[crewl1]

The sharpening and noise reduction in LR do go hand in hand, but the sharpening is tricky. I find my settings are highly dependent on the image and lens. I do have to juggle sharpening with LR, but I feel like the settings are quite subtle. My key is making heavy use of the masking setting under sharpening so that I can focus on the details that are important (as well as the details slider). I actually work the whole panel backwards as the amount of sharpening is the last slider I'm setting.

This+1

I don't recall where I heard it but peforming subtle NR first before applying any sharpening seems to give me better results than the other way around.

[emalvick]

This+1

I don't recall where I heard it but peforming subtle NR first before applying any sharpening seems to give me better results than the other way around.

Yes, I don't think it matters much in the final product as LR fixes its sequence on export, but I find that if I sharpen first, any NR ends up softening things and I have to sharpen again. A little NR first allows me to get that out of the way and then sharpen. My own personal emphasis on the masking slider keeps the sharpening step from sharpening noise that may get sharpened since it is underlying the NR step. I do think LR sharpens first before NR on exporting.

If it ever gets to the point where that is an issue, I'll usually shift to Photoshop anyway and count on layering and Neat Image for noise reduction and sharpening in the order I see fit. THankfully, LR's noise reduction keeps improving and I rarely need that step, even with my old and noisy K10d images.

[Miguel]

LR is intentionally designed to follow the three stage sharpening model proposed by the late Bruce Fraser: Capture; Creative; Output. The masking feature is a powerful and obscure way to help offset too intense radius & amount settings. I tend to up the little preview window in the panel to 2x.

For creative sharpening, the adjustment brush works really well and I'll add some clarity and NR if needed.

High frequency images require a different approach than low intensity ones, and a preset can get things going sooner.

Over the last nine months there has been practice recommendation going around to lower the radius to 0.5 and then crank the amount to around 95-100. Detail I always try to keep below 40. I have been using this newer approach for a while and have been impressed. Try it!

M

[Quicksand]

Two things work well for me (K-5 classic, LR 4.x in Windows):

(1) Start by turning sharpening off entirely. Then apply just enough color NR to eliminate false-color blotchiness. I rarely move the color NR slider above 15, even at astronomical ISO settings or with lots of +EV. I don't mind the luminance noise; I find that graininess far preferable to plastic skin or the oil painting effect. Also, moving the color NR slider up around 10 or more seems to lead to some desaturation, so I'll give the saturation slider a little bump if the photo needs it.

(2) Then tweak the remaining parameters to suit the photo. Are people using the Alt key while adjusting sharpening and NR parameters in Lightroom? I learned about this trick just a couple of months ago, and have found it to be the single greatest aid to balancing sharpening and NR.

Holding down the Alt key while adjusting sharpening and NR parameters temporarily shows a black-and-white image that emphasizes the effects of the slider you're adjusting. For example, while adjusting the Masking slider under Sharpening, you can see exactly what areas are being masked -- where sharpening is being applied and where it isn't. If your sharpening parameters are otherwise rather subtle (IMO, as they should be!), it can be difficult to see the difference in real time. But with the Alt key, BANG, there it is, clear as day. If the photo is noisy, I'll mask aggressively to ensure only the key edges in the scene are being sharpened. Easy.

The Alt key has different effects on the different sliders. If you're not doing this, try it.

(And it works on other sliders too, like Exposure and Highlights.)

[emalvick]

THe ALT button is essential. I'm not sure the masking would work well at all if you didn't use it unless you start with some extreme sharpening and adjust then adjust the mask... then you might reduce the sharpening later. The only time I don't use ALT is for the sharpening slider itself. I don't find the black and white view there helps me much.

I have not used it for NR, and I am not sure what it does there. I haven't really ever used the color NR either, at least with the K5. I used to need it for all my K10d images that needed NR.

[rockmaster1964]

What is the key to use on the Mac version of Lightroom for the alt key function with the sliders?

[Miguel]

What is the key to use on the Mac version of Lightroom for the alt key function with the sliders?

Option

M

[treebeard]

I am trying the Topaz DeNoise plug-in for LR 4.3 and so far I really like how it works.

[rockmaster1964]

Option

M

Thanks!