M10 DNG Files - Automatic Noise Reduction Applied in Lightroom Classic?

[Steve Miller]

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Hi,

I recently bought an M10 and as an aside, have to say that I am blown away by the image quality. I've been shooting Fuji for a while and bought a Q2 two years ago which I love. Yes, the Q2 lived up to expectations and as I was warned, ended up being a gateway to the Leica M world. I can't believe the low light, high ISO IQ I'm seeing on the M10. For reference, just to push the camera's limits, I've been taking shots of my daughters at night at 1/60, f/1.7 and ISO 12500. This is hardly a controlled study but from my observations, the noise in the M10 files at these settings is on par and looks better than the noise I see on my Q2 at ISO 3200. YMMV but call me darn impressed.

To my question...

I find that when I import M10 DNG files into Lightroom Classic, it automatically adds noise reduction to the images. It varies the amount based on the ISO of the files. I know this functionality exists in LR but I've never utilized it and all of my Fuji and Q2 files come into LR with 0 Noise Reduction applied (a zero value for the luminance setting). Is it normal normal behavior for Lightroom to intelligently apply NR to M10 DNG files when you import them? It's not a problem and I can always reduce it if I want, but I am surprised to see files with NR applied on import.

Note: the amazing low light, high ISO image quality I referred to above is not because of the NR applied to the files at import. My comments were based on when I zero out the NR and see how impressive the files look for those low light images.

Thanks for your help.

Steve

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[Bikie John]

I think this is normal behaviour with LR Classic, I have seen it with several bodies. I have also seen it add sharpening by default. It seems rather eccentric and I have never really understood the point. At one point I set up import presets to clear stuff like this but it was so long ago that I've forgotten the details - sorry. These days I just let it do what it wants and tweak it later if it seems important.

John 

[jaapv]

This is normal - if LRC is set to do so. If you don't want it to behave this way, change it.

 

https://jkost.com/blog/2020/09/importing-photos-into-lightroom-classic.html

 

 

[Steve Miller]

Thanks, Bikie John and jaapv.

I know LR has this functionality to set different import presets to automatically apply NR based on the ISO of the file. However, I've never turned it on and import my RAW or DNG files with no preset applied. I've imported files from dozens of different cameras, including the Leica Q2 and have never had any image open in LR with any level of NR applied. Like I said, it's easy enough to adjust if I don't like the level LR automatically applied, but the M10 files are definitely behaving differently from every other camera I've used (solely with regard to this one auto NR issue).

I posted because I was curious if others have experienced this issue only with M10 files and was wondering if there was some internal camera setting that could be changed. Apparently not. Thanks for your help and for pointing me to Julie's blog post.

Steve

[Steve Miller]

If anyone is interested, Adobe calls it ISO adaptive presets and discusses it here:

https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom-classic/help/raw-defaults.html

I've never set these up so it's odd that only M10 files behave this way. So far, LR seems to do a good job of assigning an appropriate level of NR so at this point, I'll call it a feature, not a bug! I'll take it.

[Photoworks]

Camera Raw, and Capture one all read the settings of the DNG and apply corrections.

I see that at different ISO setting the sharpening and noise reduction at different amount.

Some people like the noise look of the camera native and turn the corrections of. I would suggest keeping the Color noise reduction on as it is present on every ISO setting.

I have tested the M10-R at different setting at night, I find that at 640 ISO is almost the same grain structural as 4000ISO

in some cases at night is better to expose at 100 ISO and lighten up the photo 4 stops. 
 

it is good to lens the sensor and gain some experience what is best for you

[Chazphoto]

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Hi

does anyone know if Capture One Pro does the same or do the M10 pre-settings only talk to Lightroom?

Chaz

[Photoworks]

7 hours ago, Chazphoto said:

Hi

does anyone know if Capture One Pro does the same or do the M10 pre-settings only talk to Lightroom?

Chaz

RAW files in general need noise reduction and sharpening. All programs have an initial setting and C1P does too, it is more gentile than Lightroom. Some people claim that the photos from Lightroom come out sharper and they prefer that.

when you shoot JPG in camera the noise reduction is calculated in camera and applied.

Capture one does apply NR different setting for different cameras, and shooting condition. This is probably the same for all other program.

with the M10R been so clean in high iso, I like to experiment with sharpening and NR off for an organic look in C1P. the only one I keep on is the Color Noise setting.

[Adam Bonn]

IIRC / AFAIK Leica has added some tag in the DNG that calls upon LR/ACR to add NR based on ISO, which they didn’t do with previous cameras.

(also IIRC / AFAIK, LR’s default numerical setting eg ‘sharpening 25’ might be the same value for all/many cameras but it doesn’t have the same intensity, ie 25 on Fuji might be less sharpening than 25 on a Nikon or whatever)

IIRC C1 has always added whatever sharpening/NR it felt was needed based on as-shot parameters 

[Bikie John]

Interesting, thanks Adam.

John

(PS Give my love to Porto. The only time I have visited was February and it was cold, chucking it down and blowing a hooley. I still loved it)

[Adam Bonn]

20 minutes ago, Bikie John said:

Give my love to Porto. The only time I have visited was February and it was cold, chucking it down and blowing a hooley. I still loved it

I might have to send this to my UK friends and family all of whom seem to think that it’s perpetually warm and sunny here 🙄😅

Its nice in summer, but yeah in the winter when a storm blows in from the North Atlantic…. 🥶

[Bikie John]

Way off-topic and non-Leica content (Olympus E-M1), so I hope nobody minds. "Sunny" Porto in Feb 2014:

 

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[Adam Bonn]

3 hours ago, Bikie John said:

Way off-topic and non-Leica content (Olympus E-M1), so I hope nobody minds. "Sunny" Porto in Feb 2014:

 

 

It looked that about 10 days ago too 😅

[frame-it]

 

 

On 6/5/2021 at 5:55 PM, jaapv said:

This is normal - if LRC is set to do so. If you don't want it to behave this way, change it.

 

https://jkost.com/blog/2020/09/importing-photos-into-lightroom-classic.html

 

 

or this?

 

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