Noise Reduction

[24Peter]

I was fooling around this morning shooting stuff in natural light and comparing shots. Below is an example of how noise reduction software can save a shot. This was shot with my FZ20 at ISO 100 with noise reduction set to "high" in camera. I then went into Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10 and adjusted the levels a bit and then applied noise reduction (80%). (Red's are notoriously noisey, followed by blues then greens.)

[pixelator]

The corrected image looks softer and posterized.(maybe you have lost to many levels in the correction)

[24Peter]

Well as I'm sure you know, that is a downside of noise reduction. There often is a softening of the image. Sharpening the image a bit (after applying noise reduction) can help. Also noise reduction software often has two types of noise reduction: luminous noise and chroma noise. Reducing luminous noise creates the effect where the dresser (and to a lesser extent everything else) seems darker in the corrected image. Chroma noise is evident in the reds on the original.

I posted this because there have been several questions lately about noisey images. For me, even at full resolution the corrected image is fine, though I normally would sharpen it a bit. Just thought it might be helpful to those concerned about the issue. It's also worth noting that even with the in-camera noise reduction set to "high" there still is quite a bit of noise in the image. Granted, it was a relatively low, natural light photo. But as many of us have observed, the FZ20 is one noisey little bugger.

[genece]

Peter
I am sure you have a reason but I never understood why people care what the original looks like when this is the way you view it.

[24Peter]

Hi Gene - there's clearly a difference (to my eye) even at a reduced size. And they print better when touched up.

For instance, on this shot of the moon,




when I printed it out (like many of my photos) on my color laser printer (1200 X 1200 dpi) before using noise reduction, it looked terrible. The luminous noise fringed the brightness of the moon and created an ugly transition from light to dark. After using noise reduction it looked much better when I printed it out (similar to what you see here.)

I think you yourself have recommended "Neat Image" many times on this forum as a way to clean up noisey pics, no? Don't you use it on your own pictures?

[genece]

Yes peter
I did not mean to say that a noise reducing program is not needed,I do use Neat Image quit a bit, especially if I am going to sharpen or saturate, and on low light pictures.
By the way that is one of the best moon shots I have seen.

[hihosilver]

That is a very cool moon shot.

[24Peter]

Thank you guys. That shot was taken on a relatively clear Los Angeles night while the moon was still fairly low in the sky (the atmosphere magnifies a bit more when it's low.) I used my TCON 14B at full optical zoom (it's a really nice piece of glass ). I applied some noise reduction as mentioned and a touch of sharpening to get that image.

[pixelator]

Well as I'm sure you know, that is a downside of noise reduction. There often is a softening of the image. Sharpening the image a bit (after applying noise reduction) can help. Also noise reduction software often has two types of noise reduction: luminous noise and chroma noise. Reducing luminous noise creates the effect where the dresser (and to a lesser extent everything else) seems darker in the corrected image. Chroma noise is evident in the reds on the original.

I posted this because there have been several questions lately about noisey images. For me, even at full resolution the corrected image is fine, though I normally would sharpen it a bit. Just thought it might be helpful to those concerned about the issue. It's also worth noting that even with the in-camera noise reduction set to "high" there still is quite a bit of noise in the image. Granted, it was a relatively low, natural light photo. But as many of us have observed, the FZ20 is one noisey little bugger.

Another reduction programas , like Noiseware let you reduce chroma and luminous noise separated. You can reduce the chroma noise in a stroger way, because seldom affects the sharpen of the image, than depends on the luninous component of te image.
Your moon picture is great !!
greetings

[24Peter]

Thanks pixelator. That's a good point. For the record, Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10 also allows for separate tuning of luminant and chroma noise. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.