Looking at the new Nikon D7000′s specs, you might be right to confuse the newest DX DSLR as a replacement for the Nikon D300s at first blush. After all, it features many of the same specs, as well as some new features and flat-out improvements to Nikon’s DX line of cameras.

Let’s take a look at Nikon’s newest – and in my opinion, their current best – DX-format DSLR.

Key Features

With a 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor

• 16.2MP CMOS sensor
• 1080p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone
• ISO 100-6400 (plus H1 and H2 equivalent to ISO 12,800/25,600)
• 39-point AF system with 3D tracking

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The Nikon D7000 tested in this review was provided by B&H, where I personally buy all my camera gear. If you find this review helpful, please consider buying your next photo gear purchase from B&H,Amazon.com, or any of my other my affiliate links.

To learn how you can help support www.ishootshows.com, visit the page Buy Yourself Something Nice. Now with that out of the way, let’s get to the review.

What’s In The Box

Body & Design

The Nikon D7000 is a good looking camera, if I do say so. To me, this DSLR strikes a very nice balance between not being too big or too small, not too heavy and not too light.

EN-EL15 Battery & MH-25 Charger

The EN-EL15 battery and its MH-25 charger are just a little different, thanks to the EN-EL15′s short-proof contacts. Unlike most of Nikon’s EL batteries, you can’t simply slap the EL15 onto the MH-25 any which way – you have to slot the battery in from the right side of the charger, which lines up the pack for perfect contact with the charging terminals.

One feature of the D7000′s battery system is that it’s now impossible to accidentally drop a battery from the chamber. In addition to releasing a yellow safety lever, the battery also has to be released from a spring-loaded carrier before you can remove it from the body.

18-105mm DX Kit Lens

So, what makes the D7000 kit a kit? That would be the Nikon 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 VR. For the DX camera like the Nikon D7000, this translates into a nice 27-157mm zoom range for everything from landscapes to portraits.

It’s probably relatively sharp, contrasty, and all of that good stuff. Maybe. Or maybe it’s not – but to be honest, this is never a lens I would use, so I won’t be reviewing it.

