Denoise challenge - raw, jpeg, tiff provided

Be More wrote:

I have been following this thread avidly as I also prefer to use linux and would prefer not to have to dive back into windows if I can help it.

Yes like me

I currently use Darktable and until now I did not know about Neat Image. I have been playing around with the demo this week and finding I get some pretty nice results when I bring the denoised image back into DT.

Interesting, so you have a different workflow. In my current workflow, export & denoising comes at the end.

While not as clean as the AI/deep learning software such as DXO and Topaz I think I can live with it if it means not having to deal with windows.

We should not finally judge from one single image. But yes, from what I've seen here in this thread, I must admit that's about my own perception, too. I believe Pablo with his fine hair is pretty challenging at ISO 12800. As far as I see, the AI based tools do a better job with Pablo at ISO 12800 more or less from scratch as compared to Neat Image. This is also true for your result. Neat Image is still not bad, it is still much better than for example darktable alone, but I had to play for quite a while with it until I had a satisfactory Pablo that came somehow close to what the AI based tools deliver, and it was still not the same. OTOH, I have already successfully denoised a number or more "normal" images with Neat Image that I cannot publish, and I am happy with the results. Those were more in the ISO 4000-6400 region and not as challenging as Pablo. But if I had a Windows machine for my photo work, there is a good chance that I'd have preferred Topaz DeNoise AI over Neat Image. The price is about the same. Topaz even had a discount recently.

Maybe Nind Denoise is the future for us Linux/darktable users

Thank you for this thread and the previous threads about your workflow and thanks to Pablo for being great subject to work with.

You're welcome. Many thanks for participating in the challenge.

Regards,

Martin