Dunnock at ISO3200

A Dunnock I shot the other day in weak sunlight.

I've not posted this image for critique, but I thought some would be interested in the quality/detail that can be achieved at ISO3200 with a 20D. So I've attached a link to a 1700 pixel wide image - which is about 2megapixels, the full sized image has a lot more detail in the feathering - but I feel this image does give some idea of the quality.

Techs
20D 400mm F5.6L x2 teleconv and tripod. ISO3200 F13 1/400th. Full frame. Processed in Lightroom and CS4/Noiseware for sharpening and noise reduction.

Big Pic

Amazing !
JR

It is John, in the seventies I never dreamed that one day I would be using ISO3200. My dream was a good 400 asa colour slide film

John

Hello John

I have just posted a comment on your last post and I am sorry but I can't understand why you would want to shoot at ISO 3200 in perfect light it just doesn't make any sense. If you have got the light stick with 200 or 400 and shoot it at F5.6 you will still get a decent image and you won't loose any detail in the bird which you will do at these ISO settings. Sorry but there just doesn't seem any point to me.

Danny

Danny the point is that I'm using a x2 teleconverter - so F11 is my fastest aperture. If I was using just the 400 then of course I would use a low ISO. When the birds are not playing I experiment

John

Well done for pushing it John - great IQ, mind you, the 20D is a bit of a legend

Well done John. I also like to experiment it some times comes in handy later on when you get into a tricky situation with a great bird.

It certainly is impressive, but the settings dictate it must have been quite bright. I've managed to make ISO 12800 look decent on a really bright day with the D3 just to see if I could. I can see that you were having a play but as it was so bright I don't think it's really that useful as an experiment in 20D high ISO. You'd normally only ever use 3200 when it's very dark or dull, and that's when noise starts to show it's head.

BTW, as a shot, i really like it

Hi Richard remember F11 is my widest aperture (because of the x2 teleconverter), normally I would have used iso800 this would have given me a shutter speed of 1/100th of a sec. I can get sharp photos at this speed but it is rather hit or miss because of camera shake or subject movement problems. Using 1/400th of a sec every frame out of a series of 15 is almost as sharp as this one. This is an important lesson learned for me - if I want to be sure of nailing a shot - up the iso to give a fast enough shutter speed and accept the price of a loss of some quality. I rather have a noisy sharp shot than none at all

Thanks for the interest everyone

Nice shot. Intresting experiment too.

Lee

Hello John

Thats a fair point as I didn't realize your camera would only go to F11 with this setup. But I think I am getting grumpier as the days go on

Danny

Completely see where your coming from John, I don't have any problems with the settings or why you had to use them etc. I just meant as a test of high ISO, it's not going to be very accurate due to the bright light levels

An interesting shot/result, which I'm sure will give you lots of confidence.