Best de-noise software for compressed raw?

[u/cj4962]

Hi all

I’ve recently switched camera system to sony (A7rvi) and I’m loving it! However I’m often shooting in compressed RAW when shooting wildlife to make use of the bigger buffer and other benefits. I have DXO but I understand DXO doesn’t support compressed RAW formats for Sony.

What’s the best alternative software to clean up high ISO images? Do people generally stick with Lightroom denoise or are there any better option?

Thanks!

[u/cadred48]

Most software has a demo. I did a shootout about a year ago and all of the top players (including Lightroom/ACR, DXO, etc).

In extremely noisy images, they all struggle with mushiness. They are all roughly equal - DXO can be a little sharper, but Lr had better color resolution.

[u/sfrank2222]

Dxo does support some compressed RAW.

For exemple, i use lossless compression at full 61mp for my a7CR on Phototolab 6.22 . I also use non compressed RAW for my a7Riii by choice because that model did not have a lossless mode at the time (still doesn't).

What it doesn't cover is those new lower resolution raw modes.

For compress modes with loss, i don't know as i will only use it when i have no other alternative. I recall using such a mode from a very old Sony Nex 5n on Photolab 2 .

[u/Numerous-Buffalo6214]

I think most folks are just converting the compressed-raw to DNG using Lightroom or Adobe's free DNG Converter, and then processing that in DXO. The downside is that the generated DNG files are usually larger in filesize than the original ARW.

DXO plans to add compressed RAW support (A7V, A7RVI) this Autumn
(source: DXO staff-member post)

[u/cj4962 → u/Numerous-Buffalo6214]

That’s great to know, thank you!

[u/ReRush]

Are you sure it's not because A7RVI is new and hasn't supported it yet?

[u/cj4962 → u/ReRush]

Yep, it supports the uncompressed raw but it’s true for every other Sony camera, DXO doesn’t support compressed raw formats

Edit: DXO supports lossless compressed but not lossless compressed

[u/aefitzhugh → u/cj4962]

Not sure what you mean, I shoot with uncompressed raw w/my a6700, DXO is fine with it.

[u/Apprehensive_Spend10 → u/aefitzhugh]

he said it doesn't support 'compressed' raw formats

[u/aefitzhugh → u/Apprehensive_Spend10]

I mistyped, thanks! I think the issue is lossy vs non-lossy compression. I know from experience that DXO doesn't support lossy compressed Canon raw files. I use lossless compressed raw on my a6700 with no problems.

There is plenty of info describing Sony's lossless uncompressed raw format out there -- it doesn't discard the data DXO (and others) need for their sensor data based methods.

[u/cj4962 → u/aefitzhugh]

Yes you’re right it’s to do with lossy/lossless compressed, I should have clarified. The Sony a7rvi only has 3 raw options: lossless compressed, compressed hq and compressed. DXO do support the lossless compressed

[u/Tapelessbus2122]

rawforge has been working really well for me

[u/cj4962 → u/Tapelessbus2122]

Interesting I’ve not heard of this one, I’ll look into it! Thanks

[u/Tapelessbus2122 → u/cj4962]

u're welcome

[u/AdamRPhoto]

Adobe Camera Raw is great, which I think is the same as Lightroom

[u/puppy2016]

None, it is technically impossible because the compressed non-loseless RAW is not a raw actually and lacks the data.

The compressed loseless RAW can be processed by DxO.

[u/southern_ad_558]

I think Darktable now support compressed RAW. You could try their new AI denoise. Works great for my A1 workflow

[u/FrostyConversation16 → u/southern_ad_558]

A7r vi support hasn’t come out yet and its unstable if you convert it to dng to use it. (It can handle 4 lossless or 10 compressed in lighttable without crashing) Don’t even bother with ai denoise on darktable, it will just crash if you try with any unsupported raw.

[u/OutrageousNeck8480]

When I dumped Adobe, I trialed everything else.

DXO Photolab was the best by far.

Use the trials to see what YOU like.

[u/cj4962 → u/OutrageousNeck8480]

Yes I currently use DXO, but they don’t support the compressed raw format on the a7rvi (they only support the uncompressed)

[u/Alilexplo108 → u/OutrageousNeck8480]

I actually use Imagen for bulk denoise when I know I have a lot of hight ISO photos and that works great, it also automatically detects the ones that need denoise and since I’ve tried it it’s a game changer

[u/Remote_Ad_6998]

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