How to Reduce Noise in Crop Sensor Cameras

[@rdor011]

It’s worth mentioning that this assumes someone is using a tripod or a very well stabilized sensor camera. Reducing shutter speed from 1/125 to 1/45 would result in camera shake in most cases.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

I have the camera lens braced on a beanbag as I shot out of the car. But, it was a dark foggy morning, hopefully others will have better light then I did on that day.

[@tattaylor4786]

Being stupid, I set up my camera, exactly as you suggested, but could not see the red or blue highlights. Only now did I realise that I had to push the info button to see them and push it twice for the histogram. Now it works perfectly. Thank you

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

My bad, I should have stressed that you have to use the info button to toggle it on.

[@floatingrabbit3556]

Honestly the ISO performance of crop sensors has gotten so good it is almost impossible in good lighting consitions to tell the difference. The most important things to know about noise is it is present in the shadows the most. Most cameras today can over and under expose by three stops. Doing the latter will virtually produce little to no noise. The best is to have a wide aperture if you want a high shutter.

[@paulmetdebbie447]

Great video. I can confirm your findings, I noticed my Nikon D7500 protecting the highlights too enthousiastically, often introducing noise in the darker area's while leaving the right 1/5 of the histogram unused. Not only for birds, also for skintones this is a bad thing (color noise). Fill in flash helps, but flash is not always wanted. I notice even when I increase the ISO (I am on auto ISO often, so exposure correction increases ISO) the image looks much better and color noise disappears, giving clean skintones again. If I use +0.3 or + 0.7 increase, the problem is mostly solved. I shot a while using exposure bracketing and studied the histograms. Learned a lot from that to see in what situations to use positive exposure compensation to tackle the problem.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

I like your idea of exposure bracketing to learn about how the esposure, setting and noise differs. Thansk for commenting!

[@suecollins3246]

I _really_ enjoy these videos. My camera (Canon Powershot SX60HS ) is limited in many respects but it's also taught my everything I know about photography!

[@citabriaable]

Tim...good video and concepts are well explained. There is always something to learn, which is good, I've shot in manual mode for years but most times somewhere between 1-2 stops "underexposed." It seems the colors are best saturated and the image pops this way. But I have read a lot, too, about "exposing to the right" yet your explanation seemed to wake-up my thinking on getting a histogram to the far right edge, and then dialing-down in post so you're not introducing noise at this stage, so you get a cleaner/less noisy image ! Thanks for the tips. It might would help some ( like me ) if you said what equipment you're using when you describe selections that DSLR"s do not have in their menus, just my 2 centavo's.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Thanks for your comments and suggestion.

[@whafrog]

Just found your channel, it's a gold mine! Great stuff, I'm thinking of switching to M43 as well, so I look forward to seeing what the system can do. One small critique (now that I've watched a bunch of videos in a row): your jump cuts are a bit jarring in that you often cut yourself off (both video and audio)...just take a bit more time and give yourself a bit more room, it will make a smoother and more professional result. Otherwise, content is great, thanks!

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Thanks for the helpful advice! I'm recording a video today and will keep all of this in mind.

[@FabulousOutdoors]

It's also amazing to see how sharp image you're still able to get at 1/40th of a second! I guess the Olympus micro 4/3rd stabilised sensor helps with that. Good video, thanks for sharing your tips/thoughts (Y)

[@strixxx896]

The stabilization doesn't matter if the bird is moving

[@col4mqk]

I find that I can often over expose by up to 1 stop on my G80/81/85 m43 camera and pull it back (raw file) in pp. Depends a lot on the image of course.

[@smkunder1]

Helpful video, and I like that you’re talking all camera instead of just focusing on one brand. After all it is about bird photography.

[@jrosedds42]

Excellent tips! Those viewfinder clipping warnings are so useful, especially in this type of photography where checking for "blinkies" often means missing shots. As an aside, can I ask how you are capturing the menu screens of your camera to use in the video? Thanks!

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Thanks, I used a Atomos Ninja V to record the menus. It's kind of a cool tool to have.

[@jrosedds42]

@@GodwitMediaLLC Thanks!

