Alfonso Parra AEC, ADFC – Noise study on the Sony ILME-FX3 camera

[Alfonso Parra]

Dear colleagues,
We have published a study on noise in the Sony FX3 camera on the Imago website. The study covers topics ranging from dark noise to SNR values at different ISO settings, and concludes with an example of its application, created by Adriana Bernal, ADFC, for the documentary feature film If I Tell You the Truth, I Lie to You (Colombian Cinematic Heterodoxies).

I hope you find it interesting.

https://imago.org/highlights/alfonso-parra-aec-adfc-noise-study-on-the-sony-ilme-fx3-camera/

Best Regards

Alfonso Parra AEC, ADFC

www.alfonsoparra.com

Imago ITC member

Colombia/Spain

[Aristeidis Tyropolis]

Interesting stuff! This is quite a detailed study.

I am a bit perplexed as to whether in the context of shooting underexposed with high ISO (12800 right?) for certain scenes using that camera - as the study seems to pοint out, would have been in reality, an aesthetic choice gathered by simple experimentation - or necessity due to low light conditions, happy accidents etc...color correction techniques vs. checking such (a very interesting) quantitative study.

In other words, are we hunting for "peculiarities" in digital noise to emulate "issues" and impose imperfections in visual outcomes  as a means of expression (which I totally get) or...maybe  should we be more instictive and use the tools that actually do have those organic limitations "out of the box" like I don't know...cough... cough film, which is mentioned more than once in said study.

 

Edited September 8, 2025 by Aristeidis Tyropolis

[Alfonso Parra]

Thank you for your reading Aristeidis. In the case of underexposure at EI 12,800, it was an aesthetic decision based on a detailed study of the camera’s digital noise behavior. There was no post-production work aimed at creating or controlling the noise.

Regarding your second question, I believe both options you mention are entirely valid, provided they are understood through a deep comprehension of noise in digital cameras, or grain in analog ones, and how each manifests according to its own characteristics: ISO values, exposure, development, or post-production.

This study seeks only to contribute to the understanding of digital noise in this particular camera, and to explore how it can be used from an aesthetic perspective that enhances audiovisual storytelling. Moreover, the work on noise—digital in this case—is approached simultaneously from both theoretical and experimental standpoints. For me, there is no real distinction between the two, since in cinematography they are intrinsically connected.

Regards

Alfonso Parra AEC, ADFC

www.alfonsoparra.com