Nikon D40 and D300 High ISO Comparison

We at IDIC Photo are very happy with the performance of the Nikon D300 -- its tone, color rendition and the 51-point auto-focus are second to none. And while it does not have the unbelievable low-noise performance of the full-frame D3 or the new D700 or the Canon 5D, it does a pretty decent job upto ISO 1600 to 3200. What surprised us is that Nikon's entry-level D40 is no slouch either when it comes to low-light high ISO performance! There are several high-ISO shootouts already posted around the web including Ken Rockwell's comparison. Posted below are some test shots we took with the D40 and D300 at ISO1600 and 3200 that re-affirm the findings.

All shots were taken with very low tungsten light source in the room and in manual mode at f/2.8 and 1/30 sec using the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens.

ISO1600 - D40 image on the left; D300 on the right



Crop from the image:

D300 image on the left; D40 on the right (Note the doll's head is larger in the D300 image due to the higher resolution but it appears to lose some details due to the D300's built-in noise reduction)




ISO3200 - D40 image on the left; D300 on the right

Nikon SB-600 Bounce flash test with Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce

All photographers know that using direct flash is a big no-no -- it is absolutely the last resort, no-other-trick-up-our-sleeves kind of light. It produces harsh shadows and the typical washed out colors associated with flash photography. Strobist.com is a great resource for off-camera flash and strobe techniques. However in this post we at IDIC Photo explore the next best thing to off-camera flash -- bounce flash. Most external flashes provide the ability to change the angle of the flash lamp so that it can be bounced off the ceiling or a wall (white ceilings and walls work best for obvious reasons). Even the excellent $100 Nikon SB-400 can be used in bounce mode. In this post we present various shots taken with the Nikon SB-600 with direct flash, bounce flash at different angles, and then bounce flash with a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce attached to diffuse light.

First, the setup: a doll and stuffed toy serve as our subjects. Nikon D40 mounted on a Manfrotto tripod. All shots were taken with the Nikon 18-200mm VR at 65mm in Apperture-priority mode (F5) and Auto-ISO. There was some tungsten-ambient light in the room but not much.








1. Direct Flash. Notice the washed-out colors and harsh shadows. The second photo below is with the Omni-bounce and even with direct flash it manages to diffuse the light and reduces the shadows to produces a more pleasing image.

SB-600 Direct flash (head facing forward

SB-600 Direct flash with Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce (head facing forward)

2. SB-600 head at 45 degrees

SB-600 Bounced 45 degrees

SB-600 Bounced 45 degrees with Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce

3. SB-600 head at 75 degrees

SB-600 Bounced 75 degrees

SB-600 Bounced 75 degrees with Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce

All images are straight out of the camera. It is clear that even though bouncing the light produces a very good result, the Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce improves that further by 1) diffusing the light even more, and 2) bouncing some light straight-back (a bounce-card effect). What I did not compare was the difference in light thrown by a bounce card vs Sto-fen. Perhaps in a future post.

Using window light for portraits

You will often hear photographers raving about window light -- especially for portraits. Scott Kelby, Joe McNally are among the few who have included examples of portraits taken with this wonderful, soft light. At IDIC Photo we try to leverage window light as well wherever possible. When doing formal portraits at a client's home, we try to setup our portable studio (background stand, muslin cloth background, fill light) near a north-facing window. This casts a beautfiul, warm light that is perfect for head-and-shoulders shots and even 3/4 portraits. An example of a portrait taken using window light (with some bounce flash and a lastolite reflector used for fill) can be viewed at http://www.idic-photo.com/gallery/5120971_hhS2h

Fruit tart

My wife got this colorful, yummy-looking fruit tart today from Wholefoods market and of course, I had to shoot it before it became dessert! I used a simple white cardboard and shot it with window light, some SB-400 bounced off the ceiling for fill.