[@2LargeHounds]

At 3:23 for Histogram Shadow settings. You're at 0 then 10 then back to 0, but it sounds like you say set it at 2. Can you clarify. Thanks.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

I was dialing in 2, but went the wrong way and had to back track to zero, I left it at 2.

[@stephenjohnson7399]

Great tips on exposure! ... just getting started in BIF

[@tobywoolgar9517]

I find egrets really hard to know what exposure is right to use with my g9. I under exposured following the zebra pattern then i went the opposite way and was very close to blowning out the highlights. Your way was better but the other issue is i have the cheaper 100 300 lens which is very hit and miss . Thanks for your advice.

[@MrAlbino12]

Hi this setting works on any mode or just aperture mode only? Thank you

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

This will work for manual and aperture modes.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

But to move the histogram to the right (to the point you 'overexpose') you need to up the ISO which will introduce more noise.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Not necessarily you can also move the shutter speed and the aperture. You have to balance the exposure triangle to get the least amount of noise as possible.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

@@GodwitMediaLLC See my other comment below: given a lighting scenario, the widest aperture is determined by your lens and you cannot open that any further as most of us shoot birds wide open anyway and the minimum shutter speed is determined by the speed of the subject. So in most scenarios it is only the ISO one can use. And one has to up the ISO even for a correct exposure (let alone expose to the right) this is how you get the noise in the first place.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

So, given any situation, how we adjust for light is going to be a personal choice. I would change the aperture or reduce the shutter speed some to reduce noise and exposed to the right more. You might choose otherwise.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

@@GodwitMediaLLC Tim the point I'm trying to make is that it is not just personal choice. Your personal choice is constrained by physical conditions like the max aperture of the lens you are using and the flying velocity of the bird you are trying to photograph. It is your personal choice to lower the shutter speed but that would create a blurry picture and of course it is your personal choice to have blurry pictures of birds in flight. There are several such abstract and beautiful examples. But we assume you want to have a sharp picture of a given bird in flight in the given given light conditions and you have already maxed on the aperture of your lens so your only control is ISO. So let's say to get the correct exposure you have to be at ISO 1200 and to expose to the right I need to be at ISO 2400 and my initial question to you was do you advocate pushing the ISO to the 2400 to achieve this exposure to the right? Each one of us has an idea of what ISO is acceptable in their given camera; e.g. if I think my pictures from a given camera look noisy above 1600 ISO should I still be pushing to the right. e.g. Will the extra 1200 ISO above the 'correct' exposure (so to expose to the right) yield less noise in the final image when post-processed and the exposure brought down. Or is it better to shoot at 1200 ISO and bring the shadows up in post. Or maybe a half way house lets say shoot at ISO 1600 which I think is the acceptable noise for my camera. I hope this clarifies my point.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Dimitris Tsagdis Yes, of course there are constraints, but you don't always have to adjust the iso. I shot most of those images on a foggy day without much light and under exposing would create more noise then the iso I chose or if I pushed it up.

[@amorsyarifuddin9703]

What software editing is it?

[@photaudiotech5550]

Signal to noise ratio depend on the quantity of light you gather not directly on iso. By exposing to the right you just grabbing more lights.

[@johnbald9639]

Interesting idea! I'm going to give it a try. Thank you!

[@vimalneha]

I liked the video, learned something very useful and subscribed! :-) I had not this understanding of noise that I wanted to get rid of. Thanks.

[@derekmidgley]

IBIS with Oly system is excellent; helps you do this. I've done same for years. Only problem is that it leaves one a long way from a quick enough shutter speed if the bird suddenly decides to fly. And if someone could teach me to read a bird's mind so I could prepare for those moments, then I'd be the best bird photographer in the world :-)

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

So, take theconcept of reducing noise by making sure you expose to the right, but for BIF, yes keep the shutter speed high. It's a blancing act. Thanks for commenting!

