Noise Reduction

canon400d

I took a few shots a while ago of some wind turbines and there is quite a bit of noise in them. It was cloudy and I used ISO 800 and on the LCD appeared ok.
I use CS4 and I have tried the noise reduction but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Should I be looking for some other software? Your comments would be most appreciated.
Regards
Bob

pathfinder

There are at least a half dozen plug ins to reduce noise in an image in Photoshop, Bob

Most are all pretty good, and much much better than the de-noising ability in Photoshop. Noise Ninja, Neat Image, NoiseWare, DeNoise, DeFine, and some others that I have forgotten. Google each to find them on the web.

I have owned each of them at one time or another. Currently I use NoiseWare Pro Edition as it easy, fast, effective and requires very little input or decisions on my part. Divamum uses the free version of NoiseWare and finds it quite good. I also use DeNoise from Topaz software as well, and it works fine also. I think it still free too.

Be sure to do your denoising on an adjustment layer, so that you can limit the effect to where you need it with a nice mask that you know how to do. I frequently denoise skies that I want to print large, even at low ISOs.

I would mention, that ISO 800 usually does not have bad, objectionable noise with most of Canon's DSLRs, unless the image was under exposed at the time of exposure. Avoiding under exposure solves a lot of noise problems right from the get go.

MDalby

Noise Ninja
I bought Noise Ninja as my first piece of software for post processing.

I have now purchased Lightroom. Should I still use Noise Ninja or just use the noise reduction in Lightroom? If I am still going to use Noise Ninja, what would be my workflow?

Thanks

canon400d

pathfinder wrote:

There are at least a half dozen plug ins to reduce noise in an image in Photoshop, Bob

Most are all pretty good, and much much better than the de-noising ability in Photoshop. Noise Ninja, Neat Image, NoiseWare, DeNoise, DeFine, and some others that I have forgotten. Google each to find them on the web.

I have owned each of them at one time or another. Currently I use NoiseWare Pro Edition as it easy, fast, effective and requires very little input or decisions on my part. Divamum uses the free version of NoiseWare and finds it quite good. I also use DeNoise from Topaz software as well, and it works fine also. I think it still free too.

Be sure to do your denoising on an adjustment layer, so that you can limit the effect to where you need it with a nice mask that you know how to do. I frequently denoise skies that I want to print large, even at low ISOs.

I would mention, that ISO 800 usually does not have bad, objectionable noise with most of Canon's DSLRs, unless the image was under exposed at the time of exposure. Avoiding under exposure solves a lot of noise problems right from the get go.

Well Pathfinder, once again you have answered it all in a nutshell. To be honest I never usually have problems with noise {at my old age I have plenty of other problems} However, I am quite sure from what you say I will be able to sort this one out. I know Divamum from our equestrian threads and if she can do it I probably can too. BTW I really enjoyed seeing your photos. The very first I have ever seen.
Regards
Bob

MDalby

MDalby wrote:

I bought Noise Ninja as my first piece of software for post processing.

I have now purchased Lightroom. Should I still use Noise Ninja or just use the noise reduction in Lightroom? If I am still going to use Noise Ninja, what would be my workflow?

Thanks

Is this the correct workflow:

01- Shoot in RAW
02- Lightroom: Exposure, white balance adj, B&W, Crop etc...
03- Save to Tiff
04- Noise Ninja to JPG

pathfinder

MDalby wrote:

Is this the correct workflow:

01- Shoot in RAW
02- Lightroom: Exposure, white balance adj, B&W, Crop etc...
03- Save to Tiff
04- Noise Ninja to JPG

That will work with the stand alone version of Noise Ninja.

I use a Photoshop plug in for NoiseWare, so I edit a file from Lightroom, in Photoshop to NoiseWare, as a 16 bit ProPhotoRGB file, and send it back to Lightroom as a 16 bit tiff.

canon400d

pathfinder wrote:

That will work with the stand alone version of Noise Ninja.

I use a Photoshop plug in for NoiseWare, so I edit a file from Lightroom, in Photoshop to NoiseWare, as a 16 bit ProPhotoRGB file, and send it back to Lightroom as a 16 bit tiff.

I once tried the trial version of Noise Ninja and to be honest I wasn't too happy with it. I have just tried the plug in for NoiseWare Pro Edition that Pathfinder is using and the results are excellent so I am just gonna purchase it to get rid of that grid. As I have said I don't really have a problem with noise but for that odd occasion I am sure this is the way to go as Pathfinder has advised.
Regards
Bob

MarkR

MDalby wrote:

Is this the correct workflow:

01- Shoot in RAW
02- Lightroom: Exposure, white balance adj, B&W, Crop etc...
03- Save to Tiff
04- Noise Ninja to JPG

You generally want to move your noise reduction as close to the beginning as possible. In http://www.topazlabs.com/blog/image-noise-reduction-workflow-tip/ the DeNoise developers show a small but not insignificant advantage to correcting noise prior to exposure. This advice is applicable across noise reduction solutions. Also remember to turn off sharpening until after you have done your noise reduction.

In an ideal world, NR could be done 100% in Raw, without going to a 3rd party editor (ex. Bibble). Lightroom/ACR's not quite there yet, but is still better than the previous edition.

pathfinder

If you 're willing to fiddle with the settings, most of the available denoiser's work pretty fair. I prefer NoiseWare for two simple reasons.

1) It works very well with just one of four choices - default, night, landscape or portrait. Period, that's it!

2) I do not have to mess with different profiles for different cameras and different ISOs. I hated that!

The real secret is to avoid under exposure like the plague, particularly at high ISOs.

I am not saying NoiseWare is the best, but it is certainly one of the easiest, and darned good at reducing noise.

canon400d

pathfinder wrote:

If you 're willing to fiddle with the settings, most of the available denoiser's work pretty fair. I prefer NoiseWare for two simple reasons.

1) It works very well with just one of four choices - default, night, landscape or portrait. Period, that's it!

2) I do not have to mess with different profiles for different cameras and different ISOs. I hated that!

The real secret is to avoid under exposure like the plague, particularly at high ISOs.

I am not saying NoiseWare is the best, but it is certainly one of the easiest, and darned good at reducing noise.

Well I am no professional as Pathfinder knows. I have been asking questions for the past two years and I must say I have had the best advice on here which I appreciate.
I have purchased the NoiseWare Pro Edition that Pathfinder advised and believe me nothing could be better.
In the past if I have had a problem one can reassure Pathfinder will solve it and not only that he has the patience to reassure you, and I am sure one cannot ask any more than that.
Regards
Bob

pathfinder

Cheers, Bob!! :slurp

canon400d

pathfinder wrote:

Cheers, Bob!! :slurp

It is the truth and I applaud everyone who has helped me in the past.
Regards
Bob