Features & Controls

Lens Mount In regards to the lens mount, what you get with the Nikon D7000 is pretty much the same as with just about any Nikon DSLR, with a few notable exceptions. F-Mount: First, it’s worth noting that this is a DX (APS-C) sensor, but you can mount any Nikon F-mount lens that is AI or later. Or in other words, just about any lens made for Nikon made in the last 40 years. AI-Metering Tab: At about 1 0′clock on the lens mount, you can see a small tab – this is the AI metering tab, so that old AI and AI-S manual focus lenses can communicate aperture info to the body. This is a feature we saw with the Nikon D2x, D200, and D300, and it’s great to see it in the D7000. AF Motor: At 7 o’clock on the lens mount is the AF drive, which will power screw-driven AF-D lenses that don’t have built-in AF motors. Essential if you want to take advantage of older lenses, such as a 50mm f/1.8, which lacks an AF-S motor.
Control Dial The control dial of the Nikon D7000 is an interesting hybrid between the professional and consumer lines of DSLR controls. Exposure Mode: The control dial includes metering options, which is good if you change exposure modes frequently, but bad for professional use, as dials like this are prone to changing themselves in the field (especially if you shoot with two bodies). One nice addition here is the ability to have two preset (U1 & U2) modes so you can save commonly used configurations without having to reset options or dig into the menus. Shooting Mode: Below the exposure mode dial, there’s a separate ring for the shooting mode for single, continuous, quiet, and timer modes, as well as remote and mirror lock-up modes. Unlike the exposure mode dial, this shot selector has a lock.
Dual SD Card Slots I’ve loved the dual CF slots on my Nikon D3 for years, and I’m very happy to see dual SD slots on the Nikon D7000. While the Nikon D300s features dual card slots, they’re split between CF and SD, so it’s almost useless for photographers who use a single memory format. With two SD slots, the D7000 gives you the ability to effectively double the utility of your cards, write backups, or dedicate specific cards to video/photo – all with the same format. In my opinion, this system of matched formats is a superior implementation of dual slots that we’ve seen on cameras like the Nikon D300s and even the Canon 1D series.
Video/Live View Control Video Recording: For the video shooters out there, the dedicated record button on the back of the camera is a great touch. Live View Switch: More universally, I love that Nikon has pulled out the Live View activation out to a lever on the back of the D7000 as well. No more unlocking the command dial, switching shooting modes, and switch back once you’re finished. Now, using Live View is a much more fluid process, and one that smoothly supplements regular use of the viewfinder with a single swipe of your thumb.
AF-Selector The AF selector is another area where the D7000 splits ground between the professional Nikon D300s and more prosumer bodies. AF Mode: Unlike the D300s, all of the D7000′s AF modes are not accessible through this toggle – only AF and Manual focus are immediately accessible. Pressing the button on this switch will let you toggle the specific AF mode (AF-A, AF-S, AF-C) via the rear control dial. AF-Pattern: In addition to selecting the AF mode, pressing the AF button and using the front control dial on the camera will cycle through the AF pattern modes (single, dynamic, etc).
AI Lens Tab Just like the D300, the Nikon D7000 features an AI metering tab for mechanically linking to the aperture tab of manual focus lenses. This communication allows for proper recording of the aperture in the EXIF, as well as full manual and aperture priority exposure modes. While not a groundbreaking feature, this is one advancement of the D7000 over the Nikon D90, and one that also closes the gap between the D7000 and Nikon’s flagship DX camera, the Nikon D300s.
In-Body AF Motor Just like the D90, the D7000 features a built-in lens motor for driving older screw-driven lenses. This feature allows you to drive the AF of older AF-D lenses like the cheap Nikon 50mm f/1.8D, which lack a built-in AF motor that all AF-S lenses have. This motor is a great feature to have because it opens up the number of lenses you can use on your on this body, especially in the area of fast prime lenses.
Customizable Function Button Just like the D90, the D7000 features a customizable function button to the left of the lens mount. This button can be configured to a wide range of functions, but the two I find the most useful are to disable flash and to trigger an alternative metering scheme, such as spot metering. For momentary features like this, I love the ability to very quickly activate the function for one shot and then switch back to the standard setup. While you could easily turn off the flash or switch to spot metering via their own respective switches, the function button allows non-permanent activation, which is a boon while shooting.
Viewfinder When I first looked through the viewfinder, I have to admit that I was surprised. This camera’s viewfinder is surprisingly big and bright for a DX camera – a huge improvement over the old Nikon D70. Kudos to Nikon for dropping in a nice pentaprism instead of a cheaper, inferior pentamirror. Aside from the size and brightness of the viewfinder, the best feature about the D7000′s VF is that it offers 100% coverage. In contrast to many DSLRs where a small percentage of the actual frame is hidden in the viewfinder, which makes critical composition impossible, the D7000 shows you absolutely all of the frame. Not even the Nikon D700 has 100% viewfinder coverage, so it’s fantastic to see in the D7000.
Flash  Mode & Bracketing To the right of the lens mount, you have the D7000′s buttons for flash control and bracketing. Once nice thing about the D7000′s flash button is that you can only unlock the pop-up flash when the camera is turned on. With even a camera like the Nikon D700, it’s possible to accidentally release the flash when the camera is off, so this is a welcome tweak.

Size Comparison

The D7000 is small enough compared to the D700 for the difference to be fairly noticeable, though the size of the D7000 itself is comfortable in use – and I certainly didn’t miss the D700′s extra weight. Here’s an idea of how the two bodies compare for size.

Handling & Shooting Impressions

The D7000 handles well. I shot the camera without the MD-11 vertical grip, which is an accessory which I think would have solved most of my gripes about the handling of this camera. Namely, shooting vertical frames without a vertical grip forces the human wrist into obscene contortions any way you slice it. This includes the D700.

That issue aside, my biggest complaint about the ergonomics of the D7000 are that the AE-L/AF-L button is a little too far in on the body of the camera – about 1cm father in than the D700′s AF-ON button. This is only an issue since I use the AE-L/AF-L button to activate AF, not the shutter release.

One thing I love about the D7000 is the new Live View switch, which makes accessing this mode absolutely seamless with normal shooting. Unlike the D700 and D3, which hide the LV mode in the shooting mode dial, the thumb switch on the D7000′s back lever is so accessible I found myself shooting with LV much more frequently.

In addition, I have to say how much I appreciate the dual-slot SD design of the D7000. After you go dual slots, you don’t want to go back.

In my shooting with the D7000, I’ve used my trio of f/2.8 zooms – the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR. While the D7000 is petite compared to the D3 or even the D700, these big zooms balanced just fine in normal shooting. The D7000 plays well with primes, too – the 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.4, and 85mm f/1.4 I’ve used on the D7000 have all handled perfectly.

