Sony A6700 How usable is ISO 20,000?

[FowlersFreeTime]

At my daughter's school Christmas play I just had to catch this moment where she's sitting with her uncle watching another grade's performance. I was just free scrolling that ISO dial without even looking at the values and now I realize that this image, at ISO 20,000, is actually not as bad as I thought! However, in full disclosure this is after ON1 denoise.

• E 17-70mm F2.8 B070
• 17.0 mm
• ƒ/2.7999999523163
• 1/125 sec
• ISO 20000

 

[Richard A]

Noise reduction is pretty amazing these days...

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

That is Brilliant! And a very nice pic.

Would you disclose, for interest, how it looks with no, or ordinary, noise reduction?

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

That is Brilliant! And a very nice pic.

Would you disclose, for interest, how it looks with no, or ordinary, noise reduction?

I'll upload an unedited version when I get home from work today

 

[FowlersFreeTime]

Straight from the camera:

• ILCE-6700
• E 17-70mm F2.8 B070
• 17.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/125 sec
• ISO 20000

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

That's pretty clean! If I'd known that an A6700 could do that I might have avoided going full-frame!

the ON1 has brought out (or recreated, is it AI?) the face detail very nicely, but the original is excellent. Thanks for posting

 

[dcisive]

I may not have any samples to post currently. But a while back I was experimenting with my A6700 and the 18-135OSS lens with higher ISO's. I did the unthinkable. I shot at ISO51,200 which is supposed to be completely unacceptable. Let me tell you. In my dimly lit livingroom which I've used for many a camera and lens to test out, I hand held this shot at that absurd ISO. I processed it in my copy of DXO PHotolab 8 which has their top line noise reduction algorithm now. I was gobsmacked to see a 100% image on my calibrated ViewSonic high rez 38" monitor and saw absolutely not a hint of grain or noise. The thing that really smacked me was the shear detail of the items I shot which I always use for my testing, came out astoundingly good. Most shockingly of all the color was dead on, which it so rarely is in such low light. So all I can say is if you're using Adobe.........DUMP IT! Get your hands on the DXO and you'll NEVER look back. It has now made me fearless to shoot in lower light higher ISO's with this camera knowing it won't bother the results being perfect at all. P.S. ON1 is my 2nd program to use mainly for portrait work. It's nowhere near as effective above ISO3200 for noise reduction. But is great for it's masking tools.