Super noisy images from G80 with lens on adapter

[Jakob Malm]

Hi,

I got a second hand G80 today and have starting checking it out. I tested with two of my non-m43 lenses on dummy adapters (no electronics), and the images are super noisy.

I've been using the lenses with same adapters on a GX8 and a GX7 with no issues. Any ideas?

(Don't mind the date in the metadata. I managed to set the time in the camera to 2018. The images were taken about an hour ago. Converted from RW2 to JPEG in Capture One Pro, using all default settings.)

ISO 800:


Native Panasonic Leica 15 mm f/1.7, @ f/2.8, 1/100 s, ISO 800.


Olympus OM G.Zuiko 50 mm f/1.4 with dumb adapter, @ f/2.8, 1/100 s, ISO 800.


Expert MC auto 28 mm f/2.8 with dumb adapter, @ f/2.8, 1/100 s, ISO 800.

ISO 3200:


Native Panasonic Leica 15 mm f/1.7, @ f/2.8, 1/200 s, ISO 3200.


Olympus OM G.Zuiko 50 mm f/1.4 with dumb adapter, @ f/2.8, 1/200 s, ISO 3200.


Expert MC auto 28 mm f/2.8 with dumb adapter , @ f/2.8, 1/200 s, ISO 3200.

The noise with the adapters really gets much worse as ISO is increased. The above were all taken with mechanical shutter.

The following two were taken in a much darker scene, first with mechanical and second with electronic shutter:


Expert MC auto 28 mm f/2.8 with dumb adapter , @ f/2.8, 1/60 s, ISO 3200, mechanical shutter.


Expert MC auto 28 mm f/2.8 with dumb adapter , @ f/2.8, 1/60 s, ISO 3200, electronic shutter.

Funny thing is that the image looks perfectly normal in the viewfinder and LCD screen before I take the picture...

Am I missing some crazy setting? Or could the camera have an electrical fault?

 

[Mark9473]

I adapt lenses all the time so I can tell you with confidence : it's not the camera.

 

[Kszchopstix]

I adapt lenses all the time so I can tell you with confidence : it's not the camera.

 

[Mark9473]

I adapt lenses all the time so I can tell you with confidence : it's not the camera.

OP just said that the adapted lenses don't have this issue on his gx8 so how is it not a camera issue?

A non-electronic lens isn't going to interfere with the camera electronics, so it's got to be the settings.

 

[Jakob Malm]

I adapt lenses all the time so I can tell you with confidence : it's not the camera.

OP just said that the adapted lenses don't have this issue on his gx8 so how is it not a camera issue?

A non-electronic lens isn't going to interfere with the camera electronics, so it's got to be the settings.

I reset the camera to factory settings just now with no difference.

I find it really strange that I only get this in the captured image, not in the live view...

Videos have the same problem, by the way. Super noisy when using manual lenses with adapters.

 

[maltmoose]

Suspect you are massively underexposing and boosting in post.

Reason for the under exposure likley to be your wrong settings as operating in manual, perhaps you have no live view for some reason?

 

[Jakob Malm]

Suspect you are massively underexposing and boosting in post.

Reason for the under exposure likley to be your wrong settings as operating in manual, perhaps you have no live view for some reason?

Not doing any adjustment in post, and JPEGs straight out of the camera have the same problems.

Three lenses were used with the same exposure (shutter, aperture, ISO). The native lens doesn't have the problem, the ones with adapters do.

 

[maltmoose]

Suspect you are massively underexposing and boosting in post.

Reason for the under exposure likley to be your wrong settings as operating in manual, perhaps you have no live view for some reason?

Not doing any adjustment in post, and JPEGs straight out of the camera have the same problems.

Three lenses were used with the same exposure (shutter, aperture, ISO). The native lens doesn't have the problem, the ones with adapters do.

If its a dumb adapter i just cant see how that can happen, im still going with wrong settings.

 

[RitterFab]

... is that you have either iRes or iDynamic enabled. Turn them all OFF.

Also: Which color setting are your shooting? I assume your JPEG is set to "Standard" and ISO is quite low?

 

[Jakob Malm]

... is that you have either iRes or iDynamic enabled. Turn them all OFF.

Also: Which color setting are your shooting? I assume your JPEG is set to "Standard" and ISO is quite low?

i.Resolution and i.Dynamic disabled. Color: Standard.

In the test shots that I included in the original post I shot all three lenses at ISO 800 and ISO 3200. The noise becomes extreme with the two adapters at 3200, and is already very bad at ISO 800. But the native lens images handle noise very well. This is both in JPEGs out of camera and RAW files.

I've done the same tests with my GX8 just now, no noise issues.

 

[Jakob Malm]

Suspect you are massively underexposing and boosting in post.

Reason for the under exposure likley to be your wrong settings as operating in manual, perhaps you have no live view for some reason?

