X-T100 Image shot at ISO 200 and features a lot of noise. + Sharpening & NR Questions.

Jamerrone wrote:

Hello everyone, I have had the X-T100 camera for a few weeks now, and it is my first non-mobile digital camera. I really enjoy the process of taking pictures with it and editing them in Capture One afterward. I have been over-sharpening my images quite a bit, and I really hated the look of it. Then I decided to just use the default sharpening and NR values provided by Capture One. The results were quite better, but some parts were soft and lacked details.

Recently I ran into this article: https://blog.thomasfitzgeraldphotography.com/blog/2017/8/capture-one-tips-for-creating-a-better-default-image. The author describes that Capture One's default values are un-optimized in a few areas. The sharpening is harsh and so is the NR. From what I understand I don't need any NR on images shot at ISO 200, but I can see quite a bit of grain/noise in my images. I don't really mind this, I am just wondering how this can happen at the native/base ISO. I will be uploading the original RAW and the edited file. Keep in mind that the image is not great and that the grass is really blurry thanks to the high winds present that day. I should have bumped my shutter speed but I didn't have a tripod at hand. Image Settings: ISO 200, 1/180s, f/8, 15mm.

Capture One Sharpening and NR settings used:
Sharpening:
- Amount: 150
- Radius: 1
- Threshold: 0 (This should not be needed at ISO 200.)
- Halo reduction: 25

NR:
- Luminance: 25 (The default value of 50, feels like too much for ISO 200.)
- Detail: 50
- Color: 50
- Single Pixel: 0

Here are some of the questions I should like to see answered:

- Have I oversharpened my image?
- I few like there is a bit of a halo, not only in the edited file but also on the original RAW. (Take a closer look where the hill meets the sky.) Is this halo or is this normal?
- Should I use NR at low ISO?
- Any additional information about NR or Sharpening is appreciated, especially if they are feedback on the way I have edited my file.

Thomas Fitzgerald's advice is only meant as a starting point. I learned that the threshold value is very important with regards to sharpness and noise. Setting it to zero will introduce noise at ISO 200 but it's more like a fine grain in my opinion. I do not recommend using Capture One's default threshold value (1) as it kills fine details. My suggestion is 0,3 or 0,5. Reduce radius to 0,8 and keep the amount between 100-140 for most shots. Do not exaggerate clarity and structure, 5-10 should be enough. At ISO 200 I use a noise reduction value of 10-25.

.lars