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