Horizontal banding on night/high ISO images - D810

Sventek

Hi everyone,

I've encountered an unusual problem on two D810 bodies now. Luckily, the shop I bought my first body from last week agreed to replace it, but when I used the replacement body tonight I had the same problem (please see the image below). Has anyone else had this happen? It certainly doesn't look to be normal to me, and I've never seen a noise issue like this. This image was opened in Photoshop and saved to jpeg with no other processing. I'd be grateful of your opinions on what it might be - or have I just been unlucky?

PB_PM

Your shot is at ISO128,00, so you might need to keep your expectations a little lower. That is the max native ISO, it's not going to be perfect.

It also looks like the outdoor lighting (halogen I assume) might also be causing what appears to be banding. Does this only happen at venues like the one photographed here? I only ask because I know that those types of lights can do nasty things to shots at some shutter speeds.

Sventek

It appears at a range of ISO settings, though. I've observed it from 1600 and upwards. It didn't happen at all with my D800E, and doesn't necessarily occur in consecutive images taken at 5fps. I also struggle to accept it at noise. I've seen noise banding, but these are definite stripes that seem to increase in width a you move from the centre of the frame upwards.

PB_PM

Interesting, do you have any in camera processing turned on? Like high ISO noise reduction, vignetting control or ADL?

Sventek

High ISO noise reduction is off, I'm not sure about vignetting control, and I shoot in RAW - so ADL doesn't apply.

Ironheart

Have you tried Nikon's RAW converter in NX-D? Photoshop may not be fully up-to-speed

Sventek

I'll try it, Ironheart - but the problem is noticeable in the camera.

Snowleopard

I noticed this problem above ISO 3200 on my D700 only after it was serviced by Nikon USA, it never use to do this. It has ruined anything I shoot over ISO 3200 since getting the camera back and it is bothersome enough that it is making me re-think getting a newer Nikon body, specially at the $3000+ price range.

It would be nice if Fuji still made the S series DSLR's, like a S6, S7, S8, etc to use as a control to prove that Nikon is messing something up.

spraynpray

Have you spoken to Nikon yet? They'll ask for an image with all EXIF data to look at before you send it in I expect. It will be interesting to hear what they say.

Msmoto

I cannot see the problem.

PB_PM

I cannot see the problem.

There are lines (almost purple in appearance) all over the upper part of the frame, mostly in the black areas, from the left almost all the way over to the right.

FlowtographyBerlin

@msmoto: Had the same "problem" earlier and was thinking the same thing. Now (at my desk) I can see the lines.

nek4life

Could it be a memory card/memory card reader issue? I haven't seen that issue before with my D810, although I don't think I've tried shooting with the ISO up so high.

kanuck

Sventek, I have the same problem so you are certainly not alone. It is not the camera it is your computer. It is a camera RAW problem or possibly a compatibility problem. I have no trouble when I open files in Lightroom 5.7 but when I export the file to Sliver EFEX Pro 2, Photoshop CC or Photoshop 5.1 extended, the banding suddenly appears especially in the skies. It does not matter what the ISO range I shoot with 64 all the way to 100,000. I have struggled with this problem since April 2012 when I bought a D800e and now with the D810 (July 2014). Not only that but I even found that viewing other people's photos I could see the same kind of banding when viewed on my own computer, which leads me to believe some files exceed the resolution of my monitor perhaps. With my computer at work, the lines cannot be seen. I have used the stamp tool a lot in CC and darken the skies to try to remove the banding. I even followed some online advise to add noise to the image to lesson the actual banding effects! It certainly has been the most challenging problem I have had to face with digital photography and it has been nearly a 3 year ongoing battle so I really feel your pain. I am updating my laptop soon and I hope all new specs will help finally solve this problem...

heartyfisher

I can see the purple bands .. on the sample picture
on both my monitors .

I would try different raw converters .. Could you post a raw file and we can have a go at converting it?

Msmoto

OK, I see the purple line......And, I am wondering if this has something to do with the light source...mercury vapor lamps and the frequency in relation to the shutter speed.

The only way to determine this would be to shoot images at different shutter speeds under the same light conditions and see what happens.

Sventek

It's definitely a problem with the camera - the lines are visible immediately after taking the shot. The settings are manual, except for ISO - and the effect is visible on a wide range of ISO settings. While it's common, it isn't occurring regularly enough for it to be the lighting, IMHO. Hopefully, they'll be willing to exchange the camera again without too much fuss, and I'll hope for a better batch.

Msmoto

As the banding is soft, i am assuming it could be an irregular shutter speed across the sensor. Almost like it is hanging up somehow. Or maybe somehow the voltage across the sensor varies during the exposure. However, to have this occur on two bodies strongly suggests this is a result of the shooting conditions.

A trial holding the camera vertically and panning horizontally may be interesting. Also, setting up the same EV under tungsten lights and doing the same motions would rule out the metal halide lights being a part of the problem.

Sventek

I would normally agree, Msmoto - but Nikon's quality control leaves a lot to be desired over the past few years. I'm inclined toward a bad batch of sensors, especially since this problem would have been found in many sports stadia with the same sort of lighting by now. Having said that, I'll definitely try to get to the bottom of it.

For those interested, here's a link to a NEF file from the second body that shows the problem more clearly: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kez4uw5pgrslyo3/_DSC1720.NEF?dl=0

Msmoto

Wow, I can easily see it on the NEF File...quite severe.... looks like some type of electrical glitch.

And, I doubt this is the lighting now that I have seen it "in the raw"....no pun intended...LOL

MaxBerlin

I pulled the NEF down and ran it through Capture 1. The magenta banding is very apparent.