-=FlexNR=- Noise Removal Action for 1D MarkIII (now available! )

Pix,

How would I handle a file that needs a bit (-0.5) EC to reign in the exposure?

Should I do the conversion first, FlexNR and then correct the exposure or would I be better off correcting the exposure and then treating the image as an intermediate ISO below the actual shot at ISO?

I have an image shot at ISO3200 that I'd like to print 12" x 36" and want to be sure to get the most out of it.

I have FlexNR 1.3 up and running, eagerly awaiting 2.0!

mbellot wrote in post #8189223
Should I do the conversion first, FlexNR and then correct the exposure or would I be better off correcting the exposure and then treating the image as an intermediate ISO below the actual shot at ISO?

...Since I am in a position where I have to be conservative and careful when suggesting general-practices, I can certainly suggest you to do what I am doing to get all these results:

1. Correct the image RIGHT in the supported converter of v1.3 (LR, ZB/RIT or .JPG)

2. Process your file with FlexNR's level equivalent to resulting ISo from conversion (in this case ISO2500).

Please, consider adhering to a cohesive set of principles, consistently, for your workflow.

Try to perform ALL Tonal/Chroma adjustments, of all kinds, first, then leave NR to the end, and, after everything is said and done, use Sharpening selectively on the areas that truly deserve it, with a radius of 0.5 to 0.7 (if processed with FlexNR). This is the very same principle I used to process the Sevan's hawk, above.

You can certainly resort to some "boosters", such as increasing Chroma NR to 8-10 in ACR/LR (as Drisley does), prior to entering any other Tonal/Chroma adjustments off-board the converter, or simply right before FlexNR... But try to start from a consistent baseline process, which you can later modify or adapt if you need so, on a case-by-case or general basis.

PIX

Pix,

I only need FlexNR occasionally, the bulk of what I do simply goes through Bibble and if NR is required its applied during Bibble's conversion to JPEG.

The extra steps needed for FlexNR would be totally prohibitive to my normal workflow, where I'm sorting 3000-5000 images to get (hopefully) 50% online for parents to purchase. FlexNR would come in on the rare occasion someone actually wants a print larger than 8x10 and Bibble's conversion starts to come apart (I'm doing NR by hand on these now).

I generally do very little beyond exposure correction, since I'm photographing stage lighting I want the colors and tones to be as "real" as possible.

Thanks for the tips, I'm going to give it a try once I'm done with the bulk processing.

I would agree with Pix and say do your overexposure recovery in RAW first. RAW will do a much better job at highlight recovery, especially ACR which can bring back detail you probably can't get back in PS.

If I overexpose an ISO3200 file by, say 1/2 stop, I will recover in ACR, then run a lower FlexNR, say, ISO2500 FlexNR action. It works really well for me!

If you want to batch them, just output your images as 16 bit ProPhoto Tiffs instead of JPG's. Then go into Adobe Bridge, and you can filter images by ISO. Then in Bridge select Tools> Photoshop> Batch and then pick the corresponding FlexNR action for that ISO. If you have images that are ISO1600, 3200, and 6400, you would only have to do this 3 times total, and go and do something else why it processes. The MK3 is already so good for noise, you could just do this once for your ISO6400 images (or ISO3200 images if that's as high as you shoot). Just a thought!

I do this for batch conversion right from RAW files, since ACR is my main RAW converter. Then output them all as tiff, and then later do any editing I want and save as JPG. Other than pressing the mouse button three times for each ISO group, then doing something else while Bridge/PS does the FlexNR action, it's not much more work at all.

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png'

I see the final v2.0 is now finished!

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=720571

Way to go Pix!

Yes, finally!

drisley wrote in post #8241594
I see the final v2.0 is now finished!

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=720571

Way to go Pix!

...Hopefully, this will be one of the best supported solutions out-there, with such a wonderfuly sticky, which can be populated with tutorials, etc.

I wish this could be the case for quite a bunch of third-party SW I have here...

Cheers,

PIX
P.S.: check your hotmail email (per your profile).

Do you reckon it is even possible for it to work on Mac mate?
I was trying to port the v1.2 I think but never got around to buying NI Pro since I thought the version difference would stop it...

Maybe you should start a new post in the post processing section to make sure people know its available. With the results I've seen if this sticky I'd cetainly buy it if i had a 1d Mark 3. Alot of people may not check back to this sticky.
I'm sure your 40D version will do well with the number of those cameras on this forum,and if your interested in developing a 50D version i'm onboard with that. Just PM me when you need the camera.

Thanks for this suggestion!

partsman wrote in post #8245918
Maybe you should start a new post in the post processing section to make sure people know its available.

