Help with noise

[Mike]

What are the tool/workflow options for noise reductions caused by a350 at higher ISO settings? As will become obvious in the post I'm new to digital workflow, please be gentle, but any comments or suggestions are most welcome.

I've been working on taking pictures at indoor dog shows. They make for terrible conditions, low light from multiple sources with different temperatures and quick movement. Flashes not allowed. In order to not have motion blur I have to increase the iso resulting what looks like the noise I use to get with iso 400 film. Here is a good example. Only processing is cropping and conversion to JPEG in PSE7.

Currently I'm using a a350 with SAL-135F18Z or SAL-85F14Z depending on the distance. I don't think a faster lens is an option. Since I can't yet afford an a900 don't think I can get any practical improvement with hardware. Next time I plan to use a tripod and remote release but I don't think that that will address the noise issue.

I've been playing with trail version of Neat Image but I'm a bit underwhelmed. Perhaps I just need to play with it some more. I'm not happy with the fact that it only works with jpeg. Perhaps I just need to sort out the order, addressing cropping, color balance and ARW/JPEG conversion in PS and then work on noise reduction in other software such as Neat Image.
Thanks in advance for any help.

[Dr. Harout]

Try to overexpose a bit and use softwares able to reduce the noise, e.g. Noise Ninja or DxO Optics Pro (frankly I haven't use them, but almost everybody praise those).
There were too many topics related to high ISO shooting, do a search on this forum.

[01af]

What are the tool/workflow options for noise reductions caused by A350 at higher ISO settings? [...] I've been playing with trial version of Neat Image but I'm a bit underwhelmed. [...] I'm not happy with the fact that it only works with JPEG.

Generally, specialized programs such as Neat Image or Noise Ninja are the best when it comes to serious noise reduction. The retail versions---or at least the 'pro' versions thereof---can also handle 16-bit TIFF files and maybe even PSD files. So if you're working at low-light conditions with high ISO settings on a regular basis then you'll want to purchase the advanced or pro version of one of those noise reducers. Noise Ninja and Neat Image are both fine; which you prefer boils down to which user interface you feel more comfortable with.

However, as long as you have to get along without noise reduction software, you may try this:

In Camera Raw, apply reasonable capture sharpening and medium to high amounts of luminance smoothing and colour noise reduction. Import to Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Apply the Reduce Noise filter with settings similar to these: Strength = 7, Preserve Details = 20 %, Reduce Color Noise = 70 %, Sharpen Details = 20 %, Remove JPEG Artifact = no. Then apply the Smart Blur filter with settings similar to these: Radius = 40 px, Threshold = 10 levels. Immediately after this, fade the last filter (Edit > Fade Smart Blur) with Opacity = 70 % or thereabouts, Blend Mode = Color. Finally, reduce the pixel dimensions as much as your application will allow, using Image > Image Size and Resampling Method = Bicubic Sharper ... of course, when you plan to print big then it'll be better to skip this last step. Feel free to experiment with the individual settings; the figures given above are just meant as starting points. Wrap the two filter commands plus the fade command into an action.

The two filters (Reduce Noise and Smart Blur) will reduce colour noise big time, but at the expense of some loss of overall colour saturation. Luminance noise will be reduced only marginally. Loss of detail will be negligible.

-- Olaf

[Javelin]

what happened above the dogs right ear?

[Javelin]

it gets that nice 3d look instead of seeming so flat what else did you do besides the noise reduction?

[Mike]

Thanks for all the help. It looks like the consensus is to over expose a bit in low light high ISO. This is opposite of the axiom that it's always better to under expose when shooting raw. But I suppose there is little to know chance of washing out in low light. That does make a bas situation even worse since there is so little light to begin with.
Some great tips from 0laf and Sonolta I'm looking forward to trying.
Thanks,
Mike

[stevecim]

Hi Mike

what is the iso/f/speed of the photo?

Thanks to Don and Olaf, getting the most out of the a350 is a steep learning curve for me. These sort of topics are great help.

Cheers, Stephen

[Mike]

Stephen,

f/2
1/800
ISO-800

Mike

[01af]

f/2, 1/800, ISO 800

Huh!? 1/800 s? Why don't you simply use ISO 200/24° and shoot at 1/200 s?

-- Olaf

[Mike]

Shot at 1/200 the dog would have some serious motion blur. Basically the dog and the handler are running across the "ring", which is actually square, from one corner to the other. Through trial and error I found that anything slower than 1/500 produces blur. That's why this is so difficult a subject, fast motion with low light. It would be a lot easier to take pictures when they are "stacked, " standing still, but everyone does that. I wanted to capture motion.

[Mike]

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