It’s also worth mentioning how nice the viewfinder on the D7000 for a DX camera. Between the relatively large size of the VF and the 100% coverage, even manually focusing lenses is a breeze .

Performance: AF Speed & Precision

Overall, I found the new 39-point AF system very good. While it features 12-fewer points than the D300s and D700′s AF system, it features a massive 28-increase from the D90 that it replaces. Win.

In use, I used the 9 cross-type AF points as well as AF sensors right out to the edge of the viewfinder and found consistent performance across them all. If anything, the aforementioned issue with the position with the AE-L/AF-L button caused me more “AF problems” than the actual performance of this CAM4800 system.

Pro lenses like my go-to Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 snap into focus beautifully – no complaints at all with this system. Even for relatively lowlight (ISO 3200-6400 territory), the D700 never hesitated or hunted for focus.

Overall Image Quality

Image quality as a whole on the D7000 is excellent. The color, contrast, and acuity of this camera is excellent. Using the “camera standard” profile in Adobe Lightroom 3, I found that the color and gradations recorded by the Nikon D7000 came through beautifully.

The above three images were shot with the Nikon 55mm f/1.2 CRT Nikkor, a rare, fixed-focus lens optimized for 1:5 magnification. This exotic prime is one lens that I actually prefer shooting on DX rather than FX, and it works beautifully on the D7000.

In terms of resolution, the D7000 weighs in as Nikon’s second highest resolution DSLR sensor, and I found acuity excellent with sharp glass. Naturally, lessor lenses are going to fare less well due to the pixel pitch of this new sensor, but for most shooting situations, simply stopping down 1/3-stop clarifies any optical issues in most lenses.

Using the D7000 at high ISO for live music photography, I found no I found no issue shooting at f/2.8 no problem at all.

Again, the overall image quality of this new DSLR is excellent. Let’s skip ahead to the high ISO comparison – which is what separates the manly DSLRs from the little-boy DSLRs.

High ISO Comparison – DX vs FX Showdown

For live music photography, wedding photography, photojournalism, and other applications where shooting at high ISO is often a inevitable, image quality at these increased sensitivities is big factor for many photographers.

As a concert photographer myself, I was keenly interested in how the new Nikon D7000 performed above ISO 800. To test, I turned to one of my go-to cameras, the full-frame Nikon D700 to see just how well the new 16.2-million pixels of the D7000 perform.

We’ll look at a test scene and several different crops to get a feel for how the two DSLRs compare.

Crop 1:

Crop 2:

Crop 3:

ISO Analysis

After shooting a full concert using nothing but the D7000, I came away impressed by the camera’s quality at high ISO. After testing the camera against the Nikon D700, that general assessment still stands.

Overall, to my eye, the Nikon D7000 is only about a stop behind the D700 in terms of high ISO performance. Considering that the D7000 is a DX camera with a much higher pixel pitch than the D700, this is great.

ISO 100-400: In this range, the D7000 features more base noise than the D700, which is just minutely cleaner in areas of solid tone and color.

ISO 800: At ISO 800, the D700 starts to show more prominent luminance noise, but color saturation still looks fantastic. There’s no reason not to shoot at this sensitivity if you need the speed.

ISO 1600: Moving up the scale, the sweet spot for the D7000 appears to be ISO 1600, as the sensor is still giving very good color fidelity and acuity in the image. In the real-world images I shot at ISO 1600, the luminance noise was a non-issue.

ISO 3200: By ISO 3200, the D7000′s saturation takes a hit and increased luminance noise starts to compete with the fine details of the image. All things considered, the files still look great

ISO 6400: At ISO 6400, we’re seeing an inevitable “crumbling” of the image quality, with fine detail starting to lose the battle against luminance noise. I’m impressed by how good the color is at this level though – unlike previous generations, this new 16.2 MP sensor and processing really hold saturation beautifully.

ISO 12800: Here at the HI-1 setting of both cameras, we’ve entered the open waters. In my experience, Nikon’s own designated ISO range for conventional shooting is where the cameras perform at their optimum, it’s here above the safety zone where things get interesting. To my eyes, the D700 starts to widen the performance gap at this sensitivity and we see the D7000′s files start to break down more dramatically.

