones should be in low light conditions like church interior or outdoors like your Salford Keys. Not surprised you ran out of shutter speed on these as the ISO200 was 1/500 sec. So with aperture locked you had reached the top 1/8000 sec by ISO 3200. :)

Don

Sorry if I just got in without knowing what is in question, but if it is about the assessment of D3 in dealing with noise at higher ISO, I agree with Don's suggestion to use this powerful machine in low light situation.

BTW Andy, please excuse my nosey nature (That big nose that needs to be put in everything), I could not stop myself not to make a tone mapping of your images in Photomatrix. Here is the end result:

Hi Sassan - I like it - something else for me to play with!

Hi Andy,
An interesting test. The D3 high ISO performance is getting to become a bit of a legend.
Read an interesting article recently, regarding Allsport/Getty Sports photographer Bob Martin, apparently switching back over to Nikon D3's for this very reason...However, he did state that it wasn't that the New Canon isn't good, it's just that in his view it's not quite there with really high ISO ratings.
I find it difficult to get my head around the mental block of dialling up ISO ratings that would've seen grain like golf balls on film stock not so long ago...and still getting decent results....another reason why digital rocks!!
(although I did take some shots on my F5 with FP4 at the weekend...for old timesake!!!)

Now your talking Joe, FP4 and Pan F - two of my all time favourite films - I've just invested in Nik Software Silver Efex Pro which replicates some of these old classics with digital images - results so far are very good but still playing with the fine tuning before I post some. Mind you the cheapest way would be to dust off my Nikon EL and stick some film in it. I used to love the camera with shutter locked open on a tripod in some church - f32 or smaller and all the people milling around never appeared in the negative - or if it was quiet - being able to go round painting the place with a flash gun set off manually - nostalgia is great!!! ;) :) ;)

D2X at ISO100 = Tech Pan at ISO12 no extras needed. :) :rolleyes: :D

Don

Thanks for that Don - forgot it - I tended to stick with Ilford stuff.

Andy,

I have just looked at the video's in the link.
http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php

Interesting stuff, so I will keep an eye for how you get on with it.
I have memories of viewing gallery images taken on pushed Tri X and being really struck by them. Then I also liked Ansells prints with not a hint of grain, well they were near enough contact from 10 x 8 negatives. It was his work that sent me into Tech Pan territory. After using that FP4 developed in microphen looked grainy :D .

Duncan has a good example of use of grain in his gallery - link
http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...ppuser=34&sl=y

Don

Just looked at Duncan's image Don - thanks for the link - it's a very nice picture and the grain is a great effect - makes for a very evocative image. Isn't it amazing - we have all these wonderful new digital tools that can capture fabulous colour, create almost miraculous effects, without grain and noise, yet an old B/W technique applied well, can add a kind of magic that lifts the ordinary into the superb?

LOL....seems I am not the only one suffering the mental block/ nostalgia!....
something magical about mono and grain :)
This last weekend we were at the National Media centre (Bradford Photography museum as I remembered it). They're running one of the galleries filled with photos of movies stars/celebrities. There's some amazing photographs....but in my view not so much ones taken in recent years. My favs were definately some of the older beautiful soft milky toned mono prints (prob technical pan) from the Hollywood 'golden era' . Those guys and gals back then really did have know their craft.
would thoroughly recommend the show, which I think is on until the end of August.