Noise (7.86)
The Sony T900 scored lower than the comparison cameras in terms of image noise. Noise is a speckling that occurs in photographs, and becomes increasingly noticeable at higher ISOs. We look at how noisy the images are in both bright (3000 lux) and low light (60 lux). We photograph an X-Rite ColorChecker chart at every available standard ISO setting, and use Imatest to track how the noise changes across the entire spread. Click here for more on how we test noise.
| Noise Level Comparison |
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As expected, noise levels were lower under the bright 3000 lux illumination, except at ISO 3200. The drop in noise at ISO 1600 is undoubtedly due to some form of noise reduction software kicking in, though it's overwhelmed at ISO 3200.
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ISO 80 |
ISO 400 |
ISO 800 |
ISO 3200 |
| 60 Lux |
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| 3000 Lux |
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The chart above shows 100% crops of various levels of our testing, and shows how noise increases with ISO. As you can see, noise is especially noticeable at ISO 3200.
| Camera Noise Level Comparison |
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Compared to other cameras, the noise levels on the Sony T900 were very high up to ISO 800, but more competitive after that. The only camera that had lower noise across the entire gamut of ISOs was the Canon SD970. The Fuji F200EXR was tested in its 12-megapixel mode. It also has a low noise mode, but this reduces the resolution, and our testing regiment calls for always using the highest resolution available.
| Noise Score Comparison |
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ISO (6.50)
The Sony T900 has a very wide range of ISOs, from ISO 80 to 3200, all at full resolution, even though the noise levels are a little high. However, above ISO 800, you can't use burst mode or bracketing with the camera.
The chart below shows the same area of still-life setup, shot at every available ISO. From it, you can compare the behavior of the different camera models at each setting.
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ISO Examples |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 80 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 100 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 200 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 400 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 800 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 1600 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 3200 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 6400 |
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Sony T900 |
Canon SD970 |
Casio EX-FC100 |
Fuji F200EXR |
| ISO 12800 |
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NOTE: The images above are not used in our testing or scoring, but are included here to show real-world examples of the differences between cameras at the various ISO settings. The above images were also all taken with automatic white balance, which accounts for the differences in color.
| Color |
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