Noise removal software

[Matus Kalisky]

Hello,

I am looking for a noise removal software to clean the chroma noise from my scans (Microtek F1) I am running Photoshop CS3 so it would be optimal if the software could run as plugin (and therefore a part of script - I process the files automatically up to some extend)

There are several options and I am looking for one that does a decent job and is reasonably well programmed (file sizes up to 300MB).

What do you use? What would you recommend?

[Kirk Gittings]

Noise Ninja works well on digital capture. I can't speak for scans.

[Matus Kalisky]

So I just did a small test. I took one of my 35mm Kodak 400VC negs scanned at 2400 spi (7.7 Mpix image). I scaled it to 16 bit first.

I downloaded the following software packages:
Neat Image
Noise Ninja
Topaz DeNoise

I played a bit with the parameters with each program just for a while, so this is only first look result.

The best results (I played with the parameters ) came from the Neat Image and Noise Ninja, but basically all 3 would do the job. However - more important part was how fast the software is. Here I could not test the Neat Image as it will not process images larger than 1024x1024 with the trial version.

So the times for the two:
- Noise Ninja: cca 10s
- Topaz Denoise: 60s (both cores of my MacBook 2.0 GHz fully used)

I did the test with 8 and 16 bit image and saw no difference in time needed to process the filter.

I will do more testing but it seems that Noise Ninja. The noise reduction of the CS3 is not of much use in my opinion (at least on scans).

I will post a few samples soon.

[Francisco Disilvestro]

Another option is Nik Dfine 2.0, which you can download a fully functional 15 day trial version to test it.

I agree that noise reduction in CS3 is not of much use either for scans or digital images

[Kirk Gittings]

FWIW I agree about CS4. But the new noise reduction in Lightroom 3 and CS5/ACR is supposed to be state of the art. People are raving about it. You can open Jpegs and Tiffs in ACR to utilize the noise reduction.

[Robert Fisher]

LR3b2 - outstanding

[D. Bryant]

LR3b2 - outstanding

The new LR noise reduction is quite amazing.

I've purchased and tested Noise Ninja, Neat Image (pro versions), Noiseware Pro and Nik Dfine.

All of these will work in batch mode. Nik Dfine's brush feature is quite nice and powerful, IME.

Don Bryant

[Matus Kalisky]

Thanks. I will check the Nik Dfine as well.

It is good to hear that Adobe (finally) includes usable NR with their products. However the only way for me to get a CS5 would mean to buy it and that would make it a very expensive NR software :-)

[jim kitchen]

My vote would go to Neat Image... :)

To short circuit Neat Image's issues with any large file, try cropping a smaller portion of the image that you want to apply the noise reduction against, let the algorithm do its thing without any tweaking on your part against the smaller crop, apply the noise reduction to the crop, remove or undo the crop, and then apply the noise reduction to the entire image with "Apple F, or "CNTL F," which is the "last filter" command.

If you want to implement selective noise reduction, then make a duplicate layer, apply the noise reduction to the duplicate layer, remove the noise reduction selectively with a brush after you add a layer mask to the duplicate layer.

This is a phenomenal application...

jim k

[Preston]

"If you want to implement selective noise reduction, then make a duplicate layer, apply the noise reduction to the duplicate layer, remove the noise reduction selectively with a brush after you add a layer mask to the duplicate layer.
"

Jim,

Which brush, and what settings do you use in this procedure? Also, are you duplicating the background layer? I am using Neat Image Pro as a plugin in CS2.

Thanks,

--P

[jim kitchen]

Dear Preston,

To implement the procedure you could do the following:

1. Prepare the image to the final stage you wish to print;

2. Prepare the image to the final print size including your final sharpening value;

3. Crop an area within the final print image where you wish to minimize the noise, such as a square portion of the clouds or darker sky, and where you select a continuous toned area, not a blended area of light and dark;

4. activate "Neat Image" change the small square to the largest square setting within the application's window, and simply "Auto Profile" your selection without interference or changing the settings;

5. "Apply" the application's auto profile to your cropped portion;

6. Remove or "Undo" the crop by deleting that item from the History list, which will bring your original image back to its normal state, before you cropped the image;

7. Duplicate the background layer;

8. Press "Apple F" for MAC or "Cntl F" for IBM'ish computers to apply the "Neat Image" noise reduction from the last attempt to your duplicate background layer;

Note: your Photoshop application remembers the last filter you applied...

