Canon IXUS 240 HS
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS
Nikon D800
Samsung DV300F
Olympus OM-D E-M5
Nikon Coolpix P510
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
Nikon Coolpix S9300
Come on, Feel the Noise
This weeks “Sunday Morning Photographer” column from Mike Johnston urges you to feel the noise (I know, bad Slade reference).
“It’s that everybody always seems to be talking about noise. Every time I log on to a forum somewhere, people are deeply concerned about it. Such-and-such a camera has noise. Noise at ISO 3200. Noisy sensor. Too much noise. I hear more noise about noise than I do about the national debt. What in the world…? Noise has got to be the biggest non-problem in all of digital photography. First of all, complaining about noise in pictures is like complaining that you can see brushstrokes in paintings at the museum. It’s just a hallmark of the technique; it’s not something to decry, it’s something to enjoy.”
Website: The Sunday Morning Photographer: “Nothing About Noise”
Canon IXUS 240 HS Review
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS Review
Nikon D800 Review
Samsung DV300F Review
Olympus OM-D E-M5 Review
Nikon Coolpix P510
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Fujifilm X-Pro1
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V
#1 GARY POGODA
While comparing digital camera noise to a museum painting's brush strokes may not be like comparing apples and oranges, a better analogy would be comparing it to the background noise of analog tape (i.e., tape hiss).
Prior to digital recording, analog tape was considered a comparatively noisy medium due to its tape hiss, and for its tape saturation (which can occur when overdriving the tape with a strong audio signal). When digital recording arrived, it was applauded for the elimination of tape hiss, which was considered bad noise; however, missing from a digital recording, was the characteristic warmth previously imparted by analog tape saturation, which had always been considered good noise.
Digital camera image sensor noise is bad noise. It is not of the artistic variety, such as the brush strokes of a museum painting, which would be considered good noise.
8:57 pm - Sunday, August 7, 2005