Not doing any adjustment in post, and JPEGs straight out of the camera have the same problems.

Three lenses were used with the same exposure (shutter, aperture, ISO). The native lens doesn't have the problem, the ones with adapters do.

If its a dumb adapter i just cant see how that can happen, im still going with wrong settings.

I'm no electronics expert, but I'm wondering whether it could be a ground issue, because the connectors are completely unconnected.

I get the same effect if I completely remove the lens and take an image. On the GX8, the noise is ok. (Both shot at ISO 3200.)

 

[RitterFab]

OK, then we must elaborate further, diving into the differences between your two cameras. I have first hand experience with old M42 lenses on various APS-C bodies. I noticed that most of these lenses exibit low to very low contrast by default which makes image noise much more visible.
Maybe this effect is stronger with cameras without anti alias filters (have no experience with this first hand). Maybe the normal noise by (too) low contrast isn't smoothend by the missing anti alias filter on your G80 camera.

If true, the issue cannot be fixed with any camera setting. But it should get better when you stop down the lens. Try it for falsification of my theory.

 

[maltmoose]

Suspect you are massively underexposing and boosting in post.

Reason for the under exposure likley to be your wrong settings as operating in manual, perhaps you have no live view for some reason?

Not doing any adjustment in post, and JPEGs straight out of the camera have the same problems.

Three lenses were used with the same exposure (shutter, aperture, ISO). The native lens doesn't have the problem, the ones with adapters do.

If its a dumb adapter i just cant see how that can happen, im still going with wrong settings.

I'm no electronics expert, but I'm wondering whether it could be a ground issue, because the connectors are completely unconnected.

I get the same effect if I completely remove the lens and take an image. On the GX8, the noise is ok. (Both shot at ISO 3200.)

I'm struggling to come up with something but then this poped into my head..

try turning lens compensation off.

 

[Mark9473]

Three lenses were used with the same exposure (shutter, aperture, ISO).

You appear to be underexposing, and more so with the older lenses. I know you said "same exposure" but the old glass could well have less light transmission.

 

[Jakob Malm]

OK, then we must elaborate further, diving into the differences between your two cameras. I have first hand experience with old M42 lenses on various APS-C bodies. I noticed that most of these lenses exibit low to very low contrast by default which makes image noise much more visible.
Maybe this effect is stronger with cameras without anti alias filters (have no experience with this first hand). Maybe the normal noise by (too) low contrast isn't smoothend by the missing anti alias filter on your G80 camera.

If true, the issue cannot be fixed with any camera setting. But it should get better when you stop down the lens. Try it for falsification of my theory.

Ok, that's an interesting thought. At ISO 200 the noise looks ok when I review the image in the camera. Already at ISO 400 I can see quite ugly pink-purple noise. No improvement with smaller aperture.

Would be great to hear other G80 owners' experience with lenses on dumb adapters.

(By the way, I tested with a native lens on a Meke extension tube with electric pass-through contacts, no noise issue.)

 

[Jakob Malm]

try turning lens compensation off.

What do you mean by lens compensation?

For the records, I've tried with IBIS on/off, no difference.

 

[maltmoose]

try turning lens compensation off.

What do you mean by lens compensation?

For the records, I've tried with IBIS on/off, no difference.

Sorry, i think its called lens shading compensation, unless they removed that on the g80.

 

[Jakob Malm]

Three lenses were used with the same exposure (shutter, aperture, ISO).

You appear to be underexposing, and more so with the older lenses. I know you said "same exposure" but the old glass could well have less light transmission.

Sure, and as you will see in the original post, the images do not have 100% the same brightness. But I've also used these lenses on a GX7 and a GX8, and not experienced this effect. Ever.

I've now also tried with one more adapter and lens, and also the "native" (but without electrical contacts) Samyang 7.5 mm. Same noise.

 

[Jakob Malm]

try turning lens compensation off.

What do you mean by lens compensation?

For the records, I've tried with IBIS on/off, no difference.

Sorry, i think its called lens shading compensation, unless they removed that on the g80.

Ah, ok. Thanks. Yes, there is a Shading Comp. setting in the Rec section. It's set to OFF and is disabled when I don't have a native lens attached.

 

[Mark9473]

Three lenses were used with the same exposure (shutter, aperture, ISO).

You appear to be underexposing, and more so with the older lenses. I know you said "same exposure" but the old glass could well have less light transmission.

Sure, and as you will see in the original post, the images do not have 100% the same brightness. But I've also used these lenses on a GX7 and a GX8, and not experienced this effect. Ever.

I've now also tried with one more adapter and lens, and also the "native" (but without electrical contacts) Samyang 7.5 mm. Same noise.

Show us a properly exposed image in normal light please.

I've taken hundreds of images with adapted lenses on my G80 and have never seen a difference in noise compared to native lenses.