Extreme noise and artifacts when exporting RAW-JPG

[Jimbo Slice]

Hey guys I'm having a problem and I'm hoping someone here can help me out.
My problem is that I shoot in RAW with my D90 and I store all my files in Aperture. Now in Aperture I do minor editing such as exposure or color temperature adjustment etc. I find that the image looks perfect in Aperture but when I export it to JPG using the AperturetoSmugMug plugin, I get atrocious amounts of noise in the dark areas. When I do a normal export just to jpg file using the Aperture tool, I still get noise.

What am I doing wrong and how can I avoid this?
Here is a sample pic, thanks for any help


http://jimboslice.smugmug.com/photos/632816279_tB6u9-X3.jpg

 

[anubis]

Looks fine to me

 

[OreoCookie]

I don't see anything.
It's a resized version of the photo and there is no EXIF data, so I couldn't even say what settings are used (first and foremost, ISO) or what you think is wrong with it.

 

[Edge100]

I agree; I don't see any noise issues here.

 

[ManhattanPrjct]

I don't see anything.
It's a resized version of the photo and there is no EXIF data, so I couldn't even say what settings are used (first and foremost, ISO) or what you think is wrong with it.

Oreo, I thought the same thing and found the image on the OP's site. It's ISO 200, f4, 1/60. Hard to figure what the issue could be - I guess you could stop down a bit, but it looks fine to me.

I use a D90, Aperture, and the AperturetoSmugMug plugin, and I have always been pretty pleased with the JPG output. When you select AperturetoSmugMug in the export menu, you have several output options that affect how compressed the JPG will be. My only thought is that you could try exporting to a bigger file and see if that helps.

 

[OreoCookie]

Ok, I've found one in full resolution and I am looking at it at 200 %. At that magnification, you can indeed see a little noise in the curtains -- which is normal. Back in the film days, you'd see film grain. At 100 %, the noise is gone and the picture is clean.

A few comments about the picture:
The bride's skin is a little greenish, are you sure you corrected the white balance afterwards? Have you calibrated your monitor (skin tones are extremely delicate)? Also, the lighting is not very good: on the one hand, the background outside of the window dominates compared to the bride's face. On the other hand, the lighting is very harsh, so any skin defects show up rather clearly.

 

[Ruahrc]

Yeah maybe he's posted the wrong picture link or something because I don't see any noise in the image at all. And from his description of "extreme" and "atrocious" amounts of noise I'm expecting something far different.

Ruahrc

 

[toxic]

I don't see anything....but the white balance is slightly off.

I hope the OP isn't looking at his photos at 200%. it's like looking at a negative with a microscope...

 

[Jimbo Slice]

Thanks for the comments guys, I think from the general consensus that the problem is with my display/video card.
Will check it out and see if I can get it sorted.
BTW I have a Unibody MB hooked up to a Samsung T240.

 

[neutrino23]

Try going to a library or an Apple store and looking at your photo using other equipment. LCD monitors in particular vary a lot from model to model.

 

[neutrino23]

I was wrestling with some shades of green in forest photos and I found that the newer, more expensive LCDs reproduced the color much more nicely than did my laptop. I'm not familiar with the Samsung you mention. There are also differences in the bit depth of different monitors. Perhaps this is coming into play?

 

[AlaskaMoose]

I see a little bit of noise when the photo is enlarged. Just use Neat Image (or Noise Ninja), and clean it up as needed, or use the noise filter in PhotoShop Elements. I prefer Neat Image because I can choose how much and where to reduce noise.

 

[ChrisA]

Looks fine to me

When you downsize (resample) and image to make it smaller that process pretty much removes any noise in the image. I think maybe when you thought you saw noise you were looking at a 100% blowup on screen and not a normal print. If so then of course there is noise. You can only evaluate image quality if you make the print "normal size" That is exactly what you did for us and it looks noiseless.

When you look at a 100% blowup on screen it is the same as looking at a print 3 or 4 feet wide. No crop-body DSLR can make prints that large that still look good at an arm's length viewing distance.

or use the noise filter in PhotoShop Elements. I prefer Neat Image because I can choose how much and where to reduce noise.

If you use a mask in Photoshop you can "paint in" the area where the noise filter is to be applied. This way the effect is non-destructive in that you can always come back to the image and adjust the transparently of the de-noised layer to adjust the strength of the effect and of course you can adjust the mask too.

 

[OreoCookie]

@ChrisA
I think most of us have downloaded the full-sized original. At 100 %, you hardly see any noise, at 200 %, you can see a little noise in the curtains, for instance, but not in the dark parts of the image.

In any case, noise was very low and very well-conrolled -- as can be expected from an up-to-date dslr at low ISO.

Also, I disagree with the statement that `no crop dslr can take pictures that still look good at an arm's length viewing distance:' of course you can! Beyond the fact that noise does not make or break a good photo, the noise levels are so low that you practically cannot distinguish photos in a blind test. It's like using a microscope on film and complaining about the film grain