One Man's Quest for a Low Noise Camera

Like many other photographers, I’m on a quest for less noise, particularly in quiet, intimate, low light settings. But it’s not the ISO and the shadows that I’m concerned about, it’s the racket that a camera makes when shooting. You don’t notice that cameras can be loud, attention-drawing things until you get to a situation where discretion is advised and expected. Like a baptism or wedding or some other ceremony. If you take a picture with a loud camera in those situations, be prepared for a bunch of swivelheads to look at you disapprovingly. My style tends towards the looser candid/street/decisive moment, so noise is important to me, and I’ve got strong opinions on the cameras that I’ve used these last couple of years.

Thank you Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick trick shot (stop-motion), a photo by john m flores on Flickr.

From the archives....

Andy Roddick trick shot (stop-motion)

Andy Roddick chases down a ball...and returns it between the legs. This is like a trick shot in pool, and always a crowd-pleaser. At Caesars Tennis Classic hosted by Venus Williams @ Atlantic City Convention Hall.

It was funny, because you could tell it was coming. Roddick had approached the net and Safin floated one back and to Andy's right. Roddick chased it down rather slowly, and even before Roddick got to the ball you could hear the crowd taking a collective breath. They instinctively knew, by the timing of it, that something was different was about to happen. They were not disappointed and laughed and cheered at the result.

See it bigger.

Shot with Pentax K-x @ 3200 ISO.

As impressed as I was with the high ISO of the K-x (I expected as much), I was even more impressed by the AF speed and the FPS, both far better than my K20d. Plus, the K-x shutter is so loud that I had people turn around when I rattled off a half dozen shots in rapid succession!

At the end of the day, however, rapidfire shooting will only help so much. When a tennis ball travels at over 100mph, you still need to hone your sense of timing in order to get the shot.

The K-x makes for a decent sports shooter!

And in this corner...

And in this corner..., originally uploaded by john m flores.

A couple of years ago, someone in the Pentax skunkworks thought it would be a good idea to start releasing their entry-level dSLRs in funky colors. First the K-m (K-2000) received the Crayola treatment, then the K-x. The K-x was an interesting proposition - class-leading specs (high ISO, FPS) wrapped in controversial colors. Traditionalists cried foul - "How could Pentax be considered a 'serious' camera company when they are releasing toy cameras like this?' they stated ad nauseum on message boards all around the Internets. But despite their claims, the K-x drew some serious attention from a broad range of people - people stepping up to their first dSLR, people wanting a good camera on a budget, and even specialty groups like astrophotographers. Like the colors or not (it was also available in traditional black, which outsold all other colors), the K-x was a hit.

The eyebrows have it

The eyebrows have it, originally uploaded by john m flores.

I've done some work for non-profits, and I was just asked to shoot a big fundraising dinner for one of them again. Last year, I had sold my Pentax K20d and replaced it with a Panasonic GH2. I didn't have a flash for the GH2, so I borrowed my wife's Pentax K-x, mounted my Metz 58 AF-1 and hit the road.

It was a challenging night. In the dimness of the cocktail hour, the K-x struggled to find focus. The Metz has an AF assist light, yet the K-x still struggled. I got good shots but never wanted to struggle like that again.

Enter the Pentax K-5, or so I thought. I haven't used it much with the flash, but those times I have used it the performance has been inconsistent. It's still a work in progress.

Enter the Pentax K-01. I could mount the DA*16-50mm F2.8 and Metz flash to it for the cocktail hour and use the DA* 50-135mm F2.8 on the K-5 for the flash-free speaches during dinner. Not only that, but the K-01 has Face Detection AF. And the cherry on top is the rear LCD - keeping the camera away from my face will enable me to have some eye-to-eye contact with subjects. Could the K-01 actually be a killer event camera?

To test, I sat in a dark room with the above-listed setup and used the only subject available at the time, moi. One of the results is here. It's pretty cool that the K-01 identified my face and locked focus nearly every single time. In complete darkness. Let me say that again - IN COMPLETE DARKNESS. What's also cool is that Flash metering is very accurate, and just as importantly, consistent. This setup may do the trick quite nicely.

