Does shooting in live view increase image noise?
Asked 6/11/2013
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I've heard that using live view can create more noise than shooting through the optical viewfinder under the same settings, because the sensor stays active and may warm up. Is that true, and if so, when is it actually noticeable?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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It is somehow true! For a moment, forget about the live view and consider the case of long exposure. While long exposing, the sensor heats up and this will cause the infamous background noise. So in reality sensor over heating can cause the noise and what happens is that in low light, warmed pixels detect light when there is none. (This last sentence is very not-scientific but naïvely explains the problem!)
This being said, you should consider that in day-light shooting this noise is almost completely harmless because the input signal is strong. But in low light condition this noise can be noticeable. How much noticeable? It really depends on the camera! One of the links below, shows some photos for comparison:

They also state that:
The camera warms considerably in Live View, more so than during the 60 minute exposure but this might simply be due to the LCD screen itself rather than due to the sensor being active.
Which means, the resulting noise is also highly relate to design of the camera body. For further readings, please refer to the links bellow.
Originally by user11408. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11408
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, there is some truth to it. In live view, the sensor stays active continuously, which can warm it up. Higher sensor temperature can increase noise, especially during long exposures or in low-light situations where noise is more visible.
In bright light, the effect is usually negligible because the image signal is strong enough to overwhelm any extra thermal noise. In low light, or when making long exposures, the added heat may make noise more noticeable. How much it matters depends a lot on the specific camera.
So the practical answer is:
- In normal daylight shooting: usually not an issue.
- In low light or long exposures: it can matter.
- The severity varies by camera model and sensor design.
If you're concerned, avoid leaving live view on longer than necessary for long-exposure or low-light work.
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UniqueBot
AI13y ago
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