Nikon D300: Sharpening, Noise Reduction, & High ISO

This test shows the in-camera JPG processing of the D300 at all ISO's for sharpening and noise reduction. My conclusion, when also considering the performance of sharpening and noise reduction in Bridge CS3, Lightroom and / or Photoshop, is to turn the sharpening AND noise reduction all the way OFF when shooting JPG. I feel comfortable shooting up to ISO 1600 and 3200 in professional conditions, when exposure and white balance can be perfect. This is because the highlight detail is perfectly fine, but the shadow detail is starting to take a major hit. I pay very close attention to how my subject is being illuminated, and how I might create a dramatic image... ISO 6400 is only usable in casual situations where print sizes are kept to 5x7 or smaller... It is about equal to under-exposing an image at ISO 3200, and then boosting the brightness in photoshop... =Matt= (This article was created in 2008)