The only nit to pick is that when you view the files at 100%, the focal plane is the eyebrows, not the eyes. So on this tight crop shot at F2.8 you can count every single hair on my brows if you are so inclined, and if you have time left over you can count my eyelashes. The actual pupils, however, are a touch soft. Just a tiny hair though. Can be sharpened in post if needed. So close to awesome though....

Follow-Up: The K-01 Goes to Events
Samples: K-01 Shoots Events

The Slowest Thing about the Pentax K-01

I bought the K-01 for two things - the Sony sensor (same as the K-5), and the quiet shutter. I typically shoot candid photojournalist style, so I need cameras that work well in low light and don't make too much noise. I had been considering the Panasonic GX1 or Olympus E-P3 since I already have some good native glass for them (14mm F2.5, 20mm F1.7, and 45mm F1.8), but I knew that would mean a sensor not quite up to K-5 standards, and just as critically a loud shutter that would draw attention to the fact that I just took a picture. With the GH2 and GF2 for example, the cats would flinch each time I took a shot! I've since de-sensitized them (by taking hundreds of photos of them), but still...

2011 Christmas - YouTube

We stopped sending out cards years ago - too much work LOL! Instead, we try to put together a holiday video card every year. Guess what - it takes as much work, if not more!

Shot with a Pentax K20d + DA* 50-135 F2.8 (me) and a Pentax K-x + DA* 16-50 F2.8 (my wife). Edited in Final Cut Pro X

Happy holidays y'all

All the Single Ladies...

All the Single Ladies..., originally uploaded by john m flores.

Shaker Barn

Shaker Barn, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
Scrolling through the archives and found this - a photo of the round barn at Hanckock Shaker Village in MA. Something about the quiet orderliness of this photo attracts me, as if this single shot is a metaphor for the Shaker way of life.

Shot with a Pentax K-x and the DA21/3.2 Limited.

One sleeping cat and a tale of two cameras

One sleeping cat and a tale of two cameras, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Via Flickr:
On the left, the Pentax K-x. On the right, the Panasonic GH2. 100% crops. ISO3200 smackdown! Not much in it if you ask me, both doing a really good job of maintaining the details of fine fur. It is amazing what cameras can do these days. If you jumped in a time machine (say, a Tardis) and went back to 1980 with a Pentax K-x, the world would be blown away by the camera. Everyone would have to crowd around the little display on the back of the camera though, as there wasn't enough computing power let alone software to view JPGs or RAW files. And you'd eventually have to feed the camera a steady supply of AA alkaline batteries to keep it powered. Still, they'd probably make you king.

The Citizens Campaign Celebration of Leadership

The Citizens Campaign Celebration of Leadership, originally uploaded by john m flores.

The Pentax K-x got another workout - shooting The Citizens Campaign Celebration of Leadership dinner. Honored guests included New Jersey Governors Brendan Byrne and Tom Kean along with their sons Tom Byrne and Senator Tom Kean Jr.

The K-x mated to the DA*50-135 did an excellent job as usual as the evening's speeches were given, but the camera did struggle in the low light of the cocktail hour. The biggest bugbear was AF in low light - even with the Metz 58 AF-1's focus assist lamp on. Makes me wonder if the more advanced K-5 or comparable Canon or Nikon models would perform better....

Camden Mayor Dana Redd at the Citizen's Campaign Camden Call to Service, 04/01/2011

Camden Mayor Dana Redd at the Citizen's Campaign Camden Call to Service, 04/01/2011, originally uploaded by john m flores.

The Pentax K-x got a workout last night, shooting an event in Camden NJ. The DA* 50-135 was used all night - the zoom range was perfect for the situation - large assembly area with smaller breakout areas. I had the DA* 16-50 and a couple of primes as backup, but they never left the bag.

The K-x did great - as expected. I pushed the ISO to 3200 with impunity, comforted by the fact that any noise could be managed in Lightroom 3.

I had the Metz 58 AF-1 mounted and used it sparingly - lighting was generally even, and the high ISO made it optional. This shot did have flash bounced off the ceiling for a soft fill.

Partnered with the K-x for the first time was the GH2. More about that in the next post...

So long, farewell...

Pentax K20d and DA* 50-135 F2.8 are indeed weatherproof, originally uploaded by john m flores.

