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Noise Reduction / Raw editing software.

bigdaddybucks
Posted 13/10/2013 - 09:04 Link
Good morning, having recently purchased a second hand K5 (which is in my humble opinion a massive step up from the K7) I have decided it is probably time to start shooting RAW more often especially now that the days are getting darker and for indoor shooting.

I currently have Photoshop CS3, Photoshop Elements 11 and the Pentax Imaging Software (this I have never even loaded onto my Laptop).

I do not intend to shoot Raw all the time as I love the simplicity of shooting Jpegs so I am mainly looking at using Raw for indoor and low light stuff as I am struggling to get very good low noise images at higher ISOs when shooting Jpeg.

I am basically looking for some very simple advice about Noise Reduction. Will any of the three programs I have mentioned above do noise reduction or do I need to obtain additional software for this. I am as always on a strict budget so any extra software will need to be cheap!

Thanks in advance for any advice offered

Lee
Pentaxophile
Posted 13/10/2013 - 09:27 Link
All three offer noise reduction. My preference would be the most reduction in the CS3 raw converter. There is also a noise reduction filter in CS3 itself but it's better to reduce the noise as you convert the RAW file IMHO.
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stub
Posted 13/10/2013 - 10:25 Link
Elements 11 would be my choice. It contains very good noise reduction in the Adobe raw converter. Make sure you have downloaded the most up to date version from Adobe, that your Elements 11 will accept..
K-1Gripped K-1 ungripped K-5ii K7 Various lenses

Stuart..
PeterKR
Posted 13/10/2013 - 11:10 Link
stub wrote:
Elements 11 would be my choice. It contains very good noise reduction in the Adobe raw converter. Make sure you have downloaded the most up to date version from Adobe, that your Elements 11 will accept..

I totally agree.

I studied Nigel's 'Mini Guide' to the free pentax software that came with my K-r (PDCU4) and used that for my RAW processing until I got a copy of PSE11.
Now THIS is my program of choice and find it excellent for both the RAW development and subsequent 'tweaking and cropping'.

You already have PSE11, so IMHO look no further.

Peter
Edited by PeterKR: 13/10/2013 - 11:12
bigdaddybucks
Posted 13/10/2013 - 13:07 Link
Thanks guys, going to have a play around with elements and cs3 later.

Lee
Smeggypants
Posted 13/10/2013 - 15:57 Link
Lightroom 4 and above has excellent Noise reduction so by extension I would assume that other contemporary adobe offerings would have the same.
[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
McGregNi
Posted 13/10/2013 - 17:38 Link
Afaik elements only has two or three controls in acr, and its a bit limiting as it is. I don't think you could apply different types of reduction to different areas, eg shadows and then white clouds. The best and most controllable option I have found is Topaz DeNoise, a plugin for ps and elements. This has sliders for each noise ccomponent so you can precisely control how much is applied. Very quick and easy.
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
Pentaxophile
Posted 13/10/2013 - 19:14 Link
Does topaz Denoize work on RAW files?

I have tried it as a plug in, but found the results a bit overkill. That was a few years ago mind.
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tyronet2000
Posted 13/10/2013 - 20:09 Link
I like Topaz De-noise but on images where its needed the image is usually borderline keeper
Regards
Stan

PPG
McGregNi
Posted 13/10/2013 - 20:22 Link
Its not for raw,no, but is highly controllable so. A good approach if using it would be to deactivate nr in the converter, save out to 16bit tiff and topaz can be used directly on this I'm elements or on a duplicate layer for extra flexibility.

The latest version 5 is very fast and computer performance is high, helpful and efficient when zooming back and forward to 100% and so on and scrolling quickly around parts of the shot. This is a problem in some raw software which struggles to render on the fly when doing this sort of work.

The slider inputs needed are very small - I am most setting only up to 0.7 on the master control. You get extra control over just the shadows or yellow and blue colour noise also. But the biggest advantageis the compensatory detail and deblur sliders, allowing you to restore microcontrast within the single interface.
My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver
Smeggypants
Posted 13/10/2013 - 22:10 Link
McGregNi wrote:
Afaik elements only has two or three controls in acr, and its a bit limiting as it is. I don't think you could apply different types of reduction to different areas, eg shadows and then white clouds. The best and most controllable option I have found is Topaz DeNoise, a plugin for ps and elements. This has sliders for each noise ccomponent so you can precisely control how much is applied. Very quick and easy.

You can apply Noise reduction locally in Lightroom. This is handy when boosting shadows and you don't wan to smear the detail on brighter portions of the image
[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283
tyronet2000
Posted 13/10/2013 - 22:17 Link
Quote:

You can apply Noise reduction locally in Lightroom. This is handy when boosting shadows and you don't wan to smear the detail on brighter portions of the image

Another reason for perservering with learning to use LR and get my photos in proper order
Regards
Stan

PPG

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