Getting the best out of DeNoise AI

Education & Training Tips, Tricks, and Downfalls
23

Read it Dan, here is the relevant quote from my post:

“As a general rule of thumb I would recommend using manual settings or the AI Clear model if you don’t have access to the original RAW file of the image.”

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24

Of course, I simply wanted to remind people for the reason why RAW files may not be available.

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25
26

So if you are going to use Light room, Denoise AI and Sharpen AI in a RAW file, what would you recommend to be the right order to do it?
Thanks!

27

As mentioned above in the opening post, DeNoise first then use Sharpen AI instead of LR sharpening. Note that the image will need to be a TIF (preferably) passed to DeNoise from LR with no noise reduction applied.

28

And at the end LR to apply contrast, shadows, etc?
Thanks!

29

No, Sharpening as the final step …

30

So the steps should be like this?

  1. DeNoise AI (as a TIFF)
  2. LR adjustments
  3. Sharpen AI

Thanks!

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31

There are some important things I have learned that need to be done before converting the raw file into a TIFF and handing it off to DeNoise AI.

  • White Balance: this is more effective on the raw file. You lose access to the drop down menu of preset white balance choices (e.g., Cloudy, Shade) with the TIFF file.
  • Camera Profiles: You lose access to Portrait, Vivid, Landscape, etc. camera profiles once converted to a TIFF.
  • Lens Corrections: You lose access to lens profiles to correct for distortion and vignetting that are usually available in the raw file.
  • Highlights & Shadows: I suspect you have a greater ability to recover detail in the extreme dark and bright areas with the raw file.
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32

All these are embedded in the TIF produced from your editor so then only need minor adjustments. Lens corrections should only be used on RAW files and if you need further corrections most editors provide manual corrections.

Highlights & Shadows recovery are dependant on the editor you are using, for example Capture One is very good.

33

My understanding is that the output from DeNoise (and other Topaz AI products I think) is TIFF format, is this correct? If it is then aren’t you in many ways limiting further Post Production with other app like PS or Lightroom, Topaz Studio 2 etc.? My understanding is that the RAW file has the “most” information available to tweak and adjust and that once you have created a TIFF or PSD that can greatly diminish the latitude you have for further image enhancements.

34

No you aren’t limiting post production as a RAW image only contains sensor data that needs to be processed to an image format. DeNoise allows you to output the RAW data into either a JPG, PNG, TIF or DNG as you wish.

All applications produce a “preview” of the RAW file with the adjustments you have applied.

35

“DeNoise allows you to output the RAW data into either a JPG, PNG, TIF or DNG as you wish.”

I think you are not understanding my question. Once the image is output from Topaz DeNoise to a TIFF file, the conversion to TIFF “limits” in some ways the future editing of the image file as it is no longer a RAW file. I wont even go into jpg, png files as they are waaaaay limited for great PP editing. I asked this question long ago over on the fredmiranda.com forums and the general consensus from many pro photogs was that “yes, once converted to TIFF the file becomes less amenable to future PP”. Not that PP can no longer be done but that after TIFF conversion, editing depth is much more limited.

Does Topaz DeNoise have the ability to output as a DNG file as that would preserve the RAW nature of the image file and make my question moot because as you know, I am sure, DNG is a RAW file with the sidecar info “baked into” the image file as opposed to a seperate xpmp sidecar file.

36

If you edit a RAW file in a external editor from a RAW converter you use a pixel based image.

In no way does a “lossless” image, such as TIF, limit editing of that image.

It is a misnomer that you are editing a RAW file in RAW processors such as LR, PS, Capture One etc., you are editing a preview generated from the RAW file.

You cannot “edit” a RAW file from a camera as it is just sensor data that needs to be demosaiced (debayered) and converted to a pixel format.

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