Show me some high ASA photographs

[venchka]

Right. I know. It's called ISO nowadays.

OK, Daniel, John and everyone else. I've heard talk of folks setting thier little ISO menu thingie on 3200 and their exposure compensation menu thingie at -2 for the mathematical equivalent of ISO 12,800 and then bringing the image back to life with software, a.k.a. Lightroom and Noise Ninja, etc. True? False?

I ask because I'm reasonably sure that I can get acceptable results from Tri-X @ 12,500 developed in Rodinal for about an hour. Unless y'all can prove otherwise with your digicams.

To date the only example I have seen was a dreadful photograph to begin with made worse by the under-over exposure technique. Not a fair test at all.

Let's see what these whizbang digital marvels can do. Links don't count. I want the real deal from real folks right here.

[Hogleg 44]

Here is one taken just a few days ago. ISO 3200 Canon 1DII

EXIF
ImageDescription - Norich Park Sunset 22 March 2007
Make - Canon
Model - Canon EOS-1D Mark II
Orientation - Top left
XResolution - 300.00
YResolution - 300.00
ResolutionUnit - Inch
Software - Adobe Photoshop CS2 Windows
DateTime - 2007:03:23 11:12:33
Copyright - Just Another of Paul's Pictures
ExifOffset - 304
Artist - Paul A. Valentine
Copyright - Just Another of Paul's Pictures
ExposureTime - 1/15 seconds
FNumber - 11
ExposureProgram - Aperture priority
ISOSpeedRatings - 3200
ExifVersion - 0221
DateTimeOriginal - 2007:03:22 19:46:55
DateTimeDigitized - 2007:03:22 19:46:55
ComponentsConfiguration - YCbCr
ShutterSpeedValue - 1/16 seconds
ApertureValue - F 11.31
ExposureBiasValue - 0
MeteringMode - Center weighted average
Flash - Not fired, compulsory flash mode
FocalLength - 47 mm
UserComment -
FlashPixVersion - 0100
ColorSpace - sRGB
ExifImageWidth - 3504
ExifImageHeight - 2332
FocalPlaneXResolution - 3098.59
FocalPlaneYResolution - 3097.88
FocalPlaneResolutionUnit - Inch
CustomRendered - Normal process
ExposureMode - Auto
White Balance - Auto
SceneCaptureType - Standard

Thumbnail: -
Compression - 6 (JPG)
XResolution - 72
YResolution - 72
ResolutionUnit - Inch
JpegIFOffset - 1158
JpegIFByteCount - 7217

[venchka]

Thanks Paul! High marks for full disclosure! Wow! Who knew that a picture generated a thousand words?

You've covered the baseline setting of 3200. Canon sure has gotten that right. What I'm wondering is how far, if any, can a digital camera's ISO setting be "pushed". Like film can be pushed.

[Daniel Bates]

As far as I remember, 3200 on the 1D is just pushed 1600. The 1D3 has native 3200 and pushed 6400.

Here are three pics that might help you... it's a random plant by the dorm, chosen because it is in complete shade (it was the darkest thing I could find).

ISO 3200, as metered by the camera:


ISO 3200, pushed 2 stops in PS with Levels (as close as I could make it), no NR:


ISO 3200, pushed 2 stops in PS, with NR:

[venchka]

Daniel, you may know what you just said, but I certainly don't understand.

Did you A) Set the ISO at 3200, B) Underexpose 2 stops in the camera and then C) Overexpose 2 stops in Photoshop?

The bottom image is certainly acceptable. EDIT: The middle one is ok too. I have seen Ilford Delta 3200 film exposed and developed at box speed which looked a lot worse. The kind of light-no light situations you get outdoors at night or indoors would be very helpful.

[Daniel Bates]

Yep, I set the camera to ISO 3200, underexposed two full stops by the internal meter (adjusting shutter speed), and then dragged the white point in Levels to make the histogram look about the same as the original properly exposed shot. I don't know of a way to adjust exposure by stop values in PS E4, so it wasn't as precise as it could have been.

[Hogleg 44]

Originally Posted by venchka

Thanks Paul! High marks for full disclosure! Wow! Who knew that a picture generated a thousand words?

You've covered the baseline setting of 3200. Canon sure has gotten that right. What I'm wondering is how far, if any, can a digital camera's ISO setting be "pushed". Like film can be pushed.

This isn't 3200. It is 200, but I accidently had my Exposure compensation maxed out at negative 3 full stops. I always shoot raw, so by 'Pushing' it back from -3 stops in my converter, this is what I got.


Maybe someone else has a higher ISO example of 'Digital Pushing'.

[engstrom]

Here's a test shot I just took. I took the picture at ISO 3200, underexposed 2 stops and then pushed 2 stops for an equivalent ISO of 12800. I used some Photoshop noise reduction but I'm sure Noise Ninja or Neat Image could do a much better job.

[johnastovall]

Here are a several of portfolios where it's all at 3200 and more...

Dublin Nights

The Light Sucker

Texas Cafes

[engstrom]

And here's the same image as above but with Noise Ninja run on it.

[venchka]

Most impressive everyone. Thanks!