Much ado about image grain.

[Loupey]

...I think all of us here can agree that ISO 100-400 is ideal when you can get it, and no matter how great a cameras high ISO ability is - light permitting 100-400 will always be the better option...

Why? On my current camera, I can't see the difference between ISO 100 images and ISO 200 images in terms of noise. I bet in a few years I won't be able to see any difference between ISO 100 and ISO 1600. If one can't see the difference, why not use the higher end when there is no penalty? The 100~400 ISO is rather dated.

Low ISO will always be required for those needing long shutter speeds in bright light or for those who want extremely shallow DOF without using ridiculously high shutter speeds. Other than those, there really will be no advantage to keep using low ISOs in the future.

[OldClicker]

Why? On my current camera, I can't see the difference between ISO 100 images and ISO 200 images in terms of noise. I bet in a few years I won't be able to see any difference between ISO 100 and ISO 1600. If one can't see the difference, why not use the higher end when there is no penalty? The 100~400 ISO is rather dated.

Low ISO will always be required for those needing long shutter speeds in bright light or for those who want extremely shallow DOF without using ridiculously high shutter speeds. Other than those, there really will be no advantage to keep using low ISOs in the future.

But, as the thread topic suggests, you are saying that there is no difference based only on noise (like all the reviewers). I think things like subtle low ISO colors and detail are being sacrificed for high ISO noise. I'm not saying that higher ISO is not a good thing or that it will not get better as the technology progresses, only that it has become the single spec (as MPixels use to be) and therefore the marketers will specify designs that sacrifice other aspects to get the high ISO. - TF

[Loupey]

But, as the thread topic suggests, you are saying that there is no difference based only on noise (like all the reviewers). I think things like subtle low ISO colors and detail are being sacrificed for high ISO noise.

Yes, I'm saying there is no difference (at low ISO's) as a good thing. I've been perfectly happy with ISO 100 since my first dSLR. Performance at low ISO hasn't degraded over the last four years.

I'm not saying that higher ISO is not a good thing or that it will not get better as the technology progresses, only that it has become the single spec (as MPixels use to be) and therefore the marketers will specify designs that sacrifice other aspects to get the high ISO. - TF

Even if low ISO performance is sacrificed for the sake of gaining clean ultra high ISO performance, the demand will still be extremely high. People will just use older cameras for the low ISO stuff. ISO's beyond 3200 is a new frontier and many people will be more than happy to explore it. Manufacturers will be more than happy to provide it.

[OldClicker]

Yes, I'm saying there is no difference (at low ISO's) as a good thing. I've been perfectly happy with ISO 100 since my first dSLR. Performance at low ISO hasn't degraded over the last four years.




Even if low ISO performance is sacrificed for the sake of gaining clean ultra high ISO performance, the demand will still be extremely high. People will just use older cameras for the low ISO stuff. ISO's beyond 3200 is a new frontier and many people will be more than happy to explore it. Manufacturers will be more than happy to provide it.

Oh, I agree they will provide it. And as long as ISO is the only parameter being looked at, that is all they will provide. - TF

[Loupey]

Here's an example of what I had in my mind for several years but couldn't execute until high ISO performance caught up:

A shot during a rain storm (it gets dark you know) and the ripples/drops move very fast when shooting close up. If I could have gotten a clean shot at ISO 3200/6400 I would have (I wanted more DOF on this shot).

Anyway, I shot it at ISO 1600 and this image is cropped. No way possible to capture this in the field at ISO 100~400. EXIF attached.