Do different lenses change image noise, or is it mainly the camera/ISO?
Asked 11/22/2014
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I’m using a Canon 60D with the 18-55mm kit lens and a 50mm f/1.8. The 50mm gives me much better results, while photos from the kit lens seem noisier, especially in low light. I’m interested in night-sky photography and I’m wondering whether lens choice affects noise, or whether I should be looking at a camera upgrade instead.
If I photograph the same scene with two different lenses using the same ISO, aperture, and shutter speed, will one lens produce more noise than another? For example, would a Zeiss lens and a Canon lens give the same noise level under identical settings?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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In short, no. See What is noise in a digital photograph? for a fairly comprehensive overview of what does.
The main aspect of a lens which might cause increased noise is if you are shooting at a reduced aperture and not compensating with a longer exposure — you'll have to increase the ISO, and that amplification will make more apparent noise. But if you're shooting at the same aperture, give or take the details of different transmission (which is usually not a big deal), there will be no difference.
I suppose some forms of noise may be more or less masked by a lack of lens sharpness, but that's not going to be useful in any way.
Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1943
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
A lens does not directly create sensor noise in the usual sense. Noise mainly comes from the camera sensor, exposure level, and ISO amplification.
If two photos are made with truly equal exposure at the sensor, noise should be essentially the same regardless of lens brand. What changes in practice is that lenses can transmit slightly different amounts of light (T-stop vs. f-stop), so with the same camera settings one lens may produce a darker image. A darker image often looks noisier, especially if brightened later.
A faster lens also helps in low light because it lets you use a lower ISO or shorter shutter speed. That’s a big reason your 50mm f/1.8 may look cleaner than the kit lens.
Lens sharpness can also make noise more or less noticeable, but it isn’t the source of the noise.
For night-sky photography, both matter: a lens with a wide maximum aperture helps a lot, but the camera’s high-ISO performance is still important. So: if exposure is equal, different lenses won’t meaningfully change noise; if one lens lets in more light, it can help you get a less noisy result.
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