Film scan noise. What program?

[rob_x2004]

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The following is 100% 600hx200w crop of a 5300hx7900w scan file before any editing and without compression.

If I am editing the file for posting or for small paper print I work in final size and noise is written out by the resizing algorithm and I have a smooth "grainless" image to work on and to apply whatever editing techniques.

For larger prints I would like to start working on larger dimensioned files. Obvioulsy the amount of noise is masking fine tuning of curves, sharpening, whatever, because I cant really see the outcome past the cranky look. Final prints are smooth, it is only a problem being able to see real time the effects of my editing.

What are people using for noise reduction for scan files?

 

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[Mark Antony]

Well coloured noise is awful, you can turn the noise mono in L*a*b mode by applying blur to the a and b channels

Mark

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[rob_x2004]

I dont know anything about that Mark, will have to give it a try. Never played in Lab mode. All I do at the moment is "remove noise" in corel, I think the fat slug photoshop has it too.

 

Doing so would give me a start place of this before editing. Noise seems spread, or blurred, and given that the full frame is forty times wider than the crop shown, by the time it is viewed on my screen it is quite a deal smoother. Still not brilliant, but a bit better.

 

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[Guest stnami]

..most of the noise is in your blue and green channels, gaussian blur and sharpen it but lose detail............

[Mark Antony]

Rob

The reason to put in L*a*b is that it separates the Luminance (B&W) noise from the truly ugly colour noise in the a and b channels.

Here is your image 'split' channels in Lab mode

The left is the mono noise (yummy) the other two are the ugly chromatic stuff (yuk)

So what you do is apply Gaussian blur to the a&b just enough to knock out the speckled look, too much will de-saturate the colours.

 

Then you can play with the L slightly to get the density, edge/contrast sharpen etc

Put it back into RGB and Bob is your uncle.

Mark

[Guest stnami]

....agree with Cleopatra's mate:D LAB is the way to go

[rob_x2004]

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Am on my way. About three seconds work in corel.

Gets me on the right road. I can see this being useful.

 

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[rob_x2004]

So apart from addressing noise, when do you use LAB mode, or what was it designed to do?

[andybarton]

I alsways use LAB mode for sharpening. Sharpen in the Luminance channel only.

 

And I use Neat Image if I want to cut any noise.

[Mark Antony]

So apart from addressing noise, when do you use LAB mode, or what was it designed to do?

 

I use it all the while, goes back to when I was taught PS version 2.51.

Here is a Moiré removal in Lab on my digital blog:

The Unsharp Mask: Moiré Removal in Photoshop

Not so useful for us film buffs, but helpful to know.

Lab can be used to make selections, colour adjustments without doing too much damage etc

Too much to cover really- I use it loads.

Mark