ISO 25600: Neither camera is delivering exceptional quality here. Unsurprisingly, the D7000 has dropped rather significantly in both contrast and the ability to deliver fine resolution. But is this any worse than shooting Tri-X or Ilford HP5+ and pushing it two stops? Probably not.

The Verdict:

Again, I am impressed. Beyond the D7000, which offers excellent image quality, what strikes me even more is what this kind of performance means for the next generation of DSLRS.

Considering that a 16mp DX (APS-C) sensor is the equivalent of a 34MP FX (full-frame 35mm) sensor in terms of pixel pitch, it’s an exciting notion to think of what the next generation of Nikon’s full-frame cameras may hold in terms of high ISO ridiculousness.

Real World Image Samples

Summary & End Notes

After testing the performance of the new Nikon  D7000 and using this camera in my professional work, I have to declare this camera Nikon’s best DX format DSLR currently in production. Even at 16mp, second only to the Nikon D3x in Nikon’s stable, the D7000 delivers very clean files at high ISO.

In testing, the D7000 was only about a stop behind the big-sensored Nikon D700, which is impressive considering the tight pixel pitch of the new DX sensor.

In practice, I felt comfortable shooting at ISO 3200 with the Nikon D7000, and even higher sensitivities posed no problem. I was particularly impressed by how well the sensor and new EXPEED 2 processing held saturation and contrast, while the big 100% coverage viewfinder made the camera fit in side by side with my D3 and D700. Needless to say, the DX format has come a tremendous way since the Nikon D2x that I used to shoot.

Overall, Nikon has included features in the D7000 that trump even the flagship Nikon D300s, with better specs in numerous areas of performance. This is progress, folks. In fact, while the D7000 is a superb performer in its own right, what makes me more excited than anything is seeing the technology Nikon has used here and rolling it out in the next generation of DSLRs. The successors to the D700, D3s, and D300s will all benefit from the image processing and performance of this new sensor.

My advice? If the Nikon D7000 is in your price bracket, you cannot go wrong with this camera. At the time of this review, it’s the best DX DSLR you can buy from Nikon, hands down. From Willie Nelson to Weird Al, this camera is more than up to the task.

Where To Buy – Recommended Retailers

The Nikon D7000 tested in this review was provided by B&H in NYC. If this review and other content on www.ishootshows.com was helpful to you, please consider supporting this site and purchasing your photo equipment any of the links in this review, my support page, or elsewhere on my site.

• Nikon D7000 @ B&H
• Nikon D7000 @ Amazon.com
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• B&H Photo
• Amazon.com
• BorrowLenses.com

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Questions? Comments?

Questions or comments? Let ‘em rip.

As I tweeted earlier, the new Nikon D7000 is on-deck. A full review is coming, but first I thought I’d share a few high ISO samples from tonight’s El Monstero show at the Pageant, for which I used the D7000 exclusively. A 100% crop after the jump. Before we get to that 100% crop, here are some more full frames from what may just be Nikon’s best DX camera. Anyone want to guess what ISO I used for these?

Photographer’s Notes:

Alright, let’s take a look at that lead frame again:

And now the 100% crop:

Exposure:

• ISO 3200 at 1/250 sec at f/2.8.

Cameras Used:

• Nikon D7000

Lenses Used:

• Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8

This crop was converted from the RAW file using Adobe Lightroom 3 using the Camera Standard profile. The native file was shot at ISO 3200 and converted with a setting of 25 for the chrominance noise and zero luminance noise. This latter point is important when looking at the lower midtone and shadow areas of this image.

I should also note that the white balance of this sample image was changed from the native “as shot” setting in Lightroom, so we should be looking at an extreme and aggravated case of noise if anything.

For me, the really interesting aspects of this image are the color fidelity and the detail we’re seeing in the hair. I’ll hold off on my own analysis, which I’ll cover in my full review of this new camera – but what do you think?

Comments & Feedback? Let ‘em rip.

Questions or comments? Leave a comment below, and let me know what you thought of this post.

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I’ve been a Nikon Capture NX user for years. Which means that I’ve suffered for years. But not out of any sense of masochism, but rather in the pursuit of the highest quality in converting my RAW files.

As any casual user of Nikon software will swear (believe me, we all swear when using Capture NX), it’s not for the joy of the experience. And while the current NX2 might offer excellent image quality, I’m always on the search for something better that offers a more complete workflow. Enter Lightroom 3.

