Shoot ISO 800. Even film cameras have to use increased "gain" (ISO) or a faster lens or film stock. Video gets banding, film gets grain. And other stuff. No free lunch.
Low Light Streaks - Is my camera faulty?
- Thread starter nathankw
- Start date
Shoot ISO 800. Even film cameras have to use increased "gain" (ISO) or a faster lens or film stock. Video gets banding, film gets grain. And other stuff. No free lunch.
Blackout
Veteran
That looks very strange, like there is some dirt or dust in your lens element on the lower left side.
Open your lens and clean everything, then do a sensor reset, sensor clean... ect...
Woah - you serious? I thought everyone had this.
You can't see it in good light at all.
Got me worried now.
kainekainekaine
Well-known member
I noticed exact same thing other day on some blue sky footage of my hacked gh1.
Last edited:
kainekainekaine
Well-known member
Just had a look again at the footage of the sky I took. Its there on all hacked modes, MJPEG, AVCHD 1080 and 720p.
Last edited:
Now that is interesting.
I just checked my kit lens and my sensor - both seem immaculate. I am using Lpowells settings for the hack as well though... coincidence?
kainekainekaine
Well-known member
I will try and recreate it. Its hard to see most of the time.
Last edited:
kainekainekaine
Well-known member
Having trouble making the problem reappear. I will test it at the same place and time tomorrow. Can you make your problem reappear easily Doc? Mine is a brand new camera and it was the first time using it, its a 09 model. Maybe its burnt in.
Well - I shot again tonight in similar light - this time the ISO was up to about 600 I think. Would appreciate if folks could look and decide if there IS something wrong with my lens/ sensor. All I see is banding (you lose some detail on youtube - but can see it in 1080)
The banding still sucks - but I would like to know if this is the average user experience or if I have something weird going on.
| IMPORTANT NOTICE: No media files are hosted on these forums. By clicking the link below you agree to view content from an external website. We can not be held responsible for the suitability or legality of this material. If the video does not play, wait a minute or try again later. |
| I AGREE |
reggietelly
Active member
Numerous low light tests lead me to the conclusion that the GH1 ( or at least my Gh1) isn't cut out for it. It also hates flat surfaces. I have done most of the hacks and am now on the highest settings. In sunlight and a detailed frame the footage looks fantastic. I mean really fantastic. The mud has gone and the detail and clarity is astonishing even with 720p. So I have no issue with it in daylight.
But take it inside at night with low light and you have to be incredibly careful. It does not like flat surfaces with single colours. I had a horrid banding on a cream wall that appears as a massive semi circle expanding out in daylight shot at iso 200. It's a compression artefact of AVCHD so MJPG is better for flat surfaces, although MJPG seems to put a fixed grain pattern across the picture. But if you are careful it does do low light with a few caveats.
It is first gen I bought it soon after it came out in Australia which was a while later than the rest of the world.
I am still not convinced with the GH1 in low light but give it light and it really sings
But take it inside at night with low light and you have to be incredibly careful. It does not like flat surfaces with single colours. I had a horrid banding on a cream wall that appears as a massive semi circle expanding out in daylight shot at iso 200. It's a compression artefact of AVCHD so MJPG is better for flat surfaces, although MJPG seems to put a fixed grain pattern across the picture. But if you are careful it does do low light with a few caveats.
It is first gen I bought it soon after it came out in Australia which was a while later than the rest of the world.
I am still not convinced with the GH1 in low light but give it light and it really sings
Yeah well - I accepted the low light limitations a while ago... but was a bit dissapointed that shooting outside at dusk didn't cut it... I thought that was pretty basic.
Would appreciate it if someone could review those videos I posted though and confirm whether I have a real problem with the sensor / lens or not... as i said - they look clean to me.
Would appreciate it if someone could review those videos I posted though and confirm whether I have a real problem with the sensor / lens or not... as i said - they look clean to me.
kainekainekaine
Well-known member
Both mine are 09 serials Red and Black cameras. I think the more you use the camera the more the banding / other problems might reduce.
Last edited:
kainekainekaine
Well-known member
Lpowells settings dont work well in low light shutter settings I think. Maybe thats causing problems.
Can't say for absolutely sure, but I don't think the AVCHD settings make a difference. I've tried diff settings and I'm currently on LPowell's. When I changed settings it didn't seem to alter the banding problem.
However... just got my second body from Taiwan - the 1.2 Jap versions from Thiside1. Both cams from same batch (I think). Flabbergasting! My first body is horrible. Almost unusable in bad light - banding all over the shop. My second one is a revelation... clean as a bell and completely usable with no trace of banding underexposed at 1600ISO.
I suppose I could be bitter about the first body, but to be honest I'm so relieved and excited by the second I couldn't care. What the hell is up with Pannie's quality control I've no idea, cause that's shameful...!
However... just got my second body from Taiwan - the 1.2 Jap versions from Thiside1. Both cams from same batch (I think). Flabbergasting! My first body is horrible. Almost unusable in bad light - banding all over the shop. My second one is a revelation... clean as a bell and completely usable with no trace of banding underexposed at 1600ISO.
I suppose I could be bitter about the first body, but to be honest I'm so relieved and excited by the second I couldn't care. What the hell is up with Pannie's quality control I've no idea, cause that's shameful...!
Ben_B
Veteran
Been playing around with the GH1 in extreme low light and I've noticed a few things:
Banding is less likely to be noticeable in highly textured areas that are in critical focus.
Foreground objects are less prone to noticeable banding as they appear higher texture.
The fixed pattern noise, rather than the flickery banding, is less noticeable if you hold the camera very still.
I've noticed that if you're shooting things in very low light and are having banding problems you can try framing closer to your subject, eliminating things that aren't going to be in critical focus...the texture of critical focus makes the banding less obvious. Cameras with a higher bitrate codec will do better because they're going to be resolving more detail. Defocusing your background will not solve banding.
Banding is less likely to be noticeable in highly textured areas that are in critical focus.
Foreground objects are less prone to noticeable banding as they appear higher texture.
The fixed pattern noise, rather than the flickery banding, is less noticeable if you hold the camera very still.
I've noticed that if you're shooting things in very low light and are having banding problems you can try framing closer to your subject, eliminating things that aren't going to be in critical focus...the texture of critical focus makes the banding less obvious. Cameras with a higher bitrate codec will do better because they're going to be resolving more detail. Defocusing your background will not solve banding.
Ian_H:
There's a thread on here where a few people have attempted to prove/disprove the existence of banding varying between cams, with no luck so far. My own tests on a first-run GH1 vs a Dec '09 Jap GH1 (from Thiside1) showed no difference. You would do us all a huge favour if you could post comparison shots with the same settings in the same scene showing any difference.
Also, what are the serial numbers of the cams? That way we can tell if they are from the same batch. There is a date code in the serial number.
There's a thread on here where a few people have attempted to prove/disprove the existence of banding varying between cams, with no luck so far. My own tests on a first-run GH1 vs a Dec '09 Jap GH1 (from Thiside1) showed no difference. You would do us all a huge favour if you could post comparison shots with the same settings in the same scene showing any difference.
Also, what are the serial numbers of the cams? That way we can tell if they are from the same batch. There is a date code in the serial number.
Ben_B
Veteran
See http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=222669 for some new thoughts on banding and how to avoid it. Pictures and tests!
x_WOrPIG_x
Well-known member
Do you think you can upload some stills comparing both cameras on the same scene same setting at 1600 iso? What first 4 digit serial # is your second body?