Noise reduction software

Having recently upgraded to a 7D I realise that I also have to upgrade my Post workflow.

I currently have Photoshop 7 and obviously DPP. I have decided that I am going to go with Lightroom. (I believe Lightroom will handle the 7D RAW files) The catalogue is going to be a huge asset.

A large percentage of what I shoot is sport (some indoors). Noise reduction has become an absolute must.

Any recommendations on which product works best with Lightroom either as a plug in or a stand alone. If that product can also be used with Photoshop 7 it would be a bonus

davethejnz wrote in post #8783243
...Noise reduction has become an absolute must...

There are many who would subjectively disagree.

Nevertheless, I can't answer your questions regarding Windows 7 and LR, but in the lower left corner of this window there are links to similar discussions.

I use Neat Image. Find it does a better job than any other software. I use it as a plug-in to Irfanview.

I personally make fairly liberal use of the LR noise reduction, but for "heavy lifting", and for selective sharpening and noise reduction, then of course you are talking about an external application.

Elements has some capabilities there, with more control using layers and masks, so I'd say a good approach would be to get an Elements plug-in for Neat Image or Noise Ninja and then you can from Lightroom just use the Edit in Photoshop utility to do noise removal and anything else you need to do.

One good option

Well, I said the above thinking that when you said you had "Photoshop 7" you really meant to say you have Photoshop Elements 7. In case you have the older Photoshop 7, then I don't think a plug-in would work. It then will boil down to setting up a noise removal program as an external editor. Some of the newer versions of these programs make it possible to go back and forth with Lightroom easy.

The one "gotcha" is that any time you use an external editor you will want to create a copy of your original file, or, if it's a Raw file, you will need to create a conversion.

I use 3 types of Noise software depending on weather I'm PPing 1D or 50d files/Raw or Jpegs,
All are plugins for Photoshop, Noise Ninja, Neat Image, and Nik Software, and I think Neat Image and Noise Ninja have plugins for lightroom as well, all of these have a 30 day trial time so you can see which suits your needs best.

Thank you all for your replies. Plenty of good suggestions to follow.
(Photoshop 7 meant just that not Elements 7).

I will use the 30 day trial as many suggested and see what suits best.

TTk wrote in post #8784502
I use 3 types of Noise software depending on weather I'm PPing 1D or 50d files/Raw or Jpegs,
All are plugins for Photoshop, Noise Ninja, Neat Image, and Nik Software, and I think Neat Image and Noise Ninja have plugins for lightroom as well, all of these have a 30 day trial time so you can see which suits your needs best.

What's your preference for 50D files? I downloaded neat image tonight and I think it's great. I did some ISO 6400 test shots here at my desk, and I'm pleasantly suprised. It doesn't mean I want go shooting ISO 6400 all the time with my 50D, but it could pull back some shots that would otherwise be worthless.

I find I'm using noise reduction much less, actually hardly at all anymore. I think it's due to a combination of taking more time to get the proper exposure plus not even wasting time with badly exposed shots.

When I do use noise reduction, it's with NIK DFine.

I especially like the way Neat Image handles my 7D files.

I tried the whole Noise Reduction deal a myriad of different ways for when I had only my P&S and took high ISO pics.

I was pretty unhappy with the results.

The only solution for me at least was to get an Olympus E-420 and take pics with a larger sensor...

Now I'm happy and at the point where I don't want to use a P&S at all.

Full sensor P&S are at least starting to show up (their cost though is more than what I purchased my E-420 body only for).

OP - Maybe you just have to go to a camera with a larger sensor.

I really need to get my high ISO capturing skills up to a useful speed. I did some tests last night, and at ISO 6400 on the 50D it's all over the place, especially depending on colors in the shot (reds especially). As much as noise reduction software destroys an image, shooting at ISO 6400 on 50D, it's pretty much destroyed in many cases to being with.