Even as a beta release, Lightroom 3 is impressive. While previous versions of Lightroom have offered a very appealing workflow, with the ability to catalog, edit, and process digital images fluidly in a single application, the image quality has long left something to be desired when working with Nikon NEFs. This deficit in image quality was something especially true when working with high ISO images – a fact of life for music photographers, wedding photographers, and anyone else shooting in dim and uncontrollable light.

Despite slow performance, memory leaks, and a maddening user interface, Nikon Capture NX and NX 2 have long provided the image quality standard to which I hold other RAW converters. While there are other converters like the excellent Raw Photo Processor that offer superlative detail, Capture’s balance of pleasing color and overall image quality kept me coming back.

With Lightroom 3 beta, I think that Capture NX2 finally has a real contender that matches Capture’s image quality in many ways, exceeds it in some, and offers the great user interface and workflow that photographers have come to expect from Adobe Labs.

Let’s take a look at how Lightroom 3 beta stacks up to Nikon Capture NX 2 at my specialty: high ISO live music photography.

Example 1: Steven Tyler, Aerosmith

Nikon D3 at ISO 800. Left: Capture NX 2; Right: Lightroom 3 – Can you spot the differences?

Color Reproduction

With Nikon Capture NX 2, I get brilliant color from my RAW files. The saturation, contrast, and gradations of the files, as rendered by Capture, have always made for accurate and pleasing images with zero work.

While previous versions of Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw allowed users to tweak and calibrate default settings, the results never stacked up to the effortless results of Nikon Capture – that is, until now.

The elves at Adobe Labs seem to have been working overtime, because the new camera profiles are excellent. Simply switching from “Adobe Standard” to “Camera Standard” applies a custom color profile to my Nikon D3 and Nikon D700 files that is very, very close to the proprietary profiles from Nikon. All samples shown here were converted using these camera standard profiles, and the results should be considered specific to them.

For all effective purposes, I’m getting all the goodness I loved about Nikon Capture’s conversions with none of the headache.

However, in comparing the new Lightroom 3 beta with Nikon Capture NX 2, Adobe’s latest release isn’t without flaws.

Blown Channels/Saturation

In live music photography, capturing lights in the frame is not only inevitable, it’s often desirable. With their singular saturation, these gelled incandescent PAR lights or LEDs are a surefire way to blow a color channel with a digital sensor.

Let’s look at how Capture NX 2 and Lightroom 3 handle this common effect in live music.

Nikon D3 at ISO 800. Left: Capture NX 2; Right: Lightroom 3

While the RAW conversion of both images is very close (as seen in the full frame of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler), this detail of defocused lights shows the subtle difference between the two in the rendition of mono-color light sources.

More on this difference in super-saturation later. Let’s look at another example.

Example 2: Lil Wayne

Nikon D3 at ISO 1600. Left: Capture NX 2; Right: Lightroom 3

Again, this comparison shows a very close rendition between Capture NX 2 and Lightroom 3 beta. Skintones look very similar, while the starkest difference in the overall image is increased saturation in the smoke behind Lil Wayne. Even then, the overall rendition is extremely close.

Let’s take a look at how the two conversion engines handle detail.

Lightroom 3 vs Nikon Capture NX 2 at ISO 1600

Nikon D3 at ISO 1600. Left: Capture NX 2; Right: Lightroom 3

There isn’t too much to choose from between these two 100% crop examples, but there are some subtle differences.

To my eye, the Lightroom 3 file has a very slightly finer look in comparison to NX 2, while Nikon’s profile with NX 2 has a slightly deeper contrast. Both Capture NX 2 and Lightroom 3 are set to default sharpening.

Noise Characteristics

Nikon D3 at ISO 1600. Left: Capture NX 2; Right: Lightroom 3

This is a 100% crop from the image of Lil Wayne does a good job at showing the subtle differences in the rendering of noise between the two RAW conversion engines.

To my eye, Capture NX 2 renders a coarser, “fuzzier” noise profile than Lightroom 3, which renders a finer interpretation. For image quality, my preference is for the latter, which will enlarge more cleanly for larger prints.

Example 3: Karen O., Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Nikon D3 at ISO 4000. Top: Capture NX 2; Bottom: Lightroom 3

In this third example, the conversion from RAW to JPG is quite close between Lightroom 3 and Nikon Capture NX 2, but again with subtle and important differences.

