NEX5 - Noise in blue sky?

[a900_dw73]

Hello David,

Regarding the noise that Sony seems to always have in the blue sky even at low ISO, have you been able to tell if the new NEX cameras have better blue skies? It looks like Sony has caught up in overall noise at high ISO's in the APS-C category, but I'd be curious to know the results in the blue sky noise category here.

Thanks,
Dave

[Neonsquare]

Well thats not really a problem of SONY but more of the A450/500/550 isn't it?

Seriously: Do a ISO200 shoot of the sky at a sunny day and then do it again with Ev+1. On the computer do Ev-1 on the overexposed one and compare the sky noise. Duh! The A450/500/550 have plenty of headroom in the lights - it is no problem to overexpose 1 stop (perhaps even more). The result - when I compare it - looks like done with ISO100 which is not really a big surprise to me.

ciao,
Jochen

[Dr. Harout]

Well thats not really a problem of SONY but more of the A450/500/550 isn't it?

Seriously: Do a ISO200 shoot of the sky at a sunny day and then do it again with Ev+1. On the computer do Ev-1 on the overexposed one and compare the sky noise. Duh! The A450/500/550 have plenty of headroom in the lights - it is no problem to overexpose 1 stop (perhaps even more). The result - when I compare it - looks like done with ISO100 which is not really a big surprise to me.

ciao,
Jochen

Hi Jochen and welcome to the forum.
You are right but also the software for processing RAW files has its impact too, not mentioning how you are processing it.

[Neonsquare]

Hi Jochen and welcome to the forum.

Thank you

You are right but also the software for processing RAW files has its impact too, not mentioning how you are processing it.

Yes thats true - and even more: It doesn't only mean the RAW-Processor on the computer but also the current software within the camera. The A700 Firmware updates have shown that there is alot of potential.

ciao,
Jochen

[David Kilpatrick]

We didn't get any weather like that. For the last six or seven shots on the camera there was an early morning blue sky with light cloud haze, but most of the shots were in dull overcast weather with very little colour, or at night. It looks about the same as the A550.

David

[OneGuyKs]

The Sky looks much better than A550

I think Nex is going to score much higher than A550 for SNR on dxomark




See Original (Full Size) here
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/461 ... ccbc_o.jpg

[OneGuyKs]

and look at the sky here

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/N ... C01117.HTM

I think Nex ISO 200 (Sky) is cleaner than A550 ISO 200

[David Kilpatrick]

With respect, two overexposed samples showing rather pale bright blue sky tones close to the horizon, both compressed to the limit and showing artefacts which would make either shot a no-go, are not really telling the story. Check this, although I have opened the in-camera JPEG no adjustment has been made and it was resaved as JPEG Level 12 to make sure that no further damage was done to the file:



To open full size original:

http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/im ... iginal.jpg

Since I have only been able to use IDC to check the raw files, so far, I do not have any real idea how much the noise levels have improved. JPEGs tell you only part of the story.

David

[OneGuyKs]

To open full size original:

http://www.pbase.com/davidkilpatrick/im ... iginal.jpg

Even that looks better than A550

[Neonsquare]

Well - the JPEG engine of the NEX is indeed improved over the A550 - but looking at those in-camera jpegs, I actually doubt that there really is a big difference in RAW.

ciao,
Jochen