Interesting noise observation with G1

[fatdeeman]

We know that the G1 will detect when a Panasonic lens is fitted and automatically apply lens corrections but I have also noticed that there appears to be less noise on average when a Panasonic lens is fitted compared to a manual lens via an adapter.

Obviously a degree of noise reduction is applied even to the raw file, it's just annoying that this can't be done with a manual lens too.

I find the camera to be noisy at the best of times but with the Panasonic kit lens I can use iso 400 with raw and get fairly good results but with a manual lens the noise is much worse, the only way around it is to shoot jpeg because then the camera applies NR no matter what lens is attached.

I did read somewhere on the web that the guy responsible for for hacking the video on the GH1 was considering making a modified firmware for the G1 and people asked what features could you possible add when the camera doesn't do video at all? Perhaps this was one of the things he had in mind.

[stingOM]

Hi,

If you shoot raw can the noise not be taken off successfully in say LR or some other programs like noise ninja? The noise reduction algorithm applied by Panasonic must be so much better.

[fatdeeman]

It depends really but already at iso 100 I have to apply noise reduction when using a manual lens whereas with my 350d I only have to do that with shots taken over iso 400.

I wouldn't mind but once you've done some levels and curves etc the noise is even more prominent and that's at base iso!

I admit that my usual raw software Capture one tends to favour detail over noise reduction but it's almost as bad with CS4.

Silkypix gives a much less noisy image but fine detail just isn't there, much less detail than jpegs out of the camera!

If I want to shoot at iso 400 or more I'll usually switch to jpeg just to get the camera to apply it's own NR

I just happened to notice that the camera tends to apply NR even to raw files when using Panasonic lenses, I found that strange because I would assume the noise was down to the sensor and not the lens so I don't understand why it's dependant on what lens is used.

[fatdeeman]

I was testing this again today and it confirmed my theory.

I took a shot at iso 800 with the kit lens and it came up very nice in adobe camera raw with a little noise reduction and it even looked good in capture one with the sharpening turned down. I then put on a manual lens and the image had MUCH more noise at the same iso, it was again slightly cleaner (but less detailed) in camera raw but in both programs the noise was much worse and there was clear banding visible, I have no idea why but it seems something is happening noise wise when a native lens is fitted that gives much better images.

It seems at every iso setting noise is handled better when a G series lens is fitted thus contributing to me damning this camera for it's noisy sensor when it's not all that bad with native lenses, very strange!