D90 ISO Question

[GadgetRick]

Ok, I've read a lot about the D90 and how it does better at higher ISOs than many other cameras. I'm planning on upgrading my D50 to a D90 later in the summer but my friend has a D90 which she never uses and will let me use it to try it out. I shoot a lot of indoor sports and I don't have the cash to buy the really expensive fast lenses. I'll be picking up an f2.8 lens but I still need a higher ISO in some gyms to get good shots.

I can push my D50 to 800 ISO in most gyms with little to no noise. But, as I experienced yesterday, it's just not enough sometimes. So I need something which can shoot at a higher ISO with less noise than my D50.

Been thinking about a D90 or a used pro-level Nikon but wanted to check out a D90 first since I have the opportunity to really use it before buying one.

So how high can I (effectively) go with the D90? I know it depends on lighting but, in general, shooting indoors with gym lighting, how high can I expect to go?

Thanks so much!

[OsmosisStudios]

As long as youre not pushing it to 6400, youre pretty safe.

[Nicole]

In my opinion, even 6400 is usable. A bit of quick noise removal and I've been happy enough with it. Maybe my standards aren't high enough, but when it comes down to it, I've found that the high ISO on the D90 blows away higher ISOs on my old D50.

[Chip]

ISO at 3200 is good, as in this photo (no noise reduction done in post):



Higher than 3200 can be good, too. But, the more dark/black areas in the photo, the more noticeable the noise is to me.

Also, getting the exposure right (not underexposing) helps reduce the noise in higher ISO photos.

[GadgetRick]

Wow! I really need to upgrade! Anything over 800 or over 400 with really bad light and I get LOTS of noise on my D50. It would be a luxury to shoot at (or above) 1600 to be quite honest.

I do use Noise Ninja so a little noise is not a problem, too. I think I'm going to enjoy using her camera this weekend. She may not get it back...

Thanks for the info! I'll let you know how I make out.

[mschwarz]

Good luck! I would love to see/hear the results.

I'm in the midst of researching an upgrade from my D60 to the D90. The lack of an auto-focus motor in the D60 is a pain, and I'm not confident enough to shoot 100% manual. That and the AF-S/HSM lenses tend to run a couple hundred more than their counterparts!


Again - good luck!

[Nicole]

I realised I could put an example photo up. This one was taken at ISO 6400 then run through Nik Define 2.0



The poor little thing wouldn't come out from under the bed, and since she was so scared of people I didn't want to scare her any more by using a flash, so ISO 6400, f/2, 1/60 sec.

Obviously it's going to look better smaller, but if you really want to pixel peep, here's the original size. There's obviously noise, I don't think anyone will be surprised about that. But I do think that it does much, much better than the D50 at high ISO.

[sk66]

With my D300 (basically same camera) I was loath to use anything above 1600. *Could it be usable*? Yes, a noisy image is better than no image, but it was a huge compromise IMO. I guess some of the determination has to be based upon intended use...Smaller web display is different than large print display. Wildlife photography is different than portraiture...

There are times I think the D300 might have been a better fit for me. I'm using a D3 now and the cost differential is huge. The D300/D90 is a great camera at a great price point.

[GadgetRick]

Wow! Not much noise there on the kitty--even at full size!

Most of my pics will be displayed on the Web with some of them being printed. Eventually, I'm hoping to build a side business of shooting sporting events for parents so I need at least, "good enough," to print (probably 8x10). I'm hampered indoors since some of the gyms are not well-lit at all (others are great). So I'm pushing my little D50 to ISO 800 and it's ok--some of the time--however, if it's really dark, it's not good enough. ISO 1600 is pretty much unusable unless I've got a LOT of light (then not needing to bump ISO so high).

Going to shoot my son's wrestling match this weekend with my friend's D90, we'll see how it does. I'll post some samples.

Thanks!

Oh, re: D90-D300. What are the differences? From what I can tell there are a few things the D300 can do which the D90 cannot but I'm not seeing anything crazy. Am I missing something?

[sk66]

Originally Posted by GadgetRick

Oh, re: D90-D300. What are the differences? From what I can tell there are a few things the D300 can do which the D90 cannot but I'm not seeing anything crazy. Am I missing something?

Nope, not missing anything. The main difference between the two is build quality. The D300 is heavier duty all around.