Is this amount of noise normal on a Canon 7D at ISO 2500, and should I reduce it in post?
Asked 10/25/2013
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I shot a RAW image on a Canon 7D with the EF 24-105mm f/4 at f/4, ISO 2500, and 1/160s. A 1:1 crop shows noticeable noise even though the exposure looks correct.
Is this level of noise normal for this camera and ISO setting? Is noise reduction usually handled in post-processing for RAW files, or is there something I should change in-camera? Also, would this amount of noise still be obvious in a print around 16x20?
Originally by user6189. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user6189
12y ago
2 Answers
6
This is normal considering the high ISO you are using on that camera. If you look at samples for each ISO with the Canon 7D, yours show more noise than the ISO 1600, similar to the ISO 3200 crop.
Notice that I only shot full-stop ISO which is important with Canon DSLRs because the gain to obtain the 1/3 stops in between is applied in software by the processor which amplifies noise more than the on-sensor gain which is used to get the full stops.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this amount of noise is generally expected from a Canon 7D at ISO 2500. Several comparisons place it roughly in line with what that camera shows around ISO 3200, so your result does not sound abnormal.
With RAW files, visible noise is also normal because little or no noise reduction has been applied yet. JPEGs usually get automatic in-camera noise reduction, while RAW images are typically cleaned up later in post-processing.
What you can do:
- Use a lower ISO when possible; high ISO is the main cause here.
- On Canon DSLRs like the 7D, full-stop ISO settings may give cleaner results than some 1/3-stop settings, since intermediate values can add noise through processing.
- Apply noise reduction during RAW conversion/editing.
As for printing, a 1:1 crop on screen is much harsher than a normal print viewing distance. Noise that looks strong at 100% often matters much less in a 16x20 print, especially after sensible noise reduction.
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