I believe I am bound to very specific rules, when cross-posting between discussion forums and for-sale forum.

I will think of a study-case for everyone to see (maybe a massive +2.0-3.0 stops push from an impossibly dark ISo3200 airborne Osprey that I received from DPreview), which requires FlexNR's fulll processing potential to extract its best.

I do not think I can say it is for sale, though, but actual users can chime-in if they wish. I will also try to post the original raw file, as well as original author's name of frame.

When I find a bit of time, I will try to do this.

partsman wrote in post #8245918
and if your interested in developing a 50D version i'm onboard with that. Just PM me when you need the camera.

Stay tuned, as I may contact you about this case in the next coming days.

Regards,

PIX

For SEVAN...

Sevan:

With respect to this question/comment:

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=8248324&po​stcount=25

In short, you got it right, you need Sharpening and NR set to ZERO/OFF in LR.

Now, in order to do so, and still enjoy from the superb color reproduction of the provided color preset, you apply them in this order:

1. Select file in Lightroom.
2. Apply preset ""1D3(LR2cal-STD-RIT-SAT125%).lrtemplate"
3. Adjust EC, blackpoint, WB, vibrance (IF needed).
4. Finally select "1D3(ISOany-noNR-noSH).lrtemplate".
5. Convert to .TIFF.
6. Open in CS2+ and click-and-run on desired FlexNR level.

You got everything perfect, except the sequence of the presets (which most likely left you with a smidge of sharpening and Chroma NR set to 4, while Luma set to Zero.)

You should be all set now, although your own sample's brightness, crispness, and color just blew me out of chair.

Cheers,

PIX

PIXmantra wrote in post #8248444
Sevan:

With respect to this question/comment:

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=8248324&po​stcount=25

In short, you got it right, you need Sharpening and NR set to ZERO/OFF in LR.

Now, in order to do so, and still enjoy from the superb color reproduction of the provided color preset, you apply them in this order:

1. Select file in Lightroom.
2. Apply preset ""1D3(LR2cal-STD-RIT-SAT125%).lrtemplate"
3. Adjust EC, blackpoint, WB, vibrance (IF needed).
4. Finally select "1D3(ISOany-noNR-noSH).lrtemplate".
5. Convert to .TIFF.
6. Open in CS2+ and click-and-run on desired FlexNR level.

You got everything perfect, except the sequence of the presets (which most likely left you with a smidge of sharpening and Chroma NR set to 4, while Luma set to Zero.)

You should be all set now, although your own sample's brightness, crispness, and color just blew me out of chair.

Cheers,

PIX

Thanks for clarifying PIX. Gonna do some more of the shot from the weekend. Sobasically between the FlexNR LR presets, is were you would do all the PP needed in LR then the last preset and off to cs2+.

For MARK...

pendulum15 wrote in post #8245916
Do you reckon it is even possible for it to work on Mac mate?
I was trying to port the v1.2 I think but never got around to buying NI Pro since I thought the version difference would stop it...

Sorry for not catching this sooner.

Check my comments, here.

https://photography-on-the.net …hp?p=8247268&po​stcount=15

You let me know how would you like to proceed.

Cheers,

PIX

just got back from shooting jeff beck and tal wilkenfeld.

quickly ran this shot through flexnr, iso6400 shot with LR method.. took me like 10 seconds to just run the LR presets straight outta the camera and thru the FLEX script...

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ISO 6400? Now that's what I'm talking about. Image is small but by the looks of it a great amount of noise has been reduced with the image still in tact.

Really nice DD!

I haven't said this enough (or maybe I have)... ISO3200 used to be a last resort with the 1D MKII(N), and I never, ever thought about recovering exposure to get a higher simulated ISO. Generally I was only comfortable with ISO 50-1600 with that camera, with or without software noise reduction. My last bodybuilding show with the MKII(N), I ended up tossing most of my ISO3200 images, and my ISO1600 images, while still nice, couldn't accept a whole lot of post processing without lots of new noise being introduced, and the banding... oh the banding! Using a software NR solution, like plain ol' Neat Image, Noise Ninja, etc (I tried them all), the result was never a natural product. The bokeh areas especially had some mottled patterns, and the detail was often lost.

Now I never think twice about ISO6400 with the MKIII. I will do more post processing to an ISO6400 image now with the MKIII/FlexNR than I used to with my MKII and ISO1600.

There were times I had thought about going to the dark side for a roughly 1 stop noise advantage the D3 and D700 may have had over the MKIII. But now I don't have to... I get the best of both worlds (probably better). All the stress and potentially $$$ this has saved me, especially with the year I've had, I can't say thank you to Pix enough.