And so the GH2 continues to rock my world and force me to rethink my toolbox. First it shoved the Canon G10 to the sidelines with much better IQ for not that much more size. Now the Pentax K20d has left the building, after nearly 2 years and over 31,000 photos taken. It's in good hands now, a former film shooter that's rediscovering his love of photography. So that's good.

At the end of the day, the GH2 stood toe to toe with the K20d in nearly all measures except for two. It didn't match the K20d's build quality and weather-resistance (as shown here) but beat it decisively in AF. And video of course. So thus the K20d has flown.

Problem is, I've been doing a lot of video lately, which means that the GH2 is stuck on a tripod while I'm capturing stills with my wife's K-x. It's a risky proposition, as the malfunction of either camera would leave me severely compromised. So I need a backup, for both. Ideally that backup could shoot both good stills and good video. The likely options are:

A - another GH2
B - a Pentax K-5
C - a Pentax K-r

still don't know which way I'll go on this...

2004 Aprilia RSV-R Motorcycle

It's like 100 degrees below summer right now. Must preserve sanity by thinking of warmer times. And motorcycles.

Panasonic GH2 vs Pentax K20d vs. Pentax K-x

GH2 with 20 F1.7 @ ISO800, F1.7, 1/60
K20d with DA40 F2.8 Limited @ ISO800, F2.8, 1/20
K-x with DA35 F2.8 Macro Limited @ ISO800, F2.8, 1/25

A new M43 vs an old APS-C vs an entry-level APS-C. Can you tell which is which?

Pondering Pollock/Pondering Panasonic

Pondering Pollock/Pondering Panasonic, originally uploaded by john m flores.

This one was a challenge. I had my much-loved Pentax DA70 F2.4 Limited mounted on the Panasonic GH2 via a Fotodiox adapter. IIRC I was shooting wide open - F2.4 - which is not a problem with this lens. I'm @ ISO1600 and still at 1/100s, which is slow for the effective 140mm focal length. I was seated a good ways away from this pair and had trouble holding the camera steady - too much espresso methinks.

I think I nailed the focus thanks the zoom focus assist, but I think I wasn't steady enough. Add to that some challenges with the White Balance plus the fact that the subject are in low light and what you get are really bad skin tones.

The Pollock behind them, however, doesn't have a lot of color to it - muted greens IIRC - so I didn't feel to bad converting to B&W. Still, not a great shot, but worth sharing for illustrative purposes.

Would a dSLR have done better? My Pentax K20d maybe. Here's a situation where in-body image stabilization would have helped the 1/100 hand hold. I might have even tried ISO800 @ 1/50 but that would be playing with fire. It's a bit of a focus/shaky camera crapshoot then, and with people milling about it's hard to say if I would have gotten a sharp shot without people getting in the way.

And the Pentax K-x could have walked this shot easy. Push to ISO3200 for an extra stop. Rely upon image stabilization for another. All of a sudden that 1/100 is 1/200 or 1/250 and it's all good.

It's a shot like this that makes me wonder if I should have gotten the Pentax K-5 instead....

Panasonic GH2 20mm F1.7 vs. Pentax K20d 40mm F2.8 Limited

Panasonic GH2 20mm F1.7 vs. Pentax K20d 40mm F2.8 Limited, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Another gear shot. The K20d on the right is no giant, but here it's bullying the little GH2. I did some ISO800 shots last night of our sleeping cat and these two matched up pretty well. The Canon G10 I had lying around lagged behind considerably, and my wife's K-x was just a hair ahead.

The K20d's bugbear is the AF. I struggled in low light. Makes me wonder how I've gotten any shots in focus over the last 18 months. In comparison, the GH2 let me set not just the size of the focus point - to about the size of the cat's eye - but also position the focus point right on his eye. That's a convenience that I've managed to live without my whole life, but now that I have it, would I ever want to turn back?

Panasonic GH2 20mm F1.7 vs. Pentax K-x 40mm F2.8 Limited

Panasonic GH2 20mm F1.7 vs. Pentax K-x 40mm F2.8 Limited, originally uploaded by john m flores.

