Smart Noise Reduction Filter

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It's a fact that all digital images contain noise even at low ISO settings. Often this noise can be seen in the details in shadows and in blue skies. As the ISO sensitivity is increased this noise becomes more and more pronounced to the extent that the highest ISO settings for most digital cameras are barely usable. With BreezeBrowser's Smart Noise Reduction technology, SmNR for short, you can now do something about it. SmNR filters out the noise in images and, unlike other noise filters, there is virtually no loss of detail.

To get an idea of what SmNR can do, take a look at the speedway shot below taken with a Canon EOS-1D at ISO 1000.

Image Details
Camera Model: Canon EOS-1D
Firmware Version 1.3.0
Shutter speed: 1/400 sec
Aperture: 5.6
Exposure mode: Manual
ISO: 1000
Focal length: 400.0 mm
AF mode: AI Servo AF

The two pictures below show the effects of SmNR on part of this image. Both images are unsharpened and were converted using identical settings in BreezeBrowser - the one on the left has SmNR turned OFF and the one on the right has it set to High.

Converted with no noise reduction

Converted with Smart Noise Reduction set to High

Notice how the noise in the area behind the rider and on his goggles has been filtered out in the right shot with virtually no loss of detail.

SmNR has been carefully designed and optimized using a large number of images from different digital cameras. Unlike other methods, it is optimized for each camera model. Because noise from different camera models is actually quite different SmNR uses shooting data from the image to determine the best settings to use. It then carefully analyzes your image and decides which areas contain important details and which contain undesirable noise, removing the noise and leaving the details untouched.

SmNR can dramatically reduce the noise in shadow areas and this effectively increases the usable dynamic range of the image. So techniques like Contrast Masking are more effective and more detail can be rescued from underexposed images.

BreezeBrowser uses noise reduction technology developed by Kevin Dobson. Click here for more information.

Please Note: When SmNR is used in an unregistered version of BreezeBrowser a watermark is added to the image. This watermark is disabled when BreezeBrowser is registered.

SmNR is available when converting raw images and when using proofs.