Which sharpening/Noise reduction tools?

wippers

wippers

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,534
Name
Gareth
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi All - I am currently using Photoshop CS5 and wondered what everyone uses for both sharpening and noise reduction?
I use the Unsharp Mask within PS and Noiseware. I have been using these for a few years now and wanted to know if these are still regarded as good and up to date, or are there plug-ins etc which are now better options? :shrug:
 
wippers said:
Hi All - I am currently using Photoshop CS5 and wondered what everyone uses for both sharpening and noise reduction?
I use the Unsharp Mask within PS and Noiseware. I have been using these for a few years now and wanted to know if these are still regarded as good and up to date, or are there plug-ins etc which are now better options? :shrug:
Click to expand...

I tend to use high pass filter for sharpening, think I followed a tutorial on here the first time I tried it actually. I find it works really well, but if your happy with the outcome the way your doing it, why change?

Tutorial I followed: http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=28733
 
Last edited:
dankellys said:
...but if your happy with the outcome the way your doing it, why change?
Click to expand...

I've never been too happy with Noiseware as it seems to smooth everything out too much on detailed subjects, so I was just wondering if there was anything better available?
The same thing with the sharpening tool really, I just wondered if there was something better?:shrug:
 
wippers said:
I've never been too happy with Noiseware as it seems to smooth everything out too much on detailed subjects, so I was just wondering if there was anything better available?
The same thing with the sharpening tool really, I just wondered if there was something better?:shrug:
Click to expand...

Ah ok. Well i would definitely recommend High Pass for sharpening. As for noise reduction, I just tend to use Lightroom/Reduce Noise Filter in Photoshop.
 
Last edited:
Nik RAW pre-sharpener always helps me in the first instance and I find Nik Define to be good for noise reduction.
 
I use noiseware pro for noise reduction (I did a comparrison a while back and it came out best of the plugins I tried) and PK sharpener as a sharpening plug-in, that saidwith the sharpening and noise reduction as good as it is in photoshop I don't use the plug-ins very often these days.
 
High pass sharpening and smart sharpen are my two options
Dave
 
High Pass mostly, and Imagenomic NR. I put the NR on a fresh layer, then use opacity to pull it back to avoid the plastic look, and paint out selective bits through a mask if necessary.
 
+1 for noiseware

If you worried about losing some detail, try using edge masks to apply selectively. This way you denoise your image without affecting edge detail.

For sharpening the new smart sharpen in cs cc is pretty hard to beat!
 
One other thing I've been thinking about, do you remove noise first then sharpen after? This is what I've been doing but no idea if this is right?
 
I would do it that way too
 
I hardly ever sharpen an image for print.

I will do some light sharpening when I resize for web versions... usually just bicubic sharper when reducing resolution. I do not usually sharpen as part of the workflow though. On the occasions I do, it's very light sharpening with low radius and no detail enhancement in Lightroom.

People seem to over-sharpen images terribly these days.

If I want more sharpness... I use a larger format :)
 
Last edited:
swanseamale47 said:
I'm courious what your using for the noise reduction Christine?
Click to expand...

Hi Wayne

Duplicate layer, light gaussian blur and blend the layer, usually soft. I then mask it out in black and paint in the bits I want softened/blurred

I was doing something one day, I think with a sky, and thought it worked for sharpening it should work for softening/blurring as well
 
Kerioak said:
Hi Wayne

Duplicate layer, light gaussian blur and blend the layer, usually soft. I then mask it out in black and paint in the bits I want softened/blurred

I was doing something one day, I think with a sky, and thought it worked for sharpening it should work for softening/blurring as well
Click to expand...

Thanks Christine. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top