Should I use in-camera noise reduction or do it later in post-processing?
Asked 7/13/2011
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When photographing at higher ISO settings, should I rely on the camera’s built-in noise reduction, or is it better to handle noise reduction later in software such as Photoshop or Lightroom? I’m wondering whether the camera has any advantage because it processes the image earlier, or whether desktop software is generally preferable. Is this similar to digital zoom, where post-processing is usually the better choice unless you’re working with compressed files?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
7
It should be done in post-processing. You have absolute control of the noise-reduction parameters at that point and can rethink a setting if it smears your image too much. It's best to shoot in RAW and postpone what decisions you can until you get into Lightroom or Photoshop or [insert tool of choice here].
Originally by user5270. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user5270
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
In general, do noise reduction in post-processing rather than in-camera.
The main advantage is control: software like Lightroom or Photoshop lets you fine-tune how much noise reduction to apply and how much detail to preserve. If the result looks too soft or smeared, you can change it later. With in-camera processing, that decision is often baked in and harder or impossible to undo.
A good workflow is to shoot RAW and postpone as many processing decisions as possible until editing. That gives you the most flexibility for balancing noise reduction against sharpness and detail.
So if you want the best control and image quality, shoot RAW and apply noise reduction afterward.
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