Old Sensor vs New Sensor - direct test

[nathankw]

I know that debate has long been raging about whether newer GH1 bodies have less fixed pattern noise in low light. I recently got a second body so decided it was time for a direct test.

I've tried to take an identical shot using the same kit lens. F4, 800 ISO, 1/50th shutter. Both cameras hacked. Deliberately underexposed to get horrible banding.

The old body was bought as soon as the GH1 was available in the UK (SN WE9E...)
The new body was bought a couple of months ago, still hackable - (SN WE0F...)

And the result...
Here are the MTS files - take a look.
If you want to look without knowing which is which, turn the sound off.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8356280/00003.MTS
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8356280/00004.MTS


I'd say there's really very little difference. This surprised me, since I'd always felt I had worse banding than many others - but this seems to indicate not. However, both my bodies were made in China so it's still possible the Japanese models are better. Hopefully someone else can do that comparison.

Would love to know what other think.

[Psynema]

I know that debate has long been raging about whether newer GH1 bodies have less fixed pattern noise in low light. I recently got a second body so decided it was time for a direct test.

I've tried to take an identical shot using the same kit lens. F4, 800 ISO, 1/50th shutter. Both cameras hacked. Deliberately underexposed to get horrible banding.

The old body was bought as soon as the GH1 was available in the UK (SN WE9E...)
The new body was bought a couple of months ago, still hackable - (SN WE0F...)

And the result...
Here are the MTS files - take a look.
If you want to look without knowing which is which, turn the sound off.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8356280/00003.MTS
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/8356280/00004.MTS


I'd say there's really very little difference. This surprised me, since I'd always felt I had worse banding than many others - but this seems to indicate not. However, both my bodies were made in China so it's still possible the Japanese models are better. Hopefully someone else can do that comparison.

Would love to know what other think.

I rented a GH1 in Janauary of this year from Lens Rentals. Couldn't find a trace of FPN

[Ben_B]

I rented a GH1 in Janauary of this year from Lens Rentals. Couldn't find a trace of FPN

You probably didn't shoot footage that was 800% less exposed than it should have been. Which is what you have to do to get banding (that is before you bring it up with the ISO.)

[Psynema]

You probably didn't shoot footage that was 800% less exposed than it should have been. Which is what you have to do to get banding (that is before you bring it up with the ISO.)

Shot a wedding with it actually maxed out...some footage with the kit lens.

[nathankw]

Whilst not in any way questioning your experience, the problem has been we've had lots of people saying "I don't get any banding" and others saying it's terrible but no real way to know if they're doing something different, have different standards, or genuinely different sensors.

I was a believer in the difference because I felt the banding is pretty bad and yet others said, like things like "Couldn't find a trace of FPN" so I figured my early model camera must be particularly bad.
But my new body most definitely does have FPN as well. So either I've been unlucky twice (possible but unlikely) or something else is going on.

Don't suppose you noticed whether the one you rented as a made in japan model?

[Blackout]

I have also shot with the kit lens and the pancake lens maxed out at like 1250 iso and don't seem to get banding anywhere... while there is a bunch of noise..... it's usable

[pianoboy]

Mine was bought new in February. I get banding on the parts of the screen that are way underexposed at ISO1600. At 800 there is some, but it's not that noticeable.

One thing that might account for the differences people are seeing is white balance setting? On mine at least, I've noticed that when WB is set to tungsten, the banding is a little more prominent, presumably because of the noisier blue channel.

I have to do more testing to confirm, though.

[dasbin]

I also did a direct comparison, and the new one is Made in Japan (manufactured Dec 09). Old one Made in China (manufactured June 09).

Did a super underexposed torture test. FPN and banding were identical, right down to the worst lines being in the exact same spots.
However, hot pixel noise on long exposure photo shots was significantly better on the new one. Don't know why. Regular sensor noise, and FPN as noted, were the same.

I also have an idea as to what's going on with the supposed "burn-in" reducing FPN that a lot of people talk about. I think it is software learned correction. If you do this sort of torture test that I did, the same amount of really bad FPN / banding appears on the LCD screen before you start shooting. However, once you start shooting something (especially AVCHD), it magically dissapears.... and it seems to get better and better at this over time (the new Japan one I have doesn't have quite so marked a difference between preview and shooting noise as my older well-used one did, but I think this will change in time). You have to look harder on your computer monitor at larger size to see the FPN on the file than it appeared in the LCD before shooting.

[DrDave]

I'm sure I'm not an expert on this issue but I only really noticed the banding when I first got the cam, and turned it on in "auto" mode in a dim room. Loads o' banding, inviting instant panic. Then I set it to manual, and most of it was gone, so I imagine on certain settings it is adjusting something, like the ISO or gain.

[Kellar42]

I took mine into Samy's and shot it against a newer one they had, same white box, same ISO, same everything. Not a *huge* difference, but there was enough of one to piss me off.