In low light, which exposure trade-off is easiest to fix later: high ISO noise, motion blur, or softness?
Asked 11/26/2015
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When shooting in low light on a Sony a6000, I often have to trade between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to get a usable exposure. If changing any of those settings would still allow the kind of image I want, which compromise is usually least damaging to image quality? Specifically, is high ISO noise generally easier to correct in post-processing than motion blur or slight softness/out-of-focus blur, or does it depend entirely on the subject and style?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
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There's no "universal" answer. Some shots are unrescuably destroyed by even a moderate amount of grain; another ones are easily tuneable in post. In my practice, ISO usually is the easiest one, then comes the sharpness. Remember that each of these "bad" things you can use to tell a story. For example, blur is great for showing motion, eg. silhouettes of dancing people. Turn camera limitations into creative decisions.
Originally by user46377. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user46377
10y ago
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There isn’t a universal ranking; it depends on the scene and the look you want. But for most everyday photos, high ISO noise is usually the easiest problem to manage in post, while blur is often the hardest.
A practical order is:
- camera shake / motion blur — usually the worst, because lost detail is hard or impossible to restore
- out-of-focus softness — slight softness can sometimes be improved a bit with sharpening, but missed focus is often fatal
- high ISO noise — often the easiest to reduce with noise reduction, especially if exposure and focus are otherwise good
A little softness may be acceptable if you downsize the image, and some blur can be creative if you want to show motion. Likewise, grain/noise can sometimes suit the mood.
So in low light, if the artistic intent is unchanged, it’s often better to accept more ISO before accepting camera shake or badly missed focus. The best choice still depends on subject, style, and whether the blur/noise helps tell the story.
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