[@russellwebb3672]

Hi, as you point out some or not many consumer DSLR's have the many options within the menu but (and only for info) if you have a Canon DSLR like say the 70D you can load on MagicLantern once done you have so many options, Auto ETTR, Zebras, Focus Peak and much more than Canon offer up. Does MagicLantern brick your camera? personaly never had a problem with any of my Canon's

[@donaldbrocksmith9508]

How do these concepts work when you MUST keep your shutter speed high, ie: 1/1000 or better?

[@royd63uk]

Just changed to Olympus also for the lighter weight, overall it was a good move. How are you finding the tracking for BIF? I have had some good shots but not as many as with the Canon 7dii. Great video as always.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

I'm working on a birds in flight tutorial and how I setup the M1X for bird photography. But, the one thing I did to get better results was switch to one active focusing point. It's more difficult to keep on the bird, but with practice that got easier. I had more keepers with one active focusing point.

[@ianbachanek2538]

Assuming the camera is on a tripod for those low shutter speeds. And I'm also assuming this only works on relatively stable subjects.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

I apply the same concept to BIF, but you're right in that i don't lower the shutter speed as much. 1/40 of a second on the Peregrine Falcon was an extreme.

[@ianbachanek2538]

@@GodwitMediaLLC thank you for the quick response. I normally hike so no tripod and tend to have to be reactive to whatever I find. But I will definitely try this technique.

[@rogermullins7877]

Interesting video Tim. I wish I had seen it a couple of weeks ago. Went to an Air Show two weeks ago, used my 7DII with 100-400 II and 1.4 T/C. Through the afternoon I occasionally checked the histogram between the action. Feeling all was good. Until I checked the 1,500 + images on my P. C. the next day. I seriously considered Deleting all of the folder of images. As it is I am having to use Lightroom and Tpoaz Denoise AI, to salvage some shots. Really frustrated.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Dang, that's a bummer. Can you save any of them?

[@rogermullins7877]

@@GodwitMediaLLC Truthfully I had also assumed that I had fine tuned the 1.4 TC, 100-400 II to the 7DII but in hindsight I think I did the 1DXII, 100-400 plus TC but not the 7DII. First time I had tried this combo with the 7DII, so feel something of an idiot for not double checking this beforehand. Net result - No images that I would want to put my name to.

[@jonathanashton4758]

Roger, a couple of suggestions that might help. Assuming light in sky area is constant and it is bright you are going to need approx +1.3EV to +1.7EV as a starter I am not saying that will be perfect but it wont be too far out. I use Auto ISO and manual exposure but I am not sure if you can do that with the 7DII. Another suggestion is if there is neutral areas such as green fields or perhaps grey tarmac take your meter reading from there, set it manually and see how you go. Alternatively may find these settings simpler if you set your ISO first to say ISO 400-800 than set the exposure on manual. Hope this helps.

[@rogermullins7877]

@@jonathanashton4758 Hi Jonathan, thanks for the suggestions. I was on an anchored ship, around half a mile off shore (Bournemouth, UK), with the sun behind me, so as to get the aircraft lit as against shooting towards the sun. The 7DII has Exposure Compensation, I used it @+1. Obviously from your suggestions, not enough ! I shot in Manual with Auto ISO, Occasionally checking the histogram. I tried to keep it to the right but not to the far right as Mr Boyer suggested in his video, worried out blown out areas. I found that a good number of my shots of the aircraft are between a half and a full stop under exposed. Oh for the joys of photography ! Thanks again for your ideas.

[@jenang1]

What are the dark patches in the photo? Sensor or your lens?

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

+Hashim Puteh Just junk in the background on the beach. I purposely did not do much post processing on the images.

[@jenang1]

@@GodwitMediaLLC...it happened to my sensor once. Some dusts had settled in and a few squirts of rocket blower solved the problem..

[@emad.dawwas]

Thank you 👍

[@deephorizon457]

While changing histogram you said change shadow to 2. However you changed it to 10. What is the correct setting please?

[@etienneswart8700]

Any tips how to do that on the D500 🤓 Useful tip. I only shot manual 🥳

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

I don't think the Canon or Nikon cameras have all the features as the Olympus and other mirrorless cameras in this regard. So, just use the concept - expose to the right but don't blow out the highlights, then in post processing reduce the brightness of the image rather than adding light and noise.

