Panasonic Lumix G6 - ISO 1600 real world test

Lens: Panasonic 14-45mm f3.5-5.6

Focal Length:  14mm

ISO: 1600

Aperture: f5

Shutter Speed: 1/30 sec

Photos converted using Adobe Camera Raw.

I took this hand held photo in my local café, which has subdued lighting, to see how ISO 1600 performs.

The first photo was converted straight from RAW to JPEG using ACR default settings with no noise reduction applied.  There is a fine film like grain structure to the visible noise, which I like and in no way find it objectionable.  

Click on images for larger view:

No noise reduction applied

Below is a 100% crop of a section of the above image.  The fine grain noise pattern is evident.

100% Crop

This time I added some luminance noise reduction and a small amount of sharpening to the same photo while trying to maintain a natural look and not smearing out too much detail.

Noise reduction applied

Below is a 100% crop showing the results.

100% Crop

The results shooting at ISO 1600 exceeded my expectations and I’m very happy with the G6.  I have the Auto ISO range set between ISO 160 to ISO 1600.

Dealing with high ISO noise is a subjective matter and depends on the individual’s tolerance level.  There seems to be an obsession with high ISO noise performance in some circles at the moment, which I'm guessing for some is more about gaining bragging rights for their chosen camera rather than putting it to real world use.  But that’s just my opinion. Who knows what those people do with their cameras?  I certainly wouldn't let high ISO performance alone determine whether I buy a camera or not.

For my own purposes I wouldn't apply any noise reduction to this image because I find the film like grain that's produced and level of detail retained very appealing.  

Stay tuned for more on the Panasonic G6.