Silkypix Noise Reduction setting

Dear all,

Just bought the GH1 and using Silkypix to convert the RAW as I found the outcome is better in detail than jpg. But found that it's difficult to reduce the noise as good as jpg. Anyone have any suggestions in the noise reduction setting in Silkypix (it seems it's quite confusing and complicated as there are noise reduction, noise cancelling, etc.) Many thanks.

hi!

i met the same difficulty whith lx3 raw files, and i can tell you that you should start whith minimum noise reduction in slikypix and don't forget to take a look at sharpness (use the fine details option) and set at 50--85/90

you must bear that for jpg yu'll get different results linked to the program you chose (vivid:standard:smooth)

so ,i chose smooth program with 0 +1 0 -1 ,intelligent expo at standard,i set the manual wb with profess chart .......and the result is that i'm very close to treated raws in silkypix
some also use "nostalgic " but i found it tends to over expose (by 1/3-1/2f)

concerning raw files,again, i will soon make a test with CAMERA RAW 5.4 ...
and will seeeeeeeeee !!

by the way, i compared d700nikon +24-85 to lx3 and ...more sharp and better colors whith lx3
best regards
jenrif (gallery flikr)

One thing you can do is to leave the sharpening and noise reduction at their default values in Silkypix.

Then you can apply third party noise reduction programs like NeatImage and Noise Ninja and sharpening programs like Focus Magic and Nik Sharpener. These specialized programs/plug-ins may do a better job than the tools in Silkypix, ACR, etc.

An advantage to using sharpening or noise reduction plug-ins in Photoshop or similar programs is that you can build masks to limit the areas to which these effects are applied.
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chowpi said:

Dear all,

Just bought the GH1 and using Silkypix to convert the RAW as I found the outcome is better in detail than jpg. But found that it's difficult to reduce the noise as good as jpg. Anyone have any suggestions in the noise reduction setting in Silkypix (it seems it's quite confusing and complicated as there are noise reduction, noise cancelling, etc.) Many thanks.

Click to expand...

I use SilkyPix most of the time and last year, all the time for my RAW images. I only ever moved the False Color Control to about the 40-60 mark when using 800 ISO or higher. False Color Control reduces/removes what I like to call the "color static" made by high ISOs.

Better use ACR 5.4 + LR2 or CS4 + Nik Dfine 2.0.

Best results, best noise removal, protecting sharpness.
As a last step: Highpass sharpening approx. 1 px.

regards,
Marco

TKinVA said:

One thing you can do is to leave the sharpening and noise reduction at their default values in Silkypix.

Click to expand...

For what it's worth, I was encouraged by Simon's comments in the FZ8 review to run Silkypix at all default settings, which seems to work surprisingly well.

TKinVA said:

Then you can apply third party noise reduction programs like NeatImage and Noise Ninja and sharpening programs like Focus Magic and Nik Sharpener. These specialized programs/plug-ins may do a better job than the tools in Silkypix, ACR, etc.

Click to expand...

No-one seems to rate Silky's noise reduction, and I find that Noiseware Community at default settings, applied to the JPEG developed from RAW, is pretty good. (It would be more logical, I guess, to switch off Silky's NR completely, but no-one seems to know how to do that either!).

After Noiseware I use Picasa for tweaking, but I am suspicious of the sharpening in Picasa (and FastStone too) (noise increase) and I'll pick up your suggestion of Focus Magic and Nik Sharpener and give them a try.

As I use FastStone for cropping, reducing, comparing, etc, I have got Silkypix, Noiseware, Picasa and Photome linked into it, which saves some time. I could link Focus Magic or Nik Sharpener in the same way.

If I were a bigger spender and more confident, I would probably jump into Lightroom 2 and not use much else . . . that seems to come highly recommended. . .

Mike
--
Gear: EffZedEight, EffZedFive, EffTwenty.
Wish List, No. 1: minimalist EffZedNine, same shape/size/weight as EffZedFive.
Favourite Things, No. 1: Noise Reduction that can be switched OFF.

ajuett said:

I use SilkyPix most of the time and last year, all the time for my RAW images. I only ever moved the False Color Control to about the 40-60 mark when using 800 ISO or higher. False Color Control reduces/removes what I like to call the "color static" made by high ISOs.

Click to expand...

Interesting . . . do you mean that you use Silky at all default settings, except False Color Control?

