Steve'sDigicams

NeoDon · Dec 24, 2005, 2:48 PM

:OI have just aquired Photoshop CS 2 and the Lumix FZ30 raw image format
plug-in. I am wondering whether anyone one here uses it and whether or not this
option gets rid of the noise issues at higher ISO settings. Will be getting my new FZ30 in about a week. Want to see if there are any after Xmas sales. Thx.

NeoDon

genece · Dec 24, 2005, 3:05 PM

yes the ACR does a good job of removing noise if you shoot in RAW.

But quite honestly all the new NR programs are very good anymore.

And you may want to wait and see if the noise really bothers you....for most viewing and printing you may be surprised.

I very seldom use any NR and then its usually on photos that I need to sharpen and I leave Neat Image do the NR and sharpen at the same time.

tiger98 · Dec 24, 2005, 3:48 PM

Neo Don, I also use Photoshop CS2 but rarely for noise reduction. As Gene stated Neat Image is probably better suited for that. You will probably find PS better for just "tweaking" your pictures! Jim

rduve · Dec 25, 2005, 3:10 PM

I doin't see any noise reduction tool in the RAW processing interface, only in PS after saving the image as a jpeg. Or am I missing anything? I find noise is not bothersome in most outdoor pictures but can be in indoor pics even with lower ISO's. I also use Neat image to reduce noise. The paid version comes as PS plug-in, by the way. I love to use Neat Image to soften portraits.

mtngal · Dec 26, 2005, 11:08 PM

I use Photoshop CS2 and downloaded Adobe Raw Converter 3.2 (think that's the number) that supports the FZ30. It's the first time I've used raw files so it's the only thing I know. If you have it, there are 5 tabs. The first one is Adjust (where you can make adjustments to exposure, white balance, etc.), the second one is detail, and there are sliders for sharpening, color noise reductionand luminance smoothing. Then there's lens, curve and calibrate. Haven't quite figured out how to make good use of curve or calibrate yet. The lens tab can correct CA and vinetting (I've only played with this one once when I had some CA on some branches).

style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000"I haven't had all that much luck with using ARC for noise reduction (got too much or not enough)- the demo version of Neat Image is easier to use for me.

rduve · Dec 26, 2005, 11:58 PM

mtngal wrote:

Quote:

I use Photoshop CS2 and downloaded Adobe Raw Converter 3.2 (think that's the number) that supports the FZ30. It's the first time I've used raw files so it's the only thing I know. If you have it, there are 5 tabs. The first one is Adjust (where you can make adjustments to exposure, white balance, etc.), the second one is detail, and there are sliders for sharpening, color noise reductionand luminance smoothing. Then there's lens, curve and calibrate. Haven't quite figured out how to make good use of curve or calibrate yet. The lens tab can correct CA and vinetting (I've only played with this one once when I had some CA on some branches).

style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000"I haven't had all that much luck with using ARC for noise reduction (got too much or not enough)- the demo version of Neat Image is easier to use for me.

I also mainly use Neat Image. I now noticed the "color Noise reduction" slider, will play with it. Do you know what the luminance smoothing does?

mtngal · Dec 27, 2005, 8:03 PM

I'm not any expert - I just played with the sliders a bit. I didn't notice much difference when I was using the color noise reduction, where I did notice quite a bit of difference getting rid of the graininess I've always thought of as "noise" when I use the luminance smoothing slider. However, when I used it to get the color smoothness I wanted, I had to sharpen more than I wanted to keep the detail I wanted. One of our Christmas gifts was a Barnes & Noble gift card, and so I bought myselfPhotoshop CS2Classroom In A Book, which has a chapter on working with raw images. Hopefully I'll get a better handle on all the newer features in PS and how to really use Adobe's raw converter.

rduve · Dec 27, 2005, 11:03 PM

Got it. Share your knowledge please once you wrap your wits around. I also find it hard to work with those sliders and actually see the difference in the image.

NeoDon · Dec 28, 2005, 3:28 PM

Thx Jim, I got noiseninka and was impressed with its ease and production
so I will try it when my FZ30 comes. Thx again.

