EOS R5 Excessive Noise at High ISOs

[roger999webb]

I've read multiple posts here about noisy pictures from an R5 and would just like to share my experience with this issue. 

Like many others, I moved from a 5D mk4, that I loved, to an R5 because of reviews I read about how amazing it is. I lots of respects that is 100% true for me also. If nothing else the eye-detect autofocus is absolutely unbelievable. 

However, my R5 produces the most pretty dreadful noise at anything above about iso 800. I had seen multiple replies to queries about how this can't be true, it's something the user is likely doing wrong, the R5 is the best thing since sliced bread etc. So me being a scientist and a Canon user of over 30 years decided to conduct my own experiments to understand my own issues.

Reset the camera totally to factory settings, set up on a tripod, focused on the same point on a plant on a window sill and snapped away using the holy trinity of lenses, namely 15-35 f2.8, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8. All L series lenses, which as you know, are spectacular! Tested 3 f stops for each, 2.8, 5.6, 16 and the limits of the zoom for each e.g. 15mm and 35mm etc.. Maintained the same exposure using a combination of iso and shutter speed. I varied the iso from 100 to 51200 and altered the shutter to maintain exposure. Shot in RAW. So in total I took over 500 pictures in RAW and compared in PS zoomed to 100%. 

As I knew, noise was very obvious at iso 800 but not too bad, but at 2500 it was borderline but nasty in the shadows, at 8000 I found the pictures to be totally unacceptable. Aperture and lens seem to have no impact on the noise levels, reproducible between each lens, aperture and focal length. 

I can't say how disappointed I am with this aspect of the R5. I so much want to love this camera, it has so many outstanding features, but this noise issue has just left me wishing for my 5D again. Is it possible that, like cars, there are just some 'lemons'? If so, I'm done making lemonade!

[wq9nsc]

Roger999,

I noted in one of your posts you stated you weren't doing any post-processing.  What do you have noise reduction set for in the RAW converter you are using?  Compared to prior sensors, the design intent with newer sensors is to start applying noise reduction even at low ISO so if you got in the habit of setting NR to 0 by default, the results won't be good with later generation sensors.  I have DPP set to apply camera settings as default NR so it uses the values Canon intended (based upon exposure ISO) by default for the starting value which is usually a very good choice.

For studio stuff, I use multiple studio strobes with ISO fixed at 100 for my 5DS and 1DX series bodies but with the 1DX III for sports I let ISO float based upon my manual aperture and shutter speed and DPP creates very usable images for those types of photos.

Examples photos 1 through 3 are a capture at ISO 6,400 with the 1DX III with the first image using camera default values for NR, the second at 1/2 of default, and the last with 0 NR.  The fourth was captured at ISO 25,600 with NR set to camera default, it was a quick reaction capture of a teammate on the poorly illuminated sideline seeing his sibling running for a TD.  I was cutting between the runner and the sideline so I didn't want to chance my usual use of the programmable button on the 1DX III to jump between two exposure settings, something I normally do for non-action shots to allow for a lower ISO.  The basketball image is cropped from about 40% of the sensor area, the football is from close to 50% of the full sensor area.

DPP plus current sensors does a very good job of balancing noise reduction and detail before you even consider going with the enhanced NR available now.  My first 1 series Canon digital (1D Mark II) was basically unusable even for less critical sports photos at ISO 800 and was a joke at ISO 1,600.  Now I rarely do anything with sports photos below ISO 3,200 and it often climbs into the 5 digit ISO range.

Give DPP a fair shot at using Canon's camera default NR and see how it looks to you with your R5.

Rodger