View Full Version : gl2 noise compared with xl1?


Jesse Weaver
April 18th, 2003, 01:59 PM
Hey all. I recently shot a wedding using both my gl2, and my boss' xl1. Everything looked like it worked out pretty good in the editing bay, but when I rendered out and burned a dvd, all of the shots taken with the gl2 had a lot of noise in them. The xl1, as expected, looked great, but I was disapointed in the performance of the newly purchased gl2. Is there something I am doing wrong? Or, has anyone else experienced this sort of problem. Thanks

Ken Tanaka
April 18th, 2003, 02:11 PM
Hello Jesse,
(I am assuming that you refer to VISUAL noise rather than audio noise?)

All anyone can do is speculate. I'll take a swing.

Weddings = crappy, uncontrolled lighting
XL1 = 1/3" CCD
GL2 = 1/4" CCD

Possible diagnosis: GL2 was set to Auto Gain and gained-up on dim scenes.

Chris Hurd
April 18th, 2003, 02:12 PM
This would depend *entirely* on what settings were used for each camera, Jesse. You would have to provide some significant details about how these cameras were used, what modes they were in, what were the various settings on each cam for gain, shutter, exposure, etc. in order to get any kind of useable feedback. There are a lot of adjustments on both cameras and it would be very easy to make one look noisier than the other. Hope this helps,

Barry Goyette
April 18th, 2003, 05:02 PM
Jesse,

The gl2 will exhibit more noise as the gain is turned up than the xl1s does at the same gain level. However the image is still noticeably more detailed in lower light levels due to the gl2 chip's higher resolution. I've found that if the noise is distracting, turning down the sharpness 1-2 notches negates the increased noise, and will give you a look similar to the xl1s.

Barry

Aaron Rosen
April 19th, 2003, 08:36 AM
How does one turn down the sharpness 1-2 notches? I can not figure it out.

Thanks for the help.

Andre De Clercq
April 19th, 2003, 09:43 AM
If you want to compare both cams w.r.t. their initial noise performance, cover the lens, set a e.g. 12 db gain, record the noise on tape. Change the tape to the other cam , and record again. Compare the noise levels on yr monitor. This gives you together with the lowest F-number, a clean noise comparison, excluding the many tricks consumer cam manufacturers apply.

Barry Goyette
April 19th, 2003, 11:03 AM
Aaron

The sharpness setting is under custom presets in the camera menu. After making the adjustment, close out the menu, and hit the custom preset button..a "cp" icon should appear in the viewfinder...

Barry

Aaron Rosen
April 19th, 2003, 04:28 PM
Thank You.

Jesse Weaver
April 20th, 2003, 11:01 PM
Allright, thanks a lot guys. I talked to my boss, and I think that our biggest discrepancy was the gain issue. I will try some of the things that you suggested, and again, I appreciate your input.

Jesse