Jump to content

D-Lux 5 Noise Problem


zmcadoo

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I just purchased a D-Lux 5 and every single photo I take has tons of noise - no matter the lighting. It can be outdoors with plenty of light, indoors with plenty of light, low light situations, etc. I have it set at 400 ISO so I know it is not an ISO problem. My main camera is a Canon 5D Mark II and the only time I get noise on that is if I use a really long exposure time or a high ISO.

 

Does anyone have any tips on how I can reduce noise with my D-Lux 5. So far I'm just very frustrated with the photo quality and if I can't fix it this piece of crap is going in the garbage.

Link to post
Share on other sites

zm--welcome to the forum!

 

Try the D-Lux 5 at 80 ISO.

 

Remember, the sensor in the D-Lux 5 is smaller than your little finger nail. :)

 

Full-frame images have a diagonal of 43.3 mm, while the D-Lux 5's image diagonal is 9.2 mm. Your Canon's sensor is 24 x 36 mm; at 3:2 the D-Lux 5's is about 7.7 x 5.1 mm.

 

 

 

Nothing guarantees you'll be happy with the camera, but take a look at the D-Lux 5 shots in the blog mentioned at http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/155765-testing-d-lux-5-a.html. Some very creative stuff IMHO, all done in JPG, and all at 1:1.

 

And there are a lot of D-Lux 5 images in the various photo sections of the forum.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Just keep using it. I have the Panasonic LX 5, same camera, and I'm finding the noise going down over time. Hard to believe, yes, but that is what I'm finding. It's like the sensor and electronics have a break in period.

 

Or simply it's not bothering me as much as it did when I first got the camera.

Try shooting it at it lowest ISO whenever possible.

I'll post a couple of shots @ 320 ISO.

And it's not ever going to be like your Canon FF camera or like my Leica M8.

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry, zmcadoo,

 

but are you really comparing the noise level of the compact D-Lux 5 with your full format Canon 5D Mark II ???

 

One of them has the sensor size of a stamp and the other of a postcard (ok, maybe a little exaggerated, but ...)

 

What did you expect ? No noise from such a little sensor, because its a Leica (BTW, talking about Panasonics involvement ...) ?

 

At ISO 80 the D-Lux5 is a nice camera, but if you step up with the ISO, the more it shows noise or smear (if noise reduction is active).

 

The D-Lux5 shows normal (if not superior) ISO behavior for such a little cam and if you accept that, the cam will do fine as a little always at yxour side buddy.

 

Martin

Link to post
Share on other sites

I find the D-Lux 5 / LX5's noise pretty much unacceptable at 400 ISO and above. 200 is pretty good and below that better. It hits its mark in terms of IQ at 80.

Rich

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Okay, maybe comparing to a FF sensor was a distraction. On an absolute basis, I find the noise in my dlux5 photos unacceptable. Here is a sample photo.

 

f/3.3

1/100 exposure

ISO 400

 

Does anyone think I am doing something wrong? Or my camera is defective? Or is this pretty much what to expect with a small sensor?

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

Link to post
Share on other sites

That's not a very noisy photo with the D-Lux 5. Not sure what you were expecting. Its sensor, as noted, is tiny. Try opening it up and reducing ISO. I've found it shoots pretty well at f/2 and 24mm.

Rich

Link to post
Share on other sites

every one of us wants a camera to the size of 200USD model that takes pictures like a 2000USD model and costs no more than 500USD!

 

in the end it's just a wish, and I think it's quite Ok to have that wish, even if it's not a realistic one. wishes should not be all realistic ones.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Okay, maybe comparing to a FF sensor was a distraction. On an absolute basis, I find the noise in my dlux5 photos unacceptable. Here is a sample photo.

 

f/3.3

1/100 exposure

ISO 400

 

Does anyone think I am doing something wrong? Or my camera is defective? Or is this pretty much what to expect with a small sensor?

 

 

Nothing to say against the photo! What do you want? You get a nice snapshot from the little one. And sure that is a crop? I think you cannot expect more. I think if one use another fullautomat point and shoot camera with the same ISO setting one gets much more noise!

When I look at my shots at half-light taken with D-LUX 5 at ISO 400 or 800 at maximum magnification on my monitor I can see also noise. But printout is ok, and also the complete view at my monitor. Also one can see noise when looking at photos taken with X1, even with M8/9. Means: It is also a thing of magnification....All that noise discussion and reducing the performance of a camera only to that point, is now coming near to exaggeration / overdrawing - from my view. In former times using high sensitive films (which were far away from the ISO which are now possible!), we were accepting noise.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...