9. "Add a layer mask" to the duplicate background layer;

10. Select any brush size you wish, using any opacity you wish to remove as much noise reduction from the duplicate background layer as you so desire, and simply reverse the process as required with the brush to return noise reduction to the image, by switching foreground and background colours;

11. when you are done, save the work you did within this file as a new file, complete with both layers, since you may want to review the printed image at a later date, because you may not want to lose all your work within a one-shot deal;

12. merge the layers when satisfied, and print the finished image... :)

As a side note, within my landscapes, I tend to remove the noise reduction in the foreground gradually, if present, to give the appearance of a sharp image, and allow the noise reduction to drift into the clouds and sky, removing any noise within the dark sky or darker cloud formations, giving them a soft wonderfully smooth appearance.

I use this filter to remove any unwanted noise that may be present within the image after I apply my sharpening routine. Again, only if it is required...

jim k

[Preston]

Jim,

Thank you for the detailed procedure. I will give it a go. I am sure others who use Neat Image will find it very useful!

Cheers, as always,

--P

[jim kitchen]

Dear Preston et al,

The reason I crop the image first with a selected area that I want to see noise reduction apply against, and activate the application only upon the cropped image area, is too short circuit "Neat Image's" inability to work with very large Photoshop files. I speak to files that are greater than one or two GB, and since I know that Photoshop remembers the last filter I used, I can apply that filter to the duplicate background within the larger uncropped image, apply the mask, and have some creative fun, going forward.

There are times that I do choose the wrong crop area, and I must redo the filter, but this becomes apparent very quickly when you see artefacts appearing where they should not be in the image. They appear as minor twisted and, or distorted masses. Easy to fix, but you must scour your image to see whether they are present or not, before a discerning viewer discovers them in the presentation image. It is just a matter of incorrect selection to apply the filter against, and it affects other areas of the image you might have forgotten about.

Neat Image creates a great characteristic, especially when the application is used effectively, but the user must be cognizant of areas within the image that look unnatural when the filter is applied, and correct those issues as they arise.

Practice makes perfect... :)

jim k

[Matus Kalisky]

Hello Jim,

thank you for a detailed description. I will give it a try.

[Tyler Boley]

another huge advantage with Neat Image is the ability to deal with noise in 3 frequency ranges. This allows more visually pleasing noise removal if used carefully. Noise Ninja is great also, I have both, but Neat Image has that one major area of control that works really well. The large file limitation is indeed a problem though, and Jim's solution works well here too.
Tyler
http://www.custom-digital.com/

[Daniel_Buck]

I've not used noise ninja on my scans at home, but on film (movie) scans at work we've used noise ninja a few times and it works great! at home I've only used it on digital captures.

probably any of the major noise removal tools will work just fine :-)

[jim kitchen]

Dear Preston et al,

For your files... :)

For those of you that might not have done this procedure before, I forgot to mention one extraordinary item about the saved file that contains the duplicate layer and the duplicate layer's mask, especially when you reopen the file to rework the image.

I happen to notice that Photoshop CS3, and quite possibly CS4, does not default to the layer's mask channel immediately within the duplicate background image, when one activates the duplicate background to continue removing the noise reduction and, or when one decides to reapply the noise reduction process. Photoshop wants to default to the duplicate background's "Gray" channel, and not the duplicate background's "mask channel" within the "Channels" tab.

That said, at least for my Photoshop application, to continue the process from where one left off after saving the file, one must activate the duplicate background layer that contains the layer mask, select the "Channel" tab, and reactivate the "mask channel" within that layer to continue using the mask properly.

jim k

[Eric Brody]

If you have CS3, the upgrade to CS5 is only $199US, I do not how many Euros, and there may be other features of CS5 that you might find useful. You can, as of today, download a free trial of CS5 and try it. And no, I do not work for Adobe, and am still using CS3. I do plan to get CS5 when it's available locally on disk, probably mid May.

Good luck.

Eric