New D50 vs D70s Noise Comparison

I have done a new noise comparison between the Nikon
D50 and D70s for anyone interested. Four of the NEF files
are also available.

http://web.aanet.com.au/pics/docs/d50_d70s_noise.htm

-Mike

Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
why do you suppose the sky was more saturated in the D70s photos? Is
this because of the difference in the time taken? They appear to be
taken within minutes of each other.

The light was not changing fast enough to affect the pictures.

I think the pictures are fine from both cameras but the D50
has the edge on noise.

The difference is lower on this test. I think this is due to the
tendency for the D50 to give more exposure when using it's
meter.

-Mike

Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:
Mike Warren wrote:

Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:

why do you suppose the sky was more saturated in the D70s photos? Is
this because of the difference in the time taken? They appear to be
taken within minutes of each other.

The light was not changing fast enough to affect the pictures.

I think the pictures are fine from both cameras but the D50
has the edge on noise.

The difference is lower on this test. I think this is due to the
tendency for the D50 to give more exposure when using it's
meter.



Didn't you take the picture in manual at the same apeture, shutter
speed, white balance, color profile and other settings? You can't make
real comparisons in my opinion [I thought that was the point of the
reshoot]. If you don't expose the same then software may be the cause
of any added noise. But like I said, I think the noise is just less
noticable in a lighter sky, which is why I asked about the color
saturation of the sky. Looking closely you can see the same noise
characteristics.


I would be very surprise if there are differences between D70s and D50,
especially when comparing NEF, without the camera software processing. I
don't recall D50 has any claims of having an improved sensor. And D70s
and D50 are released at the same time!

l e o wrote:
I would be very surprise if there are differences between D70s and
D50, especially when comparing NEF, without the camera software
processing. I don't recall D50 has any claims of having an improved
sensor. And D70s and D50 are released at the same time!

The 1600 ISO NEFs are available for download and if anyone wants
some of the others, I can email them.

-Mike

Thomas T. Veldhouse wrote:

The difference is lower on this test. I think this is due to the
tendency for the D50 to give more exposure when using it's
meter.


Didn't you take the picture in manual at the same apeture, shutter
speed, white balance, color profile and other settings?

Yes. I was referring to the previous test.

But like I said, I think the noise is just less noticable in a lighter
sky, which is why I asked about the color saturation of the sky.
Looking closely you can see the same noise characteristics.

The transom of the boat on the left in the crops (under the zodiac)
show more noise in the D70s.

As I said earlier: I'm happy with both cameras and would choose
a D70s again over the D50 for the extra features. The high ISO
noise difference is not enough to worry me.

My wife loves her D50. :-)

-Mike

Mike Warren wrote:

I have done a new noise comparison between the Nikon
D50 and D70s for anyone interested. Four of the NEF files
are also available.

http://web.aanet.com.au/pics/docs/d50_d70s_noise.htm

The D50 images are just noticably brighter than the D70; the relative
darkness of the D70 frames makes the noise more noticable. Are you
absolutely sure the lighting and exposure was constant camera to
camera?

wrote:
Mike Warren wrote:

I have done a new noise comparison between the Nikon
D50 and D70s for anyone interested. Four of the NEF files
are also available.

http://web.aanet.com.au/pics/docs/d50_d70s_noise.htm

The D50 images are just noticably brighter than the D70; the relative
darkness of the D70 frames makes the noise more noticable. Are you
absolutely sure the lighting and exposure was constant camera to
camera?

The lighting wasn't changing fast enough to make a noticable difference
in the short period between shots. The rest is in the NEFs.

-Mike

In message ws.net,
"Mike Warren" wrote:


The difference is lower on this test. I think this is due to the
tendency for the D50 to give more exposure when using it's
meter.

I looked at the RAW data of the indoor shots; the D50 image utilized the
RAW levels by 0.18 stops less than the D70S. The exposure indices are a
mystery, however. If I were doing the test, I'd meter externally with
an ambient or grey card, and expose both the same, manually, for the
same index. Comparing the ISO 1600 of two cameras is meaningless if one
is actually metering for 1200 and the other for 1800.

What it does show, however, is the potential dynamic range at the ISO
1600 "setting", whatever its standard exposure index. The D50
under-digitizes compared to the D70s, and yet it is still less noisy, so
it may have a bit more dynamic range at the setting.
--


John P Sheehy

In message ws.net,
"Mike Warren" wrote:

The lighting wasn't changing fast enough to make a noticable difference
in the short period between shots.

The boat scenes, however, aren't even pointed in the same direction, so
I don't see the point of comparison.
--


John P Sheehy

When I look at these, regardless of how they were taken, the noise on the
D70 appears to be more even and resembles grain rather than pixelization.
To my eye the noise in the D70 is much more pleasing -- if noise can be
pleasing.

FYI, I've never been bothered by noise as long as it is even and resembles
film grain.


"Mike Warren" wrote in
message eenews.net...
I have done a new noise comparison between the Nikon
D50 and D70s for anyone interested. Four of the NEF files
are also available.

http://web.aanet.com.au/pics/docs/d50_d70s_noise.htm

-Mike