Anyone test NeatImage 64-bit and Photoshop CS4?

02/05/2009 01:33:43 PM · #1

Anyone have any real world experience using the new 64-bit version of NeatImage with Photoshop CS4?

That is the version of NI released December 12, 2008. If so please comment.

I'm considering purchasing it and I am most curious whether or not this new version of NI is as much an improvement over CS4's built-in noise reduction as the previous version was over CS2. Your comments would be most appreciated, especially if you have tried it out on 16-bit image files. Those will be my standard from now on.

NI has always performed far better than Photoshop at noise reduction and it was a must have app in previous releases for images that require noise reduction. Though I don't expect noise to be as much of a problem as it has been in the past I still want my fine art images to be absolutely the best they can be when printed as large scale fine art wall hangings.

Please, no comments about "NeatImaged" photographs. I rarely use NI for creative purposes.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

02/05/2009 08:53:09 PM · #2

Anyone out there have any experience doing this?? If so, I'm interested in hearing from you.

After scouring the Net I was unable to find a single person anywhere that have really put the new 64-bit version of NeatImage to the test vs. CS4's built-in noise reduction.

I've been a registered owner since January of 2004 of the older NeatImage Pro+ app and plugin that I first started using with PS7. Like any other registered user, I was given a discount price ($34.90) on the "new product". So I decided to take the plunge and do my part for the community by being the first to test it in CS4 with 16-bit images taken with the Canon 5D Mark II.

It did a little preliminary testing with the new plugin and can see that it does indeed function.

However, since they don't exist, I will have to create my own 5DII NeatImage ISO noise profiles to do a proper apples-to-apples test. I will report my results in this forum message after my tests are done.

I'll give any 5DII NeatImage users who want them all the ISO profiles that I generate.

Message edited by author 2009-02-05 20:54:11.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

02/05/2009 09:01:19 PM · #3

I have it loaded I think...though I usually use the 32 bit version of PS since many of my other filters don't support 64 bits. Let me check...

ETA: Duh, no I don't. :( Sorry. And I just noticed it's a separate license; my Pro+ password doesn't get me to the download area.

Message edited by author 2009-02-05 21:14:35.

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

02/05/2009 10:09:28 PM · #4

On a semi-related question.... Anyone find any benefit to using 64-bit CS4?

I have a new 64-bit Vista machine with 6Gb coming. To my mind, the extra memory aids in running multiple large programs. Not sure I'd actually need the 64-bit version of CS4 to do anything more than what I'm already doing. Thoughts?

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

02/05/2009 10:32:35 PM · #5

Originally posted by dwterry:

I haven't found any benefit to it yet, mainly because of it's disadvantages: it won't run the 32 bit plugins you already have. So I always run the 32 bit version, except "by accident".

The only filters I have that work in both are Topaz Adjust and Photomatix. PS is pretty good at memory management, and not only does the 32 bit version run great in Vista 64, but it manages memory very well (such that you can almost always leave it running).

I do run LR 64 though. I have the opposite problem there--I haven't looked at the 32 bit version of that much; I always run the 64 bit version. But perhaps I should. The 64 bit version can be a BIG memory hog, in contrast to PS. And it's not real speedy either. But I am guessing the 32 bit version isn't either.

But despite it's flaws, I still do love LR.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program and the OP's topic. :)

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

02/05/2009 11:02:22 PM · #6

Thanks, I have lots of filters, I may just follow your example! :)

02/07/2009 05:14:03 PM · #7

An update...

I've created a complete set of 5DII profiles from ISO 100 to ISO 6400 for NeatImage 64-bit from the calibration charts supplied by NeatImage and have some preliminary observations. Btw, the 5DII has 19 profiles total in a complete set.

This much is certain about the 5DII and NeatImage 64-bit vs. Photoshop CS4:

1-The 5DII has at least some noise at every ISO value that NeatImage can improve.
2-NeatImage is much, MUCH faster than CS4's native noise reduction routines - 12s compared to 1m 35s for CS4
3-In their default setting levels NeatImage 64-bit does a superior job at noise reduction to CS4.

For creating the profiles I opened RAW CR2 images converted to Prophoto RGB and 16-bits straight out of the camera, no post. I performed noise reduction using the default settings of both CS4 and NI 64-bit. All processing was done on a peppy new laptop with 4 Gigs of on-board RAM.

Regardless of ISO setting CS4 took about 1 minute and 35 seconds to perform noise reduction on an image and NI took 12 seconds. That is a pretty big difference. But then, the 5DII produces REALLY big files.

The 5DII doesn't have much noise at low ISO values but it is still enough for me to be able to see at 100% resolution and enough to see an improvement using NI 64-bit.

Based on past experience there is little doubt in my mind that the new NI 64-bit will still blow Photoshop out of the water at every level of performance.

There is a caveat to these observations... they are based purely on calibration chart images which are purposely taken out-of-focus to better see noise in order to produce the NI profiles.

I still need to take "real world" photographs at various ISO values to perform a proper comparative test. I will do that some time this weekend and present comparison images for you folks to decide for yourselves what you think.

Message edited by author 2009-02-07 17:19:47.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

02/08/2009 01:08:04 PM · #8

For those interested, I have posted the results of a "real world" test of the noise reduction capabilities of Photoshop CS4 vs. Absoft's new NeatImage 64-bit application released last month.

The test results, with explanations, is found in this PBase gallery:
Photoshop CS4 vs. NeatImage 64-bit

I created all 19 5DII NeatImage camera profiles for my test. Since, to my knowledge, they currently do NOT exist anywhere else, I will send a zipped copy of those profiles to anyone who asks. Just PM me with the email address you'd like them sent.

In the meantime... take care, have fun!

dwterry

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

02/08/2009 05:07:24 PM · #9

Nice work. Do you see any difference between 64-bit and 32-bit NI? (performance or results?)

02/08/2009 06:26:50 PM · #10

Originally posted by dwterry:

Nice work. Do you see any difference between 64-bit and 32-bit NI? (performance or results?)

I have not seen any difference, but only because I have not compared the two. I only have the 64-bit version loaded into PS CS4. I'm running all new software from what I had before.

I'm unsure if I can load and run the 32-bit version at the same time. It would not be hard to create a set of 32-bit camera profiles and test them since I've already got all the images I need to do everything.

If it is easy to interchange the two versions I will give it a try and let you know what I find out.