[@fjphoto23]

Thank you so much for the tip.

[@vincdigital734]

Thanks will try that! Subscribed😊👍

[@kriscu16]

Hey Tim! So just to clarify, you recommend moving more right on the histogram by decreasing shutter speed or increasing exposure comp?

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

I tend to keep the Aperture the same so yes I would vary the shutter speed I already have the ISO where I'm comfortable with it so Shutter speed adjustments are my most common way of doing this.

[@kriscu16]

@@GodwitMediaLLC awesome, and any other tips for how to do this with fast moving subjects such as birds in flight? Since decreasing shutter speed could give a less sharp image

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

K Cu well for birds in flight I think we luck out that the sky is brighter and we don't lose that much shutter speed. So far I haven't had any issues with too slow a shutter speed, maybe this winter it will be a problem. Balancing the exposure triangle has always been the hardest and most rewarding part of creating photo.

[@dimitristsagdis7340]

@@GodwitMediaLLC The shutter speed is determined by the kind of bird you are photographing if it is a seagull gliding leisurely maybe 1/500 is enough but an Osprey diving may need 1/3200. So one sets the widest open aperture the lens allows, sets the speed according to the species and scenario (e.g. static bird, bird in flight) and then the only thing left to play with is ISO. If your wide open is not enough to get the correct exposure for the speed you want you need in the prevailing light conditions then you have to increase the ISO (this is the usual case most people find themselves) so to increase the ISO even more (pass the correct exposure) in order to expose to the right doesn't make much sense. Cause you introduce even more noise than needs to be. Ideally if you are forced to have high ISO your ISO you should be exposing the frame in a manner that you do need to bring up the shadows in post. i.e. expose for the shadows. If you get those right without blowing the highlights you get the least possible noise. I hope this made sense.

[@etienneswart8700]

Thanks Tim 🇿🇦

[@DiviPhotos]

Very nice video

[@_Name_]

Well… The method called ETTR for Exposure-To-The-Right is known for years.

[@antistiolabeo8950]

Nice tips and good technique. Still I hope you'll get back to FF/Apsc someday...I r'll really miss the beautiful crispness of some of your old images. ISO 640 on m43 looks still quite noisy to me if you're used to better sensors.

[@eliya5492]

Great

[@stephanhan.8390]

Micro four thirds is not a cropped sensor. It's a complete redesign.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Thanks I like that!

[@genghis2510]

Tutorials topics about good ideas how a photographer can improve his photography regardless of his equipment are better than measurebating camera / lens brand and models denying paid hacks are endorsing.

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

Agreed

[@ek-noek-no5475]

هل من الممكن ان تترجم كلامك إلي الغه العربيه ارجو منك ذالك 💙🌸

[@Zhorellski]

Your shutter speed are too slow for Bird photography.

[@FINNSTIGAT0R]

If you expose really really into far right, then people who are politically really far to the right will appear to have a Hilter mustache. Nazi far right symphatizers exposed! Stupid jokes aside, great advice in this video! I have to try out these, since I get a good amount of noise with my aps-c. I moved from a full frame, so help is needed in correctly exposing to reducer grain.

[@haroldluskin7932]

You have a dirty sensor!

[@GodwitMediaLLC]

No that's beach debris in the background. Thanks

[@tarjei99]

I would suggest that people test this in advance. Nikons are supposedly not as capable as Canons in the expose to the right department.

[@dcweather7130]

The main problem with noise is when there is not enough light. We are generally shooting on maximum aperture anyway. No point in increasing ISO to expose to the right because that will increase noise and you will just bring it back to where it would have been at the lower ISO and correct exposure. That leaves shutter speed. In low light you will be trying to increase this not decrease this to avoid motion blur/camera shake. In fact I sometimes shoot ay -1EV in these circumstances just to quickly double the shutter speed to get a sharp image, which is still a priority over noise. Also these images seem quite monochrome and I find most noise in saturated colour shadows. So, whilst I agree with the theory I am not so convinced in the field.