Canon 1D4 = ISO 6400 is for real

[Tom Lowe]

Just finished a whirlwind 48-hour shoot with a pre-production Canon 1D4. We were shooting ISO 6400 RAW timelapse.

ISO 6400 results are beautiful. Very similar, I think, to ISO 3200 on the 5D2.

These are amazing times, my friends. In November 2008, I was red-lined at ISO 800 on my Canon 350D. If I tried to shoot ISO 1600, it was too noisy. In December 2008, the 5D2 provided a quantum leap to ISO 3200. Now, the 1D4 has taken us to a very usable RAW ISO 6400. :cheers2:

I will post sample pics as soon as it is allowed. Keep in mind, the production model 1D4 could be even better.

Below is an iPhone (not 1D4) behind-the-scenes pic of our crazy setup last night at Joshua Tree.

Anyway, I haven't slept since Friday night. Time for bed. atriot:

 

[Sanjin Jukic]

Great Tom L,

btw, did you also shoot some video in between your timelapse work that you could show us as a real "ISO 6400 beauty" night at Joshua Tree in 1080p H264 ??!!

 

[Jon B.]

Great Tom L,

btw, did you also shoot some video in between your timelapse work that you could show us a real "ISO 6400 beauty" night at Joshua Tree in 1080p H264 ??!!

Yes, I would love to see it too... after you wake up.

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Just finished a whirlwind 48-hour shoot with a pre-production Canon 1D4. We were shooting ISO 6400 RAW timelapse.

Shooting timelapse and describing it as "whirlwind"... Hehe. Anyway, I can't wait to see the results. :beer:

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Good to know Tom, since I have one in Pre-order then the 1D III will be also gone!

 

[Neil W. Smith]

Canon EOS 1D Mk IV low-light capability ...

Canon EOS 1D Mk IV low-light capability ...

Just finished a whirlwind 48-hour shoot with a pre-production Canon 1D4. We were shooting ISO 6400 RAW timelapse.

ISO 6400 results are beautiful. Very similar, I think, to ISO 3200 on the 5D2.

These are amazing times, my friends. In November 2008, I was red-lined at ISO 800 on on Canon 350D. If I tried to shoot ISO 1600, it was too noisy. In December 2008, the 5D2 provided a quantum leap to ISO 3200. Now, the 1D4 has has taken us to a very usable RAW ISO 6400. :cheers2:

I will post sample pics as soon as it is allowed. Keep in mind, the production model 1D4s could be even better.

Below is an iPhone (not 1D4) behind-the-scenes pic of our crazy setup last night at Joshua Tree.

Anyway, I haven't slept since Friday night. Time for bed. atriot:

Sweet dreams, Tom .... we demoed the Canon EOS 1D MkII at the HD Expo Intensive Workshop last week and 150 experienced photographers were blown away by the low-light capability of the 1D .... we had Kalani (the model in the RED/Canon Intercut Reel) at one end of the long room and the 1D Mk IV at the other and turned all the lights off ... there was some reflected light of the projection screen but I could not make out the details of Kalani's face from the camera position ... we slowly cranked up the ISO setting and bang! .... it was like looking at Kalani in broad daylight with very little noise.

Canon Corp are a little sensitive about showing footage from the pre-production version of the EOS 1D Mk IV, so I'm not posting any of the 1D HD video footage just yet .... however, would love to see your footage once you've had a chance to play with it.

If you want to come over to West Hollywood and grade the D1 shots in our RAWworks grading suite, we'd be more than happy to host you for free.

There is indeed an amazing revolution taking place in the world of digital acquisition ... Indie Filmmakers are going to be spoilt for choices.

Hope you wake up refreshed and rejuvenated ... come and see us when you can.

Neil

 

[Jonathan Stevenson]

I think I'm most impressed with the quality of your iPhone picture lol

 

[Eren Ozkural]

Fantastic stuff Tom, keep us posted as ever Can't wait to see ISO6400 being used by your very capable hands...

 

[Paul Jay]

I think I'm most impressed with the quality of your iPhone picture lol

Indeed. He must have an awesome iPhone stabilizing Kit!!

 

[Tim Lüdin]

Thanks for sharing Tom.
As you said, these are amazing times. Photography and cinematography is changing big times right now and we are right in the middle of it.
As I said it before. RED should bring out the FF lineup sooner than later.
Redcode and FF would be the killer package. Canon might have a iso advantage but the RED code is the real winner here.

I hate h264 for grading but I love the FF option.
The next NAB could be the most important ever.
Hope the RED FF line will be ready to go by then.

Keep us posted
Tim

 

[Neil W. Smith]

November 30th announcement

November 30th announcement

I hate h264 for grading but I love the FF option.
The next NAB could be the most important ever.
Hope the RED FF line will be ready to go by then.

Keep us posted
Tim

Agree wholeheartedly, Tim .... grading .r3ds directly is by far the best way to get the most out of RED footage .... we actually convert the Canon H.264 files straight away to ProRes422HQ for ease of cutting and grading in Apple Color, but its still a 'thin neg'.

Really hoping that Jim delivers some definite pricing and concrete delivery dates on Scarlet on the 30th .... once everyone knows when Scarlet will really be here it, we'll be able to concentrate on intercutting RED and Scarlet footage.

In the meantime, Canon are shipping something like 5000 units of the EOS 5D Mk II per week .... not sure about the number of 7Ds but there sure are a lot of Canons out there.

NAB 2010 is going to be a great time for filmmakers everywhere.

