When QU v2018.121 was released a last week, the release notes said, in addition to improved Noise reduction, "New 'ANR' checkbox in raw refine allows auto noise reduction to be turned off on a per-image basis: useful for custom post-processing of noise.".
I wondered what that really meant but after having some problems with noisy 1600 iso macro images I asked Mike for help which he duly gave and enabled me to get a satisfactory result by un-ticking the ANR box in Raw Refine and using the NR tools in the image editor.
These tools are shadow noise NR, medium NR and Ultra NR which has 5 levels within it. Not only that, Deep Focus Sharpening in conjunction with Tone Targeted Sharpening can soften areas that are noisy. See attached screen shot.
Mike explained why this method can be better with noisy images:-
"the reason you'd want to turn ANR off in refine is so the noise still looks like noise in the editor. When removing heavier noise in the editor or being creative, you don't want refine to make the noise look like something else: otherwise the noise removal in the editor won't be as effective at detecting what is noise."
The macro images involved can be seen here.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/terry-m_flickrphotos/albums/72157670989263398 The extreme close ups of the Hover Fly were the problem images.
I recently upgraded my Canon 600D for an 80D which has many more pixels and therefore could be more susceptible to noise. The reviews were good in this respect and after checking a number of my own images with ISO values from 200 to 1600, all looked good and QU Refine had no problem in subtly removing any noise there was.
My problem macro shots were probably due to being a little under exposed and Raw Refine had to be pushed more than usual in the shadow areas.

Terry

Terry,

A few months on.

Have you any further thoughts on the use of noise removal in Edit rather than letting RAW conversion do it automatically?

Tony

I'm bringing this thread back as, yesterday, I expressed my concerns about my Olympus 12-40 F2.8 on the MicroFourThirds section of GetDPI. I felt it was soft.

I'd done a session using two 1.2 primes on Sunday afternoon and an earlier one in the morning with the zoom. I won't bore you with the different circumstances but I did feel the zoom files should have been sharper as they were taken in bright sunny weather. I then looked at a zoom shoot I did a month ago in similar weather and again I felt it was a bit soft.

Something made me wonder whether the softness was coming in from the Qimage RAW processing. On quite a few of the shots the ASA was set at 200 but the RAW refine was 'pushing' me to 410 and over. My default is to have ANR ticked and my threshold for Noise Reduction is 400 - so some reduction was being applied.

I went back to several of the files and re-converted the RAW files with the ANR box unticked. Yes, they are sharper before I apply any DFS sharpening.

I am not sure what to do now. Certainly the 12-40 is probably OK at least so that worry has gone for the moment. With regard to using QU maybe I start working with the ANR box unticked. I'm using the Olympus e-m5 mk 2. Maybe the noise reduction default is coming in too soon, but I am not sure how I change that.

For the GETdpi troops I have loaded a few RAWs as they wanted to have a fiddle with them. They are here if anyone wants to see the ones that were worrying me.

https://we.tl/t-G64BmpciQP

As always any advice and/or ideas are welcome.

Tony

I suggest you reduce the NR threshold for that camera to less than 400iso

Thanks Terry,

Can you explain that in a different way please.

All other points noted. I'll work with ANR turned off. Would you still do sharpening 1/180 and half the EQ slide.

Tony

Thanks,

I have moved the slider so it is now showing 600-5000 and then 5000+

I saved it my default for the e-m5 mk 2.

I was fascinated to see you pick 1/180 for the DFS. Do you have a work flow for incrementing the two figures to get the best pairing? I've been using 5/80 for ages and that is totally different.

Tony

Good morning Fred,

My RAW Image Options is set at 2/150 and the slider midway. I guess they were what you recommended sometime ago. Would you go with 1/180 now?

I did not realise that was the setting he was talking about.

When I go to Edit Image I'll revert to my 5/80 on DFS. What would you use on that shot which Terry chose of the man with the red grapes?

White Balance. My understanding is that RAW does not store a white balance setting so the only one I bother about on my e-m5 is when I shoot videos as they go straight to the video format. On those Remembrance Sunday shots I corrected the WB in RAW against the flagpole and in the vineyard one against some white clothing.

Yes my images are far less noisy as I 'overexpose'. I let the highlights burn out on my camera created jpgs. If I am not getting some flashing I know I am underexposing.

Tony