Rich set of pre-built noise profiles in the online profile library.Auto Profile to build noise profiles for your camera or scanner on the fly.CUDA-accelerated filter to speed up processing using computation-capable GPU.8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit image support to fully utilize capabilities of modern image acquisition devices and support HDR post-processing workflows.Smart sharpening filter to make images look sharper without amplification of noise.Complete control over the filter settings to achieve the desired level of noise reduction.Advanced noise filter to reduce noise and grain in digital images.Neat Image has these features (from the User Guide): Noise Reduction and Image Sharpening The free "demonstration" version is fully functional, with only a few limitations.) I also downloaded the Quick Start Guide and User Guide from the Neat Image web site. (By the way, "Demo" is somewhat of a misnomer. I downloaded and installed the Mac OS X standalone Demo version. Each version is described on a Neat Image feature map (link to the Mac standalone version). It is available in plug-in versions for Apple Aperture (Mac OS X) and Adobe Photoshop (Windows and Mac OS X), and standalone versions for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. There are three versions of Neat Image: Demo, Home, and Pro. I have tried using the native Aperture noise reduction but have always been disappointed with the results. The Neat Image web site even mentions "astro" imaging. The tweet claimed that Neat Image was a great noise reduction tool. I recently heard about Neat Image via a tweet on Twitter. After many thousands of pictures, I never had to go back and rework a single picture manually!įor very strong noise, I found that NeatImage gives better results if you first take out only part of the noise (40-50%)using the corresponding preset then I do a second pass in Auto mode (at this point I don’t have a preset for the reduced noise picture), again at 40-50%.Įven a picture taken at max ISO (12800 on EOS 7D) comes out quite smooth, and adding the right amount of sharpening on the second pass gives sharp pictures.NEAT IMAGE - IMAGE NOISE REDUCTION SOFTWARE Although the Auto mode is usually very good, preparing and using the preset modes saves the scanning time for each picture.Īlso because I KNOW that the noise algorithm is the right one, I don’t need to check if the picture came out actually ok. This way I can exactly reduce noise even when I don’t have a very smooth area in the picture for the Auto mode to work with. I took the time to build my own noise database with my cameras: for each body and each ISO I have a preset noise level see in NeatImage Help how to do it. I pass every single picture I take through it. I have been using NeatImage for some years now. This photo was under-exposed by a stop, and was shot with the Canon 1D mk2N.ġ/160 f2.8 800 ISO a touch of on-camera TTL fill-flash.įiled Under: digital imaging, software review, Uncategorized Tagged With: digital imaging, digital noise reduction software, neat image So while the software offers all types of controls and fine adjustments for those who want to fine-tune their settings for optimal results, I really like it that the defaults give impressive results. I’m just too busy to go delving deeply into every bit of software I end up using … so it’s a real time saver when a bit of software just works without effort. I like software where the defaults already work and make sense. Here are 100% screen-grabs of the image above, to show you what the noise looked like, and how Neat Image handled this instance. I’ve tried several software programs, including Noise Ninja and Topaz DeNoise, but prefer the results from Neat Image. Then we have to use software to clean the image up.įor those times when I do have to deal with an image with noticeable noise, and need to correct for it, then I use Neat Image. But sometimes (hopefully only sometimes), you have to deal with an under-exposed photograph from an older camera … and then the digital noise becomes apparent. Then digital noise mostly isn’t an issue unless you start pushing the upper limits of what the camera is capable of. The best way to deal with digital noise in photographs is to start with having a correctly exposed photograph taken by a high-ISO capable camera. Digital noise reduction software: Neat Image
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