The Detail group provides three tools: Sharpen, Noise Reduction, and Color Noise Reduction. Used together, they clean up high-ISO grain while preserving edge detail — essential for any image shot in challenging light.
How to do it
Sharpen: increase the main slider for crisper edges. Radius controls the width of sharpening around edges; Detail controls how much fine texture is enhanced.
Noise Reduction: smooths luminance grain. The Detail sub-slider balances noise removal vs. fine detail preservation.
Color Noise Reduction: eliminates color speckles common in high-ISO or low-light shots. The Detail sub-slider preserves edge color, and Smoothness improves transitions between color areas.
Zoom to 100% when evaluating Detail adjustments — the effect is not always visible at fit-to-screen zoom.
Try it
Open a high-ISO image (ISO 3200+). Apply Noise Reduction first until grain is acceptable, then add moderate Sharpen to restore edge definition. Compare at 100% zoom.
Watch out for
Aggressive noise reduction produces a waxy, detail-less skin look.
High sharpening on skin areas amplifies pores and texture. Use Masking to exclude skin.