Can you create a better still photo by averaging frames from a video?

Asked 5/26/2012

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I’ve seen this done in amateur astronomy, where many video frames are combined into one less-noisy image. Can a similar approach work for night photography with a compact camera that doesn’t offer much manual shutter control?

My idea is to record a long video, extract the frames, and combine them into a single still to reduce noise and possibly improve image quality. Would averaging or stacking video frames help, and how does that compare with taking several still photos and combining those instead?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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Yes it is and there are several ways to do that.

The easiest which works with any camera (still or video) is to split the video file into a sequence of stills using software like ffmpeg. Then pass the images to an Exposure Fusion software. While it was not it primary intention, Exposure Fusion works really well to blend images which results in lower noise, increased dynamic-range and greater depth-of-field (depending on the fusion weights).

Should you want more direct controls, it won't be hard to load all these images as layers in a software which supports this concept like Photoshop. Then all you need is to set the correct blending mode. I am guessing something like Average would do it.

As @Russell said, this can also be done from images using Multi-Frame noise-reduction. Sony is big on it and so is Fuji in their CMOS based cameras (F and HS series). They call it Pro Low-Light mode. @mattdm said Pentax does it too but from memory I do not remember which one.

I suspect but didn't try it that you would get very similar results using the Multi-Exposure mode present in most Pentax, Nikon, Olympus ILCs (plus the Canon 1D X and 5D Mark III). This is usually limited to 2-9 images. Note that you must enable Auto Gain on Nikon & Olympus and Auto EV Adjustment on Pentax for this to blend rather than add exposures.

Should you want to do your own Multi-Frame noise-reduction you want to use a proper exposure, not under-exposed images. This is because noise is much higher in dark areas of images. Obviously, if the scene is too dark to be exposed properly then you have to work with what you can get. Adding multiple images to create a brighter one is called Image Stacking and is used for Astrophotography. Given the context in your question, this may be what you were looking for.

Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1620

14y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Yes — combining multiple frames can reduce noise, and it can work with either video frames or a burst of still photos.

A common approach is to extract the video into individual frames, then average or blend them in software. This can lower random noise, and tools that support averaging, layer blending, or exposure fusion can help. The same basic idea is used in some cameras’ multi-frame noise reduction modes.

That said, using multiple still photos is often better than using video if your camera allows it. Still images usually have higher resolution and less compression than video frames, so they give the software better data to work with. Video can still help when manual control is limited, but it won’t magically recover detail that the video format never captured.

For best results, keep the camera steady on a tripod and use a fixed exposure if possible. This technique mainly improves noise; it does not replace a truly longer exposure for gathering more light in a single frame.

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14y ago

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