Lightroom 3 vs Nikon Capture NX 2 at ISO 4000

Nikon D3 at ISO 4000. Top: Capture NX 2; Bottom: Lightroom 3

At ISO 4000, things get a little more interesting. As with all the previous examples, these two 100% crops show the image with no luminance noise reduction.

I always prefer to shoot without noise reduction in-camera, as I feel that image quality is best when NR is performed in RAW conversion or in post-processing.

As you can see from this example crop, the Capture NX 2 crop is much more gritty in appearance, while Lightroom 3 renders a much finer noise pattern. At ISO 4000 from the Nikon D3, the difference in the fineness of noise is even more apparent than at lower ISOs, with Lightroom 3 doing an excellent job.

Lightroom 3 vs Nikon Capture NX 2: Gradations at high ISO

Nikon D3 at ISO 4000. Top: Capture NX 2; Bottom: Lightroom 3

Continuing on the thread of channel saturation, we again see from this sample that Lightroom seems to have issues rendering a smooth gradation as color channels approach saturation. While overall digital noise is kept to a minimum with Lightroom 3 beta, in this example Nikon Capture comes out ahead for pleasing rendition of gradations, not only in this 100% crop, but as readily seen in the resized version above.

Lightroom’s treatment of gradations near the point of clipping is easily the converters biggest flaw at this point due. With haze and stage haze in regular use at most shows, these types of gradients are not only common, but a fact of life for the music photographer. The artifacts displayed by Lightroom are a big step back in this regard, but one they should be able to easily fix by updating the camera profiles.

We’re getting about 95% of the goodness Capture gives us, but this is a big 5% to miss.

End Notes:

Clearly, Adobe Lightroom has come a very long way from its earlier versions in the third major release, even in its beta phase. Compared to Nikon Capture NX 2, which has been my RAW converter of choice since its release, Lightroom 3 offers some very real, if subtle, advantages in its conversion engine.

When considering the greatly enhanced workflow and user-friendly interface, Lightroom 3 should be in serious consideration by any digital photographer as a nearly one-stop shop for cataloging and RAW conversion.

Though Nikon Capture NX 2 still has some advantages in overall image quality, I’ll be will be keenly awaiting the full release of Lightroom 3 if they can continue to improve the RAW engine and camera profiles.

No concert photographer is a stranger to the challenge of digital noise and challenges of balancing image quality against difficult shooting conditions. Even as digital sensors and image processing become more sophisticated, the issue of digital noise is a constant struggle in concert photography.

Live music photographers are constantly thrown into low and unpredictable lighting situations, and image quality can suffer as a result. However, with a little careful technique and other tricks, it’s possible to minimize hits to image quality, both in the pit and after the assignment.

Hi Todd,

I have a question about the quality of your images. The color gradations seem to be so smooth, as if you’re shooting at ISO 100. How do you do it?

I was wondering if you use any noise reduction software like Noise Ninja, or do you any other techniques to minimize that digital noise (grain).

Many thanks!
David

Thanks for your question, David. As any live music photog will lament, noise in digital images is a constant issue. Even as high ISO image quality gets cleaner, the demands of concert photography, “inventive” lighting designers, and photographers themselves will always push cameras – and their sensors – to their limits. Before we answer your question, let’s take a look at the nature of noise.

The Two Faces of Digital Noise

With digital images, noise has important two forms: luminance noise and chrominance noise. Luminance noise takes the form of a slight variation of values (lighter or darker than what they should be), while chroma noise introduces extraneous color information to the image.

Both these types of noise can occur both at the pixel level and also in larger clumps, depending on the sensor and image processing involved. These instances of noise also tend to be most prevalent in the lower end of the histogram as well.

Of these two types of artifacts, chroma noise is often regarded as being the more difficult to remove, but once filtered out, has little detriment to the final image.

Luminance noise, on the other hand, is somewhat more easily removed, but its reduction ultimately affects image detail as well as actual image detail starts to compete with artificial noise. Aggressive reduction to luminance noise can result in overly smoothed, plastic-looking images that lack fine details.

Understanding Noise

The best way to combat noise is to understand the factors that contribute to it.

Exposure

Correct exposure for one’s subject is critical in concert photography. Underexposure is particularly troublesome with low light photography, as increasing brightness quickly amplifies shadow noise. Achieving correct exposure at the time of capture is one of the best ways to ensure the highest image quality and minimal noise.

Tip: Get exposure right the first time. If shooting RAW, overexposing by 1/3-stop and bringing the image back in post can also help tame shadow noise.

