Noise, does it matter?

ninelives · 16th September 2002

I found an interesting article.

--------------
Image production by the DiMAGE 7i is focused on being faithful
to producing the appearance and texture description of the
subject; they have been designed so as not to offer excessive
processing on the camera side, including noise reduction,
against image information from CCD.

As you may know, noise reduction function is necessary since
there cannot be noise-free condition when the image is captured
through CCD. In the meantime, the camera itself cannot
distinguish 'noise' from 'precise information' which is often
important to express texture of the image; excessive noise
reduction may reduce 'precise information', which may ruin the
texture of the image depending on the recording condition such
as subjects, weather, brightness, shutter speed, etc.

For instance of the subject, plain and/or smooth subjects such
as doll's face, walls, and blue sky would have little demerit
on excessive noise reduction, meanwhile, complicated and/or
precise subjects with concavity and convexity in the subject
itself, such as feathers, wrinkles, people and animals, would
have more demerit on being ruined the texture of the image than
the merit on noise reduction.

The DiMAGE 7i, therefore, apply to the noise reduction level to
prevent the soaring of captured image.

On the other hand, it is related to viewing condition as well
as recording condition whether the noise is distinctive or not.
To view the captured image itself, there are such conditions as
printing out or displaying the whole image on the monitor,
meanwhile, we regard that it is not 'viewing the captured image
itself' but 'reproduction of captured image' by way of
retouching, that viewing 5M-pixel image on the monitor with
magnification of 100% or more.

It is true that there are some noises left in the image
captured by the DiMAGE 7i when you view with magnification of
100% or more on the monitor, in the meantime, we would greatly
appreciate it if you would understand that the DiMAGE 7i are
predetermined its noise reduction level aiming at enhancing
texture and spatial effect of the captured image rather than
the noises left, when you view the image by printed one or the
whole image on the monitor.

--------------

read more about it here

ninelives · 16th September 2002

so wat do u guys think ?

anyone finished reading the 60 over replies?

It also talk about how SOny, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Canon reduce noise.

anonymous · 16th September 2002

buy buy buy.

ninelives · 17th September 2002

and more discussion over here :

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read....essage=3358201

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read....essage=3380675

matthew · 21st September 2002

Quote:

Originally posted by ninelives
so wat do u guys think ?

anyone finished reading the 60 over replies?

It also talk about how SOny, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, Canon reduce noise.

I gave up reading the thread. The Minolta point of view makes sense to me. I bought a D7i knowing it had a 'noise' problem, but I also knew this was mostly a result of a design decision not to 'mess' with the captured image.

The D7* series are not 'push here dummy' cameras. Minolta appears to be expecting more of their users.
Sony definately markets the other way - here is a camera with 'large numbers in spec sheet' that any dummy can use and get pleasing results.
Since the masses seem to like over saturated colours and plastic smooth images, thats what Sony deliver.

Minolta have targeted people with a different expectation of photography I think. People that want the camera to accurately capture their composition and not mess with it.
Any 'messing' with the image they do later on their computers.

TME · 24th September 2002

I read the entire thread. It seems that what u deem as noise and what is acceptable is extremely acceptable. So I guess everyone has to take a look for themselves and decide what is acceptable and what is not. I prefer less in-camera processing theoretically if I were to print out the shots but since I probably won't, then it may not matter at all.

And there are also always people who are blindly brand loyal. And as always comparison across brands always starts a fl;ame war......

16th September 2002	#1
ninelives Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: BB Posts: 2,618	Noise, does it matter? I found an interesting article. -------------- Image production by the DiMAGE 7i is focused on being faithful to producing the appearance and texture description of the subject; they have been designed so as not to offer excessive processing on the camera side, including noise reduction, against image information from CCD. As you may know, noise reduction function is necessary since there cannot be noise-free condition when the image is captured through CCD. In the meantime, the camera itself cannot distinguish 'noise' from 'precise information' which is often important to express texture of the image; excessive noise reduction may reduce 'precise information', which may ruin the texture of the image depending on the recording condition such as subjects, weather, brightness, shutter speed, etc. For instance of the subject, plain and/or smooth subjects such as doll's face, walls, and blue sky would have little demerit on excessive noise reduction, meanwhile, complicated and/or precise subjects with concavity and convexity in the subject itself, such as feathers, wrinkles, people and animals, would have more demerit on being ruined the texture of the image than the merit on noise reduction. The DiMAGE 7i, therefore, apply to the noise reduction level to prevent the soaring of captured image. On the other hand, it is related to viewing condition as well as recording condition whether the noise is distinctive or not. To view the captured image itself, there are such conditions as printing out or displaying the whole image on the monitor, meanwhile, we regard that it is not 'viewing the captured image itself' but 'reproduction of captured image' by way of retouching, that viewing 5M-pixel image on the monitor with magnification of 100% or more. It is true that there are some noises left in the image captured by the DiMAGE 7i when you view with magnification of 100% or more on the monitor, in the meantime, we would greatly appreciate it if you would understand that the DiMAGE 7i are predetermined its noise reduction level aiming at enhancing texture and spatial effect of the captured image rather than the noises left, when you view the image by printed one or the whole image on the monitor. -------------- read more about it here Last edited by ninelives; 21st September 2002 at 05:41 PM.

17th September 2002	#4
ninelives Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: BB Posts: 2,618	and more discussion over here : http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read....essage=3358201 http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read....essage=3380675 Last edited by ninelives; 20th September 2002 at 11:20 PM.

16th September 2002	#3
anonymous Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 99	buy buy buy.

24th September 2002	#6
TME Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Clementi Posts: 6,244	I read the entire thread. It seems that what u deem as noise and what is acceptable is extremely acceptable. So I guess everyone has to take a look for themselves and decide what is acceptable and what is not. I prefer less in-camera processing theoretically if I were to print out the shots but since I probably won't, then it may not matter at all. And there are also always people who are blindly brand loyal. And as always comparison across brands always starts a fl;ame war......