Neil

 

[Andrew Walker]

My only problem with the 1Dmk4 is that it isn't full frame. Sure high ISO is awesome to have but after shooting with the 5D2 I don't think I could go back to a smaller sensor on a DSLR. I'm sure its going to be the same way when the FF35 Epic/Scarlet comes out.

 

[Tom Lowe]

Sanjin, I did shoot HD video on that camera, but I wasn't paying much attention to it. I was more interested in the RAW/still side of things.

Neil, I know what you mean about the low-light capabilities. I let out an audible gasp when I turned on the 1D4 using "exposure simulation" under the milky way... holy smokes... it looked like "night vision." Neil, I would love to come by RAWworks and see what you guys are up to. I'm leaving for NASA Ames tomorrow morning and will be returning around Dec 2nd with some potentially interesting RAW timelapse and Canon HD video.

Tim, I agree with you. FF35 cannot come soon enough for me. I wonder if Jim will mention anything about possible FF35 timelines on the 30th?

 

[Ethan Cooper]

My only problem with the 1Dmk4 is that it isn't full frame. Sure high ISO is awesome to have but after shooting with the 5D2 I don't think I could go back to a smaller sensor on a DSLR. I'm sure its going to be the same way when the FF35 Epic/Scarlet comes out.

I prefer the smaller sensor sizes due to slightly easier focus pulls, but I think I'm in the minority here.

 

[Tom Lowe]

For landscape night astro timelapse, Drew is right. FF35 FTW.

But even still, ISO 6400 opens up some killer new night motion timelapse possibilities, so I can put up with the slight crop on the 1D4, until the 1Ds4 comes out.

 

[Andrew Walker]

I prefer the smaller sensor sizes due to slightly easier focus pulls, but I think I'm in the minority here.

I can live with harder focus pulls. I would rather be using the entire field of view on my lenses. Plus I'm not using my 5D2's video function very often. So pulling focus really isn't a concern for me. I shoot video using the RAW mode.

For landscape night astro timelapse, Drew is right. FF35 FTW.

But even still, ISO 6400 opens up some killer new night motion timelapse possibilities, so I can put up with the slight crop on the 1D4, until the 1Ds4 comes out.

I have been looking for a second camera to go out with the 5D2 and I was thinking the 1D4 would have been the camera. But that cropped sensor will not do. So I guess I'm going to be waiting until the 5D3 or whatever comes out. I think the 1Ds4 might be a little more expensive than what I need to use it for. I mean the 1Ds3 is $7K and my 5D2 was $2,700. So where is that extra $4,300 going because I'm not seeing it in the specs.

Of course if the FF35 Epic has some crazy ISO with low noise than that will move to my primary night timelapse camera.

 

[Jim Retar]

Did you get to shoot any of the Leonid meteor shower, Tom?

 

[Neil W. Smith]

Low-light capability ...

Low-light capability ...

Neil, I know what you mean about the low-light capabilities. I let out an audible gasp when I turned on the 1D4 using "exposure simulation" under the milky way... holy smokes... it looked like "night vision." Neil, I would love to come by RAWworks and see what you guys are up to. I'm leaving for NASA Ames tomorrow morning and will be returning around Dec 2nd with some potentially interesting RAW timelapse and Canon HD video.

Tom,

We'd be more than happy to welcome you here at RAWworks whenever you can make it ... you shoot some great images, mate.

Yes, the low-light capability of EOS 1D Mk IV is truly amazing ... to hear 150 photographers in a crowded room all inhale at the same time and then start breathing again was quite something.

Had two engineers from a German camera company in our place today .... we're working with them on their next generation digital cameras .... they showed us the low-light test they did comparing their new cameras against the best competition in town at the moment .... a Japanese camera used on many high-end projects - 14 stops of latitude .... we were amazed .... over 16 stops of latitude. Then we showed them the Canon/RED Intercut demo reel .... the German engineers got up close to screen to see what they seeing ... when we told them we spent $500 on the day's shoot, they started talking rapidly in German ... didn't quite get what they were saying but it sounded a lot like "holy shit" ....

NAB next year is going to be a great time for digital filmmakers.

Hope to see you soon ... have fun at Ames ... looking forward to seeing what you capture .... your images always look great.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[jbeale]

is high ISO needed with timelapse?

is high ISO needed with timelapse?

...ISO 6400 opens up some killer new night motion timelapse possibilities....

I'm curious- I understand the need for high sensitivity for normal or high-speed shooting. But I would have thought that timelapse is the one area where you don't need extreme sensitivity, because you can use long shutter times (?)

In the older DSLR camera's I've used before, if you can get the same exposure with (for example) ISO 100 at 40 seconds exposure, and ISO 800 at 5 seconds, the image looks cleaner with the ISO 100 exposure. But maybe that's not true with the new cameras?

 

[Pawel Achtel]

I'm curious- I understand the need for high sensitivity for normal or high-speed shooting. But I would have thought that timelapse is the one area where you don't need extreme sensitivity, because you can use long shutter times (?)

In the older DSLR camera's I've used before, if you can get the same exposure with (for example) ISO 100 at 40 seconds exposure, and ISO 800 at 5 seconds, the image looks cleaner with the ISO 100 exposure. But maybe that's not true with the new cameras?

For night-time time lapse, you need something like 30 s exposures at ISO 1600 WFO. So, as Tom says, the higher sensitivity is revolutionary for this type of applications. One can also use longer lenses and slow down the motion of stars by reducing the interval to 5 seconds and high ISO. :smile:

Tom, how come you got one, that's not fair :devil:
Send it down here and I will fix that faulty mount that doesn't take PL glass.:smash: