PictureCode Releases Noise Ninja for Aperture

August 7, 2008 in News by Micah Walter 3 comments

Before

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PictureCode has released this week an Aperture plugin version of their very popular Noise Ninja. Noise Ninja provides users with high quality, camera specific noise reduction. The plugin will be available for download on their site as a free demo and a software key for the full version can be purchased for $79.95. Customers who bought earlier versions of the Pro Bundle can upgrade for $20.

When I heard about this new plugin I immediately got excited about one very specific thing–my Nikon D2H files! A few years ago I was one of the unlucky individuals who bought a brand new Nikon D2H. In hand the camera was remarkable. It shot at 8 fps, and had a seemingly never ending buffer, even when shooting Nikon’s raw format. It was built like a tank and could withstand just about anything I was able to throw at it.

However, the original Nikon D2H suffered in one area that was a deal-breaker for me–NOISE!!! This camera was simply awful at high ISO. It was especially bad in mixed, artificial light. As a Washington D.C. photographer, covering politics on Capitol Hill, I was nearly ALWAYS working in these types of situations.

To better illustrate what Noise Ninja can do for my old D2H files, check out this set I have created on flickr.com. I have posted 5 screen shots displaying a quick edit on an image I liked of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry. Here he is speaking at a podium just after being sworn in as a D.C. Council Member–go figure.

In each screen shot I have added a short commentary about the noise issues and how Noise Ninja was able to help me solve them. If you are logged in to flickr, you can also see larger versions by clicking “All Sizes.”

After

So far I am pretty impressed with this plugin. The price is pretty reasonable, and the simplified interface is very welcome compared to the Photoshop version.

For more information, please check out the press release after the jump.

PictureCode releases Noise Ninja plug-in for Aperture

Austin, TX – August 5, 2008 – PictureCode today released the Noise Ninja plug-in for Aperture 2.1, Apple’s groundbreaking photo editing and management software. The Noise Ninja plug-in allows Aperture users to take advantage of powerful technology to remove noise and grain from digital images without having to leave Aperture.

“High-quality noise reduction has become an indispensable tool for the serious photographer,” states Jim Christian, founder of PictureCode. “As soon as Aperture was released, we started receiving requests to make Noise Ninja work with it. We worked closely with Apple, taking advantage of their new Software Developer Kit, to bring our solution directly into the Aperture application environment.”

“Professional-level noise reduction is one of the top requested features from our Aperture customers,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “With the introduction of PictureCodes’ new plug-in, now Aperture users can have Noise Ninja right at their fingertips.”

Noise Ninja is ideal for low-light or fast-action shooting situations – including news, sports, wedding, and event coverage – where high-ISO photography is required and the resulting noise compromises the image. Using patent-pending technology developed by a former professor of computer science, Noise Ninja’s powerful, best-of-breed technology yields an unmatched balance of noise suppression and detail preservation, achieving natural-looking results with excellent avoidance of artifacts.

Pricing & Availability

Noise Ninja is available for download at www.picturecode.com/download.htm. The plug-in must be activated with a license key that can be purchased from the PictureCode website for US $79.95, which will activate all current versions of Noise Ninja. Customers who have an earlier version of the Pro Bundle key can upgrade to the new version for US $20.00.

About PictureCode

PictureCode LLC develops innovative software technology for digital photographers. PictureCode’s noise reduction technology is used by first-tier news organizations and professional photographers around the world, and Global 1000 companies have licensed the technology for applications in medicine and photography. Founded in 2003, PictureCode is located in Austin, Texas and serves a worldwide market via the Internet and more than 450 authorized resellers.