Higher ISOs less noisy with the latest M8 software

[HKHoward]

Here is the Court of Justice in Singapore at night - a three panel pano taken from the Cricket Club with the M8 and the 50mm Lux ISO 1250.
It seems to me that since the latest software upgrade noise is better controlled at the higher ISO's.
Take a look.
What do you think?

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Howard+Cummer/Manada/JusticePadang3PanoM8Lux50W.jpg.html

http://tinyurl.com/ccn84z

 

[robklurfield]

Nice. Especially love the clouds.

 

[GlennB]

Howard, Nice photos !,
By "panels" do you mean frames? And then stitching them together in CS (photoshop) ?

 

[Ricko of Fla]

so what noise reduction software are you talking about. It would be a great help
Thaks
Ricko

 

[HKHoward]

By panels , yes I mean frames - stitched together with CS 4.
No noise reduction was applied.
Cheers
Howard

 

[Ben Z]

I don't notice any change in high-ISO noise with the new firmware. Then again I don't find it objectionable (and I do own a Canon 5D for comparison, so I know what "clean" high-ISO looks like). Since I've adopted Dan States' regimen I found that to be the single most effective improvement to the M8's high-ISO. With credit to Dan:

The M8 requires different handling than a DSLR to get maximum high ISO image quality.

The biggest error most users make is to use noise reduction and sharpening in their RAW conversions. Neither is necessary if a good quality lens is used and turning them both off gives a much more natural "film like" image (though with far less grain than high speed film)

In C1 v4 I set sharpening to zero and luminance noise reduction to zero. I set chromanance noise reduction to 75 for shots made at 1250 or 2500 iso but turn it off for 640 and under.

With these settings you can create outstanding files that look great on screen and on paper.

Sharpening on the M8 is typically overkill and only leads to artifacts that then need to be smoothed over with noise reduction

 

[DennisPT]

I am not sure about the high ISO and new firmware as I rarely shoot 1250 but nice composition of the Court House photo.
Cheers,
Dennis