Mike
--
Gear: EffZedEight, EffZedFive, EffTwenty.
Wish List, No. 1: minimalist EffZedNine, same shape/size/weight as EffZedFive.
Favourite Things, No. 1: Noise Reduction that can be switched OFF.

Mikedigi said:

ajuett said:

I use SilkyPix most of the time and last year, all the time for my RAW images. I only ever moved the False Color Control to about the 40-60 mark when using 800 ISO or higher. False Color Control reduces/removes what I like to call the "color static" made by high ISOs.

Click to expand...

Interesting . . . do you mean that you use Silky at all default settings, except False Color Control?

Click to expand...

In terms of noise control, yes. False Color Control removes the color static and keeps the detail, no smearing in my experience.

These days I'm using a ZS1 so no RAW. Even so, I still use SilkyPix for any PP needed.

Dear all,
Thanks for all your comments. Have some more questions:

1. When you said using all default setting, does it mean that when you open a raw file, you don't do anything and that's the default setting? I noticed that it will use "Natural" in "Sharpness/Noise Reduction".

2. In the slider for e.g. Noise level, there is a grey ^ sign, is it the mark that shows the setting I got from the camera?

3. How can I reset all the settings to the very original position if I made some changes?

4. I am using Mac, I cannot add multiple file in the preview as instructed by the menu by pressing the "Ctrl" key when pressing "Open" key. Anyone can help?

5. When you open a folder, there are jpg and raw files (I shoot raw+jpg), is that it will only show raw file instead of both jpg & raw files? How can I open both jpg & raw files in the folder?

Many thanks again.

chowpi said:

Dear all,
Thanks for all your comments. Have some more questions:

1. When you said using all default setting, does it mean that when you open a raw file, you don't do anything and that's the default setting? I noticed that it will use "Natural" in "Sharpness/Noise Reduction".

Click to expand...

At Open it's all at default. Unless of course you have visited the image previously and changed some settings.

chowpi said:

2. In the slider for e.g. Noise level, there is a grey ^ sign, is it the mark that shows the setting I got from the camera?

Click to expand...

I think the grey ^ is the default setting as far as I can see.

chowpi said:

3. How can I reset all the settings to the very original position if I made some changes?

Click to expand...

In Win it's Control X to remove all changes, then Control V to put them back (or back onto any other image(s)).

For Mac item 4.14.2 in the Manual says {for Mac} "[Command] key + mouse click is the same as "[CTRL] key + Left click" of the mouse." So "Command X and Command V should be what's needed.

chowpi said:

4. I am using Mac, I cannot add multiple file in the preview as instructed by the menu by pressing the "Ctrl" key when pressing "Open" key. Anyone can help?

Click to expand...

Again "[Command] key + mouse click is the same as "[CTRL] key + Left click" of the mouse." That should work for multiple selection. That is, click on one thumbnail then Command click on the others. (No Mac in the house so can't check this operation.)

chowpi said:

5. When you open a folder, there are jpg and raw files (I shoot raw+jpg), is that it will only show raw file instead of both jpg & raw files? How can I open both jpg & raw files in the folder?

Click to expand...

I use the first icon that is the "open file" icon, then select a folder and then select if I want to see jpg or raw or all images and then select all the displayed images in the folder (Win Control A, Mac should be Command A) or some or just one as I desire, seems easier to use it that way.

Regards..... Guy

Marco Handgraaf said:

Better use ACR 5.4 + LR2 or CS4 + Nik Dfine 2.0.

Best results, best noise removal, protecting sharpness.

Click to expand...

Topaz Denoise does a much better quality job than Dfine, but it's considerably slower too.

Im having issues with silkypix and my panasonic GX80/85. When all noise reduction is set to zero there is still some weird noise reduction coing on even on base iso 200. Faces, fences and trees in the distance get all smeared out! WHY OH GOD WHY?! Im so freaking tired of all digital smearing!

mrkarisma said:

Im having issues with silkypix and my panasonic GX80/85. When all noise reduction is set to zero there is still some weird noise reduction coing on even on base iso 200. Faces, fences and trees in the distance get all smeared out! WHY OH GOD WHY?! Im so freaking tired of all digital smearing!

Click to expand...

Silkypix SE now has demosaicing sharpening. I think it works well.

Here is a sample from my ZS100 at 100% view. Sharpening is set to "normal sharp".


Good pixel-level detail

Here is the whole image, saved from SE at half size:


1/4 original pixels

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