On camera noise reduction

So I was playing around with my T3i and was looking through the custom function menu and I noticed that there is an on camera noise reduction feature. I took a look around the forum to find something on it and I was not successful. Just a couple of questions...

1. I am curious if anyone uses this function and if you do, what setting do you use it at?
   
   
2. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
   
   
3. Should it be done on camera or should you just wait till PP do do it?
   
   
4. Is this one of those things that is done when the camera saves a .jpeg (like when using creative filters or a WB setting), or is it applied to RAW files as well?
   
   
5. I could see where something like this could be useful when shooting at a higher ISO. But I also know that when you use noise reduction in LR3, you lose some detail. Does the camera do the same thing?
   

Sacadelic wrote in post #12698508
So I was playing around with my T3i and was looking through the custom function menu and I noticed that there is an on camera noise reduction feature. I took a look around the forum to find something on it and I was not successful. Just a couple of questions...

1. I am curious if anyone uses this function and if you do, what setting do you use it at?
   
   
2. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
   
   
3. Should it be done on camera or should you just wait till PP do do it?
   
   
4. Is this one of those things that is done when the camera saves a .jpeg (like when using creative filters or a WB setting), or is it applied to RAW files as well?
   
   
5. I could see where something like this could be useful when shooting at a higher ISO. But I also know that when you use noise reduction in LR3, you lose some detail. Does the camera do the same thing?
   

Thanks for all the help..

I could be wrong, since my 10D doesn't have an onboard noise reduction, but it seems like many people leave it to the "Standard" setting, which seems to keep pretty good detail and make higher ISO images very acceptable straight out of camera. I believe this is applied to RAW files as well.

You can use the tool on the dpreview page to set the first three to the t3i with different levels of NR. It looks like standard is a pretty good compromise, with no clear detail loss (I changed the ISO at the bottom to 1600).

It all depends on the camera. Some cameras can reduce noise while maintaining detail. Others, however, lose detail by having this feature one. I would say that 'most' people I have talked to prefer to capture the detail and then remove the noise with a really good software tool. The NR software these days is much better at reducing the noise and maintaining detail than the in-camera NR feature.

My suggestion would be to run some tests. Shoot the same thing at the exact same high ISO settings. Take a photo with NR on and one with it off. Then, using a software to apply NR, see which one yields the better results. NR isn't very useful if it costs you detail in your images.

Thanks so far for the info.. Maybe I will setup the tripod and do some testing this afternoon. Busy in the woodshop so not sure if I will get around to it. I wonder if this is something that is better on one model vs. another. I have a 60D on the way. I wonder if there will be a difference. Or even with a 7D or 5D(any make). I would love to hear more if anyone else has anything to say..

I love the "Standard" setting on my 50D. I shoot RAW (though it works great for Jpegs too) and do high ISO conversions with Canon's Digital Photo Pro. The NR is automatically run when the image is viewed at 100%. I almost never use Noise Ninja 2, even though I paid for it. Canon really has NR worked out on their newer products.

Test shot with my 50D at 6400 ISO, NR "Standard", DPP conversion to Jpeg.

District_History_Fan wrote in post #12698717
I love the "Standard" setting on my 50D. I shoot RAW (though it works great for Jpegs too) and do high ISO conversions with Canon's Digital Photo Pro. The NR is automatically run when the image is viewed at 100%. I almost never use Noise Ninja 2, even though I paid for it. Canon really has NR worked out on their newer products.

Test shot with my 50D at 6400 ISO, NR "Standard", DPP conversion to Jpeg.

Wow.. If you are getting that with your 50D, I cant wait to play with my 60D when it gets here. Come on NEXT Monday!!! Also, what all do you use Canon Digital Picture Pro for? I am just using LR3 for PP. Am I missing something by using just it?

Sacadelic wrote in post #12698740
Wow.. If you are getting that with your 50D, I cant wait to play with my 60D when it gets here. Come on NEXT Monday!!! Also, what all do you use Canon Digital Picture Pro for? I am just using LR3 for PP. Am I missing something by using just it?

I basically use DPP for the built in NR on high ISO images. It also does things like lens correction (Canon glass), automatic CA reduction and provide auto lighting optimizer. My workflow for high ISO files is typically DPP>16bit TIFF>Photoshop. Low ISO shots are ACR>Photoshop.

Here is another example of the high ISO workflow. This is a handheld 1/4 sec inside an abandoned RR tunnel (dark) shot with the 50D at 3200 ISO.
http://ericmcferrin.sm​ugmug.com …#1355210089_xK7​QJCf-XL-LB

Sac, heres a good article on the T3i and noise reduction. http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/T3I​/T3IHI_ISO_NR.HTM Click on the samples images twice to get a very large picture to see the differences in the 4 settings. Scroll down because they go all the way to 12800 iso!

They say if you have a good PP program and only use Raw to disable noise reduction. You'll get better results after PP. I have Lightroom 3 and the noise reduction rocks in it!!

gce wrote in post #12710059
I have Lightroom 3 and the noise reduction rocks in it!!

+1
The NR rocks!

The in-camera NR subtracts a subsequent 'dark frame' exposure with shutter closed. Any sensor 'noise' is not dark, will be subtracted from photo. I've discovered my sensor is very quiet noise-wise, so I haven't used it for long time. It is somewhat of a pita to have to wait another 5 minutes before being able to press shutter again after a 5 minute exposure!

The Camera Manual tells all about it.

melanopsin wrote in post #12710218
The in-camera NR subtracts a subsequent 'dark frame' exposure with shutter closed. Any sensor 'noise' is not dark, will be subtracted from photo. I've discovered my sensor is very quiet noise-wise, so I haven't used it for long time. It is somewhat of a pita to have to wait another 5 minutes before being able to press shutter again after a 5 minute exposure!

The Camera Manual tells all about it.

I believe only older cameras make you wait through the reciprocated shutter, newer NR just applies software reduction.

c1phr wrote in post #12713481
I believe only older cameras make you wait through the reciprocated shutter, newer NR just applies software reduction.

The 5D2/40D/50D I shoot make you wait to run dark frame subtraction. BTW, this is different than the in camera NR this thread is covering and only applies to long exposures, not high ISO work with shutter speeds below 1 sec.

melanopsin wrote in post #12710218
The in-camera NR subtracts a subsequent 'dark frame' exposure with shutter closed. Any sensor 'noise' is not dark, will be subtracted from photo. I've discovered my sensor is very quiet noise-wise, so I haven't used it for long time. It is somewhat of a pita to have to wait another 5 minutes before being able to press shutter again after a 5 minute exposure!

The Camera Manual tells all about it.

that's a different setting, my 60d has two different options, the standard long exposure noise reduction, which utilizes the closed shutter noise subtraction and the high iso noise reduction option.

i was wondering too how beneficial it was, i noticed mine was set to standard by default so i left it. im going to hit up the above link, thanks for that.