my 50d is very grainy?

<p>Hi all, ive noticed that my pics are very grainy? so i thought id take kids for a walk and took the 50d and canon 70-200 2.8 IS , i took pics not worrying about what i was photographing, and trued all diff modes, from full auto, AV, etc . i got home and put them into lightroom and zoomed in and everyone is grainy? and not very sharp at all even the ones taken in full auto and P mode etc even though the histogram shows the exposier is ok etc......any ideas?</p>

<p>what is your ISO setting. The higher the ISO, the more grain. Always use the lowest ISO you can get away with. I use ISO 100 whenever possible, and use a tripod if it isn't possible so that I can use it. If you're shooting action and need a fast shutter, use the lowest ISO that will allow for the shutter speed you need. For outdoor action, you should rarely need above ISO 400, especially with the 70-200mm f/2.8 wide open. For indoors without flash, you may need t crank it up quite a bit, but there's no way around that unless you use a flash.</p>

<p>well when i put it in full auto, it set itself to ISO 100, 1/1000 AT 195MM F2.8. and this is taken at 6 o clock today in a park with nice weather???<br>

the above setting are just one example but they are all ISO 100? SO I DONT KNOW WATS GOING ON?</p>

<p>Try taking it off of auto ISO, shoot some pictures at various ISO settings, and compare.</p>

<p>BTW, your use of question marks at the end of every sentence is driving me nuts?</p>

<p>MENDEL LEISK, as i stated my intentions of going out today to shoot some photos in different modes as i stated was to try what you said, the ISO was not on auto, it was kept at ISO 100 at all times. I had the camera in full auto ( it choose ISO 100 ) also AV mode & Tv all at iso 100. but all the same when i got the pics into lightroom. Very grainy and not to sharp either. The time of day was great shooting weather so i really dont understand, as since i had this camera ive noticed the amount of grain, but have just put up with it, this is why i wanted to do this test today .<br>

Also Mendel notice....No question marks. lol</p>

<p>An example with EXIF intact would be great.</p>

<p>Are you viewing them at the correct ratio on your computer screen. For example, my computer screen isn't the same ratio as my photos, so if I make a photo my desktop backround, without resizing it, it will look grainy due to the distortion. Now when I look at them on normal full screen mode, it adjusts the ratio, but if for some reason your computer is stretching or distorting the ratio, even just a little, it can make it look grainy.</p>

<p>no nathan, im just opening the photos into lightroom 2 and zooming in a little. ok later on after work ill put a example up there for you</p>

<p>Geraint,<br />I just responded to your other posts about an upcoming wedding you're going to shoot and your asking about whether to use AI Servo or One shot!<br />Then I see this one . . .<br />Maybe you're already in over your head! But . . . sounds like to me that you need to spend some serious time with the User's manual that came with your 50D!<br />I do hope that you are not the primary photographer at this wedding! You don't get acceptable results for the Bride & Groom for their "lifetime event" and they will never forgive you.<br />I'm not being rude or demeaning in any manner . . . please don't take it that way . . . I, and many other's here on PN will always advise to "not only breeze through the User's Manual, but to study and expierment to learn your camera's features and use.<br />The User's Manuals (especially Canon's) contain an amazing amount of invaluable information that will teach you the basic's of exposure with aperture, shutter speed, effects of depth of field, focal length's etc., etc. to obtain the desired photo's you are seeking. Then, . . . practice, practice, practice! But also continue to ask questions here on PN, most of us are alway's willing to help when we can.<br>

Best wishes,<br />Jim J.</p>

<p>Geraint h- some points. 1. a wedding is no place to learn basic phtotography or wonder what is in the owner's manual. the whole idea of how to operate the dslr and take a correct picture is something the wediing photog has to have down cold BEFORE he even accepts a gig. the wedding photog is only concerned with the shooting framing and composing the wedding pics. the how to operate the dslr and what settings to use and the basic photo knowledge is a given:he already knows this. the wedding shoot is totally unlike any casual shooting. at a wedding the moment of the shot comes and the photog HAS GOT to get it right. there is no such thing as a reshoot. the moment comes and the photog as to know how to get the shot where to be and stand and to make the dslr accomplish this. if the bride and groom see the pics and they are not totally pleased with the quality, they are not going to be happy at all. and there is NO EXCUSE that the photog can use. the wedding photog MUST GET THE SHOT RIGHT AND EVERY TIME. and is the difference between the weddsing and the casual shooter.<br />2. if the wedding photog is not capable of properey doing a wedding, then he has no business acccepting the job. not only is the photog's reputation on the line, but he alao dealing with any recommndations for future jobs. if he messes up the wedding shoot then he will get no recommendatrions and no future clients.<br />3. if you insist on doing a wedding then you should have the manual read at least twice, preferably more times. and all basic photo technique and skill and known already. </p>

<p>Are you viewing these grainy results from a jpeg or a Raw file?</p>

<p>Jpegs use the incamera noise (grain?) reduction algorithm. Raw is subject to the converter's algorithm which can vary from one converter to the next.</p>

