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3rd party Noise apps

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Zenon

Did you turn it off and on again?
Joined
Jan 13, 2017
Messages
2,320
Lightroom Experience
Intermediate
Lightroom Version
Classic
Lightroom Version Number
11.2
Operating System
  1. macOS 12 Monterey
While I wait for Adobe to one day offer this I have tried the three major competitors, DXO PureRaw, Topaz Denoise and ON1 NoNoise.

PureRaw by far has the best workflow. You just run the RAW file through it and you get a DNG that still offers Adobe and camera colour profiles. You can use Denoise and NoNoise as plug-ins so you can retain LrC edits. If you open them as a RAW file they come back as DNG or TIFFS but you lose Adobe and camera colour profiles. The profile just says Color.

NoNoise even says it is optimised for RAW files and you can clearly see the difference. They have promised to work on the app so that you can maintain the same IQ when using as a plug-in. I find fine detail NoNoise is the best of the three however you have to open as a RAW file. I just drag a file in from LrC and export back was a DNG. Fine detail is the most important thing to me. However as stated I lose access to Adobe and camera colour profiles.

The colour is OK when the DNG comes back to LrC but it sure would be nice to access Adobe and camera colour profiles. Is there some work around for this? I have tried picking a colour profile from original RAW and syncing to the DNG but it does not seem to do anything. Are there any other work arounds I may not be aware of?
 
My workflow is centered on Lightroom. I do a lot of work in multiple 3rd party apps in general. Have you tried editing in Photoshop to do color stuff?
 
No I haven't yet. I'm trying to keep it as simple as possible. One click solution. I don't even like using a 3rd apps that much.
 
Hi Zenon,

I have chosen to use PhotoLab 5 Elite rather than PureRAW. Primarily because in PhotoLab I can adjust the amount of DeepPrime noise reduction and also the Lens Sharpening that is applied.

I don't use PhotoLab for much else normally, but I find the integration with LrC to be far better than PureRAW. I can launch PhotoLab from LrC (after I have made some initial edits to an image or group of images e.g cropping, masking) and it/they will then open in PhotoLab where I automatically apply a default preset I have created. I then export as a (Linear) DNG back to LrC and it/they get imported into the LrC Catalog automatically to the same folder. Also, by selecting to automatically create XMP files in LrC, my full edits are applied to the returning DNG, including the ColorFidelity profile which I use.
 
PureRaw by far has the best workflow. You just run the RAW file through it and you get a DNG that still offers Adobe and camera colour profiles
That would not be the best workflow for me since there are only infrequent photos I need to remove noise from. I do everthing in LrC and use Topaz plug-ins when I need noise reduction or sharpening.
 
This thread is very interesting. My work flow begins with removing under and overexposed in LrC, Topaz Denoise AI always and then Topaz Sharpen AI if needed, I put scientific names on the photos using Photoshop, be sure to edit original so you can rework it if needed. I'll definitely look a PureRaw based Zenon's opinion.
 
Ross,

My trials showed that PureRAW nearly always oversharpen images - I prefer to sharpen (for output) at the end with tools including Sharpen AI as may be needed.
 
I've found using the clear option, medium Noise and High Sharpening is leaving men's faces looking more normal. I'm looking at DxO PhotoLab 5 on the 31 day trial. I'm going through parade pictures from 2014 today and will do some comparisons. Thank you for sharing your information.
 
Ross,

My trials showed that PureRAW nearly always oversharpen images - I prefer to sharpen (for output) at the end with tools including Sharpen AI as may be needed.
Indeed, I found this too. So I paid for PhotoLab Elite and use that as my RAW preprocessor (I don't use any other features of PhotoLab other than setting up a default import preset).

In PhotoLab you can controll the amount of de-noising in DeepPrime and also the degree of Lens Sharpening. PhotolaLab is also nicely intergated into LrC, allowing you to 'export' the RAW file to PhotoLab (no intermediate file is created) and export back to LrC which re-syncs a Linear DNG to the catalog on return.. The DNG is placed in the same folder as the original RAW file.
 
MrFixit,
I wholeheartedly agree. I spent many hours working with both the Topaz products and DxO PhotoLab. My trial isn't over, but will buy before it expires.
 
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