ACR making JPEG's look horrible

andy_fozzy

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Andy!
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This is driving me NUTS :bang:
I bet I don't do a very good job of explaining, but I'll do my best!

Whenever I edit a raw and convert to JPEG, the quality is yuck. The JPEG's have a really horrible grain on them.
Will try to post a few samples.
This has always happened. I've searched the forum and cannot find anyone else having the same problem.......

Just changed to Nikon, and hate the Nikon software, so have no choice but to use CS5. But Canon raw files were the same. They too had this horrible grain on them.
Seems to be worse when they've been sharpened.

:shrug:
 
Occasionaly perhaps, but this effect always happens, no matter what.

I *think* it has something to do with the sharpening tool.
I always try not to over sharpen, but even the slightest bit of sharpening produces this effect.

Just messing about with some shots I took yesterday and if I put the sharpening on 0 the effect isn't there.

:thinking:
 
If you save the images as TIFF's do you get the same effect?

Also what settings are you using in ACR for sharpenning ?
 
Just trying to find out where they problem is, as it is the same it's not the JPEG compression causing the problem.
 
Just trying to find out where they problem is, as it is the same it's not the JPEG compression causing the problem.

Sure thing.

On a slightly separate not, I've just installed the trial version of Elements 9, which includes ACR 6.1 (CS5 is using 6.4.1 :thinking: ) but this only gives me the option to convert raws to .DNG files, which is bloody annoying, because when I saved it as a DNG then converted it to JPEG, the problem didn't occur.
And I applied lot's of sharpening!
 
Andy what settings are you using for sharpening in ACR, are you using any noise reduction and what iso are you shooting. Also are you viewing on screen or printing the jpegs when you see the grain.
Another thought can you post a screencap or better still upload a raw for us to try?
 
Andy what settings are you using for sharpening in ACR, are you using any noise reduction and what iso are you shooting. Also are you viewing on screen or printing the jpegs when you see the grain.
Another thought can you post a screencap or better still upload a raw for us to try?

Hiya,
I don't use ACR for noise reduction. Settings I use Radius 1, Detail 25, Masking 0 and just adjust the amount as needed. The default amount setting is on 25, but like I said, if it needs more sharpening I adjust the amount until I get the desired effect.

I'm working on a ISO400 shot at the moment.
The horrible effect I get is at all ISO's, and it's different from high ISO noise.

Got to go out in a mo, but later on I'll post some samples.

I haven't printed any pics, so cannot confirm if it's on prints.
 
Andy

Try downloading a trial version of Lightroom

The develop module is the same as ACR that is in CS5, but it would be interesting to see if you get the same problem using LR instead of ACR in CS5.
 
if I put the sharpening on 0 the effect isn't there.

:thinking:

when you export a file it adds a further level of sharpening, so perhaps try and turn this off as you're probably over-sharpening and bringing out the noise in the image
 
Hello , try getting a trial version of topaz DeJPEG , might do the trick :)
 
i personally dont use ACR for sharpening, i do noise reduction only. I use photoshop for sharpening;
Duplicate layer,
high pass set to catch the fine detail,
desaturate
despeckle if using high iso,
set to overlay, soft light, hard light etc depending on shot.

Its far less indiscriminate, so will have less of an adverse effect on noise compared to normal sharpening.

Raws do tend to appear more grainy than jpegs, but theres is also more detail there too, so its a bit of a balancing act between the amount of grain you have and the amount of detail you want to keep.

Keep at it, Raw is awesome to work with once you get a used to it.
 
Thanks for all the advice.
Sorry - I haven't had time to sort out any examples.........

I'm pretty sure it's me over sharpening.
Although I have started using View NX, and don't seem to have a problem with it (other than it takes AGES to convert from raw to JPEG!).

The problem only happens when I sharpen in ACR..........
 
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