Blackmagic Forum

Is anyone else experiencing noise in shadow details using the pocket cam?

The noise is very fine and not distracting like what you get from DLSRs but it definitely isn't a clean image.

Yes I've noticed this.

It depends mostly how you expose it and how you color correct it.

My thought is expose to the right but if it looks like you're going to have to bring up blacks/shadows in post (which brings out noise) then you may need to permit highlight to blow out a little.

You may want to avoid ASA 1600 if you can as well.

This might be a good example of why an in camera histogram would help.

Expose to the right would be my recommendation as well. Have helped me at least.

I've noticed it as well. It's noise that most clients won't notice, but still not good to just leave it that way. It really likes to rear its nasty head when I use a sharpening plugin on FCPX (which I have used on quite a bit of footage since I am having trouble getting really sharp footage from the Pocket - but that's another thread). Neat Video does a really good job of cleaning it up though and it sharpens a bit at the same time.

There should be noise: the camera does zero processing in this area. You're getting the data debayered in-camera to a 10-bit format. There will definitely be noise if there isn't ample light.

Same thing with RED, and if you think Pocket's noisy, try Alexa footage.

Noise reduction is a part of the process when dealing with cameras like these.

Do DSLRs do noise reduction in-camera, Kholi, such that the quality of the BMPCC footage isn't any less, we just have to perform that step ourselves?

Insomniac wrote:Do DSLRs do noise reduction in-camera, Kholi, such that the quality of the BMPCC footage isn't any less, we just have to perform that step ourselves?

Yes.

What Tom said haha.

DSLRs, if not shooting RAW, also involve in-camera processing (sharpness, noise reduction, etc.)

Pocket and 2.5K, none of those things.

Resolve does a good job of reducing noise, Neat Video as well.

I can only imagine what people would think looking at some raw S16mm sized 500T...

Bus yes, the Pocket and the BMPCC do have noise on them when you're looking right out. It's why some people opt to over-expose them in order to crush that noise down in post. There is also noise reduction which you can do. And also also, since your final deliverable will often be much lower quality than the pro res original, it too will hide much of the noise.

You know, it actually surprises me that everyone thinks Alexa is clean... it is definitely not clean. About the same as the Pocket in a lot of situations.

I don't bother doing noise reduction, on the 2.5K it's just chroma noise reduction, Pocket Camera feels clean enough already without NR so I leave it as is.

AdrianSierkowski wrote:I can only imagine what people would think looking at some raw S16mm sized 500T...

I agree, coming from a film only background, I detest a super clean image. Especially coming from an avid user of s16 from 50 - 500 ASA and 35mm as well.

Some noise like "grain" will give you more this filmic organic look.

You just have to expose to the right as talked over many times.

Here people add digital grain to their material a lot to get this "filmic look" and kill the video feel.

In resolve you could clean up the images also relatively easy.

ETTR correctly and you would be fine.

Going in iso 100 and ETC wil make you problems as i see with some material clients bring me
to the grading sessions. Use native 800.