<p>I suspect the noise you see is from underexposure, which makes noise look worse. And possibly from looking at your images at more than 100 percent magnification. For the former, don't underexpose. For the latter, don't look at the images at over 100 percent. Also, don't oversharpen. What are you comparing your 50D images to?</p>

<p>Otherwise, lack of sharpness is probably from using shutter speeds slower than 1) the handholding guideline and 2) for the subject's motion, or 3) inaccurate focus. If you go out and shoot using auto, green mode, and a bunch of other modes without thinking about/controlling what you are doing, you are bound to run into the above.</p>

<p>thank all.yes nadine, i only put the camera in full auto as an experiment, i always shoot manual, av / tv. i checked and my camera was set to AI SERVO, so as i was focusing and re-composing the frame i was losing my intended focus point. id just like to mention to james and gary i am thankfull for your feedback , but i dont know if i write these questions in a way that makes me sound like a total beginner but my photography is quiet ok, there was just a few things that were getting to me and i wanted to ask to see what feedback i get. Yes it will be my first wedding coming up and yes its going to be a challenge, but im sure it was for everyone on thier first wedding, and because of my work and catwalk shoots & location shoots is why ive been booked to shoot these weddings, ive actually got 9 other weddings booked after this one, and its all through people who have seen my style and work. Im just so egar to get this one correct being my first im picking at everything and filling my brain with tips from you pro's. I just thought that there maybe something up with my camera, but its my fault as i should of checked my settings and wat metering mode is was in. I know its a bit backwards but this is the way it worked, but one week after my first wedding ive paid to go on a full weekend wedding photography workshop, which im hoping will help even more.But thx again to nadine as your comments are always great and to everyone else .</p>

<p>thx</p>

<p>Try <em>bumping</em> your ISO in test shots. Just stick to the Kosher ISO's, ie: 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1600. The inbetween ISO's, at least with Canon, involve some software adjustment, at least that's my understanding.</p>

<p>You also seem to be having focussing issues, worth checking your technique, practice. Out-of-focus shots aggravate noise issues, just making them more obvious. A sharp shot will have lots of detail, to distract you from seeing the noise.</p>

<p>Regarding the question marks, I think you've broken free of them, looking at your later postings. Congrats! ;)</p>

<p>Geraint,<br />Is the 50D body new to you?<br />I see now that you are not lacking the experience as I had originally thought from your two post. But, if you have just recently moved to the 50D from a different body, you should consider "using the one that you are familiar with" for the wedding. And yes, we are all very "uptight" when we do our first wedding shoot.<br />The first couple wedding's I did was as a "backup" for my friends who also had hired a "professional." I simply took the shots (film then), had one set of 4X6 prints made for then and gave them the negatives to do as they wished for enlargements. In one instance my photographs were used instead of the so-called Professional's who according to them as definately not!<br />Since then, I have done the photography for both my daughter's weddings (I also had done their Senior Pictures.), and a couple of other friend's weddings. But always as a backup. I have done one wedding as the primary. I did it with both film and digital. I only charged the cost of the film and having all the images transferred to a CD so they could pick for enlargements, and do whatever they choose. They were very satisfied (Thank Goodness!).<br />Personally, I try to stay away from the weddings, just not my thing!<br />O.K., I've rambled enough! It just sounds to me from reading your posts that IMHO you are not familiar enough with the 50D to use it for the wedding shoot if it's anytime in the very near future.<br />There are a lot of varibles that could cause what you describe. Check what everyone has indicated. Check the 50D's features and make certain you are using what & where you think the setting's should be. Then possibly verify your thoughts against User's manual for all the settings, ISO, Portrait, Landscape, AWB, Metering, Focusing, AV, TV, etc., etc.,, and make certain you haven't inadvertently set an unwanted Custom Functions or something!<br>

I would also suggest that you go and spend some time where the wedding will take place. Get a feel of where and when you need to be for the best composition, do some pre-focusing, light checking, etc.,etc., like a "rehearsal" for yourself.<br>

<br />Again, Best Wishes,<br />Jim J. </p>

<p>geraint h-nsporry if i thpought you were a novice. am assuming you know what you are doing with a dslr.<br>

is the 50d new to you? read the manual and repeat.<br>

when the image from the 50d appears on your monitor screen, are you looking at it no bigger than the monitor's screen? the reason i am asking this is the images from my dslr would open to about 42x65inches or so. and of course i would never print that size. so it unnecessary for me to look at them so big. i never look at an image bigger than i will ever print it. since that is my intended use. so asking-are you looking at the image at 100%+ or even higher? if yes then it is very hard not to see some noise/grain if the image is enlarged enough. suggest you look at the image at a more normal size and see if the grain/noise bothers you.<br>

i am assuming that the exposures are close to normal, since any underexposure will just make the noise worse. while overexposure will blow highlights. the trick is to expose/shoot in that middle ground to max the exposure without blowing the highlights while minamizing the noise. you can also try any of the separate noise reduction programs available. i use noise ninja and it works well. there are others.</p>

<p>Nothing wrong with picking up a more advanced book about the camera, as well...sometimes the user manuals can be a little unclear.</p>