Another view of these two cameras to illustrate their relative size. The GH2 is definitely smaller than the K-x, but I'm waffling on whether or not the size difference is a big deal. Yes, I can stuff the GH2 into an oversized winter coat pocket, but you then have a giant lump in your pocket that feels awkward and may make you look disfigured. You know, "Is that a GH2 in your pocket or are you happy to see me?"... At the end of the day, they both are best borne in a bag.

Please note a couple of things. One, the camera and lens combination on the right are just about the smallest APS-C dSLR package available right now. Two, the camera body on the left is just about the largest M43 body available right now. So we are in effect talking about the two extremes of either class.

Also, I can't really comment on the zoom sizes because I don't have comparable lenses for each camera. For the Panasonic I have the 14-140 variable aperture 10x zoom. It's marginally smaller than the Pentax DA* 16-50 F2.8, but it's much slower. And the Pentax is much faster but less zoomier. So it's apples to oranges. What would be more fair is an APS-C 28-200 super zoom, which I don't have right now.

Finally, take a look at how far the viewfinder on the GH2 extends beyond the back of the camera. It's an interesting design decision - to help prevent schnozes from gooping up the back of the camera. It clearly inhibits pocketability, but helps usability. It's also an indication of how important Panasonic's designers thought the EVF was to the usability of the camera. From discussion that I've read on message boards, the use of an EVF vs and OVF is one of those divisive issues - people either love it or hate it. Maybe they've read the message boards as well and doing all that they can to make EVF acceptable to those enamored with OVF. I'll continue to share my thoughts on this key part of the GH2 in future posts.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall...

Mirror, mirror, on the wall..., originally uploaded by john m flores.

I've been shooting with the Panasonic Lumix GH2 for the last week or so. It's been an interesting experience to say the least, and has started me thinking about the future of mirrorless cameras. Can they eventually usurp the dSLR?

Watch this space. Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing my thoughts on the camera. But this won't be a brick wall and test charts kind of evaluation. This is about taking photos and finding the right tool to do so.

Pictured here is the Panasonic GH2 20mm F1.7 and Pentax K-x 40mm F2.8 Limited. The Pentax is currently one of the smallest dSLRs, made smaller still with the DA40 F2.8 Limited lens, the smallest pancake in Pentax's arsenal. Together they make a potent street and available light package - focus is fast, the shutter equally responsive (4.7 FPS), and you can take good clear images at 3200ISO, 6400ISO in a pinch. Built-in Image Stabilization adds a stop or two to boot.

Smaller still is the Panasonic GH2 when paired with the 20m F1.7 lens. Is it a lot smaller? No? Is the difference big enough to make a difference? Yes. I can, for example, stuff the GH2 in an oversized coat pocket or the slash pocket of a messenger bag. The K-x is just a hair too big for either. The Panasonic is shaping up to be a potent street and available light package as well. The contrast AF feels just as fast as the K-x, as does the FPS. ISO1600 seems to be at the camera's limits; ISO3200 is only for desperation, ISO6400 more or less unusable, and ISO12,800 is purely for Panasonic's marketing department to put in brochures.

So when you look at the numbers, it ends up pretty close. The K-x gains a stop with higher ISO. The GH2 gets it back with the faster lens (ignore for now the difference between effective focal lengths - they're both normals, even if they are at opposite ends of the range). The K-x gains a stop or two with built-in image stabilization. But the GH2 has a focus assist lamp to help with low light AF and what is the best MF assist that I've tried. A press of the rear wheel give you a magnified view in either the rear screen or electronic viewfinder. You can then MF perfectly. Another press gets you back to normal magnification. Simple. Brilliant.

The Panasonic is a much more expensive camera of course - Google Shopping puts the GH2 with the 20 F1.7 at around $1300 while the K-x plus DA40 F2.8 Limited is about $900. That extra cost does get you extra features, including a nice flip-twist rear screen and benchmark 1080p dSLR video. The K-x on the other hand has a poor implementation of Live View and ok but not great 720p 25fps video. One step up is the K-r, which improves on the K-x's AF and some other features but has a similarly-performing sensor.

But enough about price. The knock against M43 cameras up to now has been that they simply can't perform as well as a dSLR - APS-C or Full Frame. I'll be looking at that closely in the next weeks, and hope to answer the question - is M43 ready for prime time?