Tips for Noise Reduction in Panoramaic Photography using Adobe

Best Practices for Noise Reduction

Let’s dive into some effective practices for noise reduction, focusing on an Adobe workflow. We’ll explore methods for various camera types and share tips to ensure your images shine.

Working with Older DSLR Cameras

First, let’s look at images shot with a Nikon D70 from about 15 years ago. When you open these images in Lightroom, you’ll notice that the default sharpening value is set to 40. This setting is applied to all Raw images by Lightroom and can actually increase noise. So, the first step is to zero out the sharpening before making any adjustments.

• Create a Preset: It’s beneficial to create a preset that sets sharpening and noise reduction to zero. This way you can start with a neutral file which is better for Ai Denoise, particularly if you use Topaz.
• Batch Processing: Once you’ve neutralized the sharpening, run the Ai noise reduction process on all your raw files. This may take some time, but it’s essential for cleaning up your images.
• Export Settings: After processing, export your images as TIFF 16-bit files for stitching in software like PTGui.

After stitching, you’ll want to avoid sharpening, NR and CA corrections. Revisit the source images if you need these adjustments.

Noise Reduction for 360 Cameras

Next, let’s discuss noise reduction for cameras like the RICOH Theta Z1 and Insta 360 RS1, which utilize Bayer sensors. The approach is similar:

• Zero Out Sharpening: Start by reducing sharpening to zero for a clean slate.
• Run Ai Noise Reduction: Apply Ai noise reduction value of around 50%
• Sharpening and Masking: apply sharpening and masking to taste. You won’t need much or any luminance noise reduction.
• Stitching: Use the RICO Theta Stitcher, exporting to JPEG or Tiff in sRGB format.

After stitching, you should have a noise-free panorama, which can be a game changer for virtual tours or immersive experiences.

Non-Bayer Sensor Cameras
For non-Bayer sensor cameras like the Theta X and many Insta 360 models, the steps vary slightly:

• Reduce Sharpening: Again, start by setting the sharpening to zero for raw files.
• Edit in Photoshop: Use the neural filter for JPEG artifacts and make necessary adjustments.
• Final Adjustments: Return to Lightroom for any additional editing
• Stitching: Finish with the RICOH Theta Stitcher to produce a polished final image.

Final Thoughts on Editing Finished Panoramas

When editing finished panoramas, it’s crucial to avoid common pitfalls:

• Avoid applying chromatic aberration corrections on stitched panoramas, it’s not effective at Nadir or Zenith
• Steer clear of heavy noise reduction and sharpening, which can create whirlpool artifacts at the edges.
• Limit local adjustments near seams, as they can disrupt the flow of the image.

By following these best practices, you can significantly enhance the quality of your images and reduce noise effectively. Remember, the key is to edit carefully and make adjustments before stitching your final image