NeoDon · Jan 14, 2006, 1:30 AM

I also got neat image and a sample raw FZ30 pic from a good person in this forum iI think. Thank You by the way. What Neat Image did to that picture on my first try with the software after a little adjustment was absolutely stunning. It got rid of the noise and seemed to have actually sharpened the pic I was really impressed. So much so that it was the deciding blow in favor of the FZ30. Look it makes sense to me at least that for the price and compared to a DSLR there is bound to warrant a little PP to your pictures there digital after all, and neat image should be a buy for anyone with this or any other digicam, it works-GOOD. ;-)

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Dec 24, 2005, 2:48 PM	#1
NeoDon Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 22	:OI have just aquired Photoshop CS 2 and the Lumix FZ30 raw image format plug-in. I am wondering whether anyone one here uses it and whether or not this option gets rid of the noise issues at higher ISO settings. Will be getting my new FZ30 in about a week. Want to see if there are any after Xmas sales. Thx. NeoDon

Dec 24, 2005, 3:05 PM	#2
genece Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,111	yes the ACR does a good job of removing noise if you shoot in RAW. But quite honestly all the new NR programs are very good anymore. And you may want to wait and see if the noise really bothers you....for most viewing and printing you may be surprised. I very seldom use any NR and then its usually on photos that I need to sharpen and I leave Neat Image do the NR and sharpen at the same time.

Dec 24, 2005, 3:48 PM	#3
tiger98 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 2,696	Neo Don, I also use Photoshop CS2 but rarely for noise reduction. As Gene stated Neat Image is probably better suited for that. You will probably find PS better for just "tweaking" your pictures! Jim

Dec 25, 2005, 3:10 PM	#4
rduve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,504	I doin't see any noise reduction tool in the RAW processing interface, only in PS after saving the image as a jpeg. Or am I missing anything? I find noise is not bothersome in most outdoor pictures but can be in indoor pics even with lower ISO's. I also use Neat image to reduce noise. The paid version comes as PS plug-in, by the way. I love to use Neat Image to soften portraits.

Dec 26, 2005, 11:08 PM	#5
mtngal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Frazier Park, CA Posts: 16,177	I use Photoshop CS2 and downloaded Adobe Raw Converter 3.2 (think that's the number) that supports the FZ30. It's the first time I've used raw files so it's the only thing I know. If you have it, there are 5 tabs. The first one is Adjust (where you can make adjustments to exposure, white balance, etc.), the second one is detail, and there are sliders for sharpening, color noise reductionand luminance smoothing. Then there's lens, curve and calibrate. Haven't quite figured out how to make good use of curve or calibrate yet. The lens tab can correct CA and vinetting (I've only played with this one once when I had some CA on some branches). style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #000000"I haven't had all that much luck with using ARC for noise reduction (got too much or not enough)- the demo version of Neat Image is easier to use for me.

Dec 27, 2005, 8:03 PM	#7
mtngal Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Frazier Park, CA Posts: 16,177	I'm not any expert - I just played with the sliders a bit. I didn't notice much difference when I was using the color noise reduction, where I did notice quite a bit of difference getting rid of the graininess I've always thought of as "noise" when I use the luminance smoothing slider. However, when I used it to get the color smoothness I wanted, I had to sharpen more than I wanted to keep the detail I wanted. One of our Christmas gifts was a Barnes & Noble gift card, and so I bought myselfPhotoshop CS2Classroom In A Book, which has a chapter on working with raw images. Hopefully I'll get a better handle on all the newer features in PS and how to really use Adobe's raw converter.

Dec 27, 2005, 11:03 PM	#8
rduve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,504	Got it. Share your knowledge please once you wrap your wits around. I also find it hard to work with those sliders and actually see the difference in the image.

Dec 28, 2005, 3:28 PM	#9
NeoDon Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 22	Thx Jim, I got noiseninka and was impressed with its ease and production so I will try it when my FZ30 comes. Thx again.

Jan 14, 2006, 1:30 AM	#10
NeoDon Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 22	I also got neat image and a sample raw FZ30 pic from a good person in this forum iI think. Thank You by the way. What Neat Image did to that picture on my first try with the software after a little adjustment was absolutely stunning. It got rid of the noise and seemed to have actually sharpened the pic I was really impressed. So much so that it was the deciding blow in favor of the FZ30. Look it makes sense to me at least that for the price and compared to a DSLR there is bound to warrant a little PP to your pictures there digital after all, and neat image should be a buy for anyone with this or any other digicam, it works-GOOD. ;-)