Digital MF with low light/high iso

[mazma]

hi,

i have a P25 (NOT +) with a mamiya AFDII.
i am having some quality issue when i reach ISO200. for sure i cannot shoot at 400. if i underexpose and bring it up a stop in post, still quality is bad. but sometime i need that low light for some editorial sots where i cannot light every single part of the place. i then revert to using the nikons.

how do the other backs performs? P+, leaf and hassy? i like the H3D-II, but i don't know if it is worth changing unless ISO400 is good.

thanks,
alberto

[Graham Mitchell]

This has been asked many times so you will find info in the archives.

For the best high ISO performance I've seen from a MFDB (@ ISO 800) see http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1683

[eronald]

hi,

i have a P25 (NOT +) with a mamiya AFDII.
i am having some quality issue when i reach ISO200. for sure i cannot shoot at 400. if i underexpose and bring it up a stop in post, still quality is bad. but sometime i need that low light for some editorial sots where i cannot light every single part of the place. i then revert to using the nikons.

how do the other backs performs? P+, leaf and hassy? i like the H3D-II, but i don't know if it is worth changing unless ISO400 is good.

thanks,
alberto

Basically, if you have a good sample of a back it will simply be noisy @1250 Iso, but the images will look ok. If you have a bad sample of a back, it will be completely unusable at ISO 400 due to streaking.

Edmund

[eronald]

I think DSLRs are still the best option for shooting at 400 ISO or higher. It seems much more cost effective to have a 1DsIII (5DII) or whatever new Nikon will come soon with a good size file and pretty clean looking at 800, 1600. Much more practical.

We are years away from digital backs having equally good files across the board at higher ISO. There are certainly exceptions and I am very impressed with the Sinar 75 series at 800 ISO that Thierry showed some time back.

I tested the two P45+ samples I had, and would have been able to make perfectly good images with them up to around ISO 2500 if it had not been for streaking.
I got some beautiful portraits done by streetlights.
The size of the sensor makes up partly for the noise of the Hi ISO, and light sources like lamps are not blown.

Edmund

[amsp]

Here's a link with some pointers for you.. PhaseOne P25 ISO test 200/400/800

As an owner of a P25 all I can tell you is that making a proper exposure and using the right combo of software and settings is key. For the rest you'll have to experiment yourself and come to your own conclusions. Personally I've used iso800 in published editorial work with no problem.

[Frank Doorhof]

don't look at 100% crops for noise, but at 50% you will get a pretty good idea of what the print on normal sizes will look like.
For bigger prints other rules apply of course.

[SecondFocus]

I did a shoot inside a poorly lit gym (weight lifting) about a month ago. Bad fluorescent lights overhead, a window along the side, dark corners, mirrors, very uneven. Shot with the Mamiya 645AFDII, 45mm 2.8AF lens and a Phase P30+ back at 800iso. It was great and the Canon 5D I had on my shoulder as backup just stayed there unused. The P30+ goes up to 1600iso but I didn't try it.

You might want to rent one and try it and/or see if you get a dealer to let you try one out.