How noisy is noisy?

[alanvee]

With all the complaining about noise at the ISO 400 levels (and above) has anybody ever done a GOOD scan of some color transparencies shot at 400 (and above) and compared them to what digital can do? In color film it isn't "grain" but dye-clumping - but still just as annoying as digital noise. I sort of recall that hi-speed color film wasn't considered a 'pro' thing. Nat Geographic always (or mostly) used Kodachrome (ISO 25!) until supplanted by Velvia @ ISO 50 in recent years. It would be quite interesting to see a side-by-side of digital high ISO v film.

=AR

 

[E1derful]

With all the complaining about noise at the ISO 400 levels (and
above) has anybody ever done a GOOD scan of some color
transparencies shot at 400 (and above) and compared them to what
digital can do? In color film it isn't "grain" but dye-clumping -
but still just as annoying as digital noise. I sort of recall that
hi-speed color film wasn't considered a 'pro' thing. Nat Geographic
always (or mostly) used Kodachrome (ISO 25!) until supplanted by
Velvia @ ISO 50 in recent years. It would be quite interesting to
see a side-by-side of digital high ISO v film.

=AR

For these people it is not about what are the alternatives...it is about...having the best they can. It does not matter that if they were shooting film, they would use Velvia 100 and nothing else. The fact is, they are shooting digital, and they want their equipment to perform perfectly at all levels. It does not matter how clumpy and granular film looks at 3200 ISO, these people want their digital images to be perfect at 3200 ISO. Soon, film will not be the benchmark...the high end cameras with LOW noise will become the standard by which all other digital cameras are judged.

Personally, I do not care about ISO noise. I do not like ISO noise, so I use ISO 100 all the time. If I absolutely need a higher speed of film, I will use it, but I am realistic...if film looks worse as the ISO rises, I expect and welcome digital images as looking worse as the ISO rises.