White Balance

Accurate white balance at the time of shooting is closely tied to exposure, as WB itself can affect metering and the perceived exposure for the color channels in an image. In addition, large shifts in WB in post processing combined with positive exposure compensation will increase noise levels, particularly when multiplying deficient blue or red color channels.

Tip: Aim for consistent and accurate WB at the time of capture. Presetting WB can be a huge asset when shooting under lighting with a strong bias.

Sensor

While gear doesn’t make the photographer, having tools ideally suited to one’s pursuit certainly never hurts. One’s camera and its sensor will dictate signal-to-noise performance to some degree simply by virtue of efficiency and clever image processing. Sensor type, signal processing, and other specifications like pixel pitch all factor into how cameras will perform with regard to noise.

In addition, knowing the limits of your camera and how the sensor will perform at various ISO settings is key to producing the highest image quality. For concert photography, understanding the unity gain ISO of your camera’s sensors is one limit that can be especially helpful in squeezing out a cleaner file at high ISO.

Tip: Know your camera’s limits. Don’t be afraid to bump up the sensitivity to get the shot, but shoot at the lowest ISO necessary whenever possible.

RAW Converter

The RAW converter used can play a large role in the rendition of noise, depending on the file type and interpretation of that file. Just as color and camera curves may differ between images from one converter to the next, the size, contrast, and general prominence of noise may differ between conversion engines.

Finding an image processor that produces a pleasing treatment can be a huge part of final image quality in general, and noise at high ISO is no exception.

Tip: Evaluate different RAW converters and integrate into your workflow the one that delivers the best overall image quality. The OEM-packaged software might not be the best.

Settings

From the obvious to the more subtle, camera settings can have a dramatic impact on the perception of digital noise. Out of all the settings, in-camera noise reduction plays a huge role in how noise is treated, especially for relatively inflexible files like JPGs. In addition, settings for increased sharpening and contrast will also have an effect on perceived image noise.

For my D3 and D700, I have high ISO noise reduction disabled. The reason being is that the same mechanisms that reduce luminance and chrominance noise also degrade image detail. I prefer to start with as little noise reduction as possible and to tackle noise after RAW conversion in my post-processing workflow.

Tip: Avoid applying very high levels of contrast, sharpening, or noise reduction early on in the workflow; these variables can always be applied selectively in post-processing for the highest image quality.

To Ninja or Not to Ninja?

Popular noise reduction algorithms include Noise Ninja, Noise Ware, and Neat Image. These processes, available as Photoshop plug-ins and also as standalone applications, can be valuable solutions for dealing with excess digital noise.

In my current workflow with my Nikon D3 and Nikon D700, I use Noise Ninja to reduce chrominance noise only. For the majority of my images, I do not reduce luminance noise. The reason for this approach is that in most print applications, luminance noise is rarely objectionable unless the prints are very large, while chroma noise more unappealing to my tastes.

Make Some Noise, Concert Photographers

What’s your take on noise? Love it, hate it? Share your experience with dealing with noise images at high ISO!

February 19, 2009 – Performing on the Swagger Like Us Tour, Southern rapper Ludacris brought equal parts braggadacio and impeccable showmanship to the stage at the Chaifetz Arena.

In addition to Ludacris, Chicago rapper Shawnna, the first female artist signed to Def Jam Records, took the stage, providing a great contrast and dynamic to the performance for the time she spent on stage.

Shooting Notes:

The main challenge of this show was the very narrow pit, with essential no real room to move around given the amount of other photographers and the security personel spaced evenly across the barricade. Pushed up against the 5-foot stage created low perspective to the performers, which compounded the already difficult sight lines of Ludacris’s close mic position.

However, it’s hard to complain too much about this show, given the fact that we had no song restrictions and were allowed to photograph the entire set. Thanks to a spotlight tracking the Ludacris throughout the set, lighting wasn’t a problem, and I stayed around ISO 2500 and 1/500.

I utilized the Nikon D3 and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 for the majority of this set, also turning to the Nikon D700 and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 for longer shots. Due to the tight angles and relatively high stage, the Nikon 14-24mm didn’t see too much action for this set.

End Notes:

Stay tuned for images sets from T.I., Jim Jones, Murphy Lee, and others from this tour. This was actually a pretty crazy bill, as there were quite literally 8 or 9 acts for the night, which is quite a lot of time in the pit. Many of the press photographers were basically camped out from 7:30pm until after midnight.