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Lightroom Classic’s Denoise tool got some big improvements in the 14.4 (June 2025) update. We now have a true non-destructive workflow and no DNG files. Let’s dive into the detail.
How do you use Denoise in Lightroom Classic?
Before we look at the Denoise tool in more detail, let me show you how to use it. The only thing you have to remember before you start is that it doesn’t work with JPEG, TIFF or PSD files, only with Raw files that haven’t been demosaiced (more on that below).
1. Start by opening the Detail panel. Denoise is at the top.
2. Check the Denoise box. A window pops up with an estimation of the time your computer needs to apply Denoise.
The time depends on the size of your photo and the age and processing power of your computer and its graphics card. On my 6 year old iMac, it took six minutes. On my new iMac it’s about 30 seconds.
3. Once your computer has applied Denoise return to the Details panel.
Move the slider to adjust the strength of the effect. The default setting is 50, you can move it right to increase the amount of Denoise or left to decrease it. I find that around 60-70 is a great setting – it removes noise without making the photo look too smooth.
This is a huge improvement on the previous workflow where you had to set the strength then apply Denoise, and couldn’t change the strength afterwards.
You’ll also notice that the Raw Details box is checked, as Lightroom applies Raw Details as part of the Denoise process.
This screenshot shows the power of Denoise. On the left you can see a 100% enlargement of a photo made at ISO 8000. On the right you can see the result after applying Denoise (with the strength set to the default setting of 50).
There’s no noise and no loss of detail. It’s an amazing improvement over the Manual Noise Reduction sliders.
What you need to know about Denoise
That’s the basics covered, but there’s a few more things you need to know about Denoise.
- You don’t have to use Denoise on all images. For one, that might take too long. Second, it doesn’t (yet) work with JPEG, TIFF and PSD files. For those situations the old Noise Reduction sliders are still available. Adobe has renamed them Manual Noise Reduction and moved them to the bottom of the Detail panel (click the white triangle to view them).
- At the time of writing Denoise works with Raw files from cameras with either a bayer array (most digital cameras) or the X-Trans sensor used in most Fujifilm X series cameras.
- Denoise also works with lossless DNG files created by Adobe software or the Lightroom app on your phone.
- Denoise works with linear Raw files like iPhone ProRaw, Samsung ExpertRaw and the reduced size Raw formats that some cameras have, like Canon’s sRaw.
- Denoise doesn’t work with JPEG, TIFF, PSD or PNG files. This feature may be added in a future update.
- Before the 14.4 update, Lightroom created a new DNG file (appended Enhanced-NR.dng) when you applied Denoise. Now that’s no longer the case (hence the non-destructive element of the workflow). Now you can turn Denoise on and off and change the strength.
- From 14.4 onwards Lightroom saves the Denoise data in the .lrcat-data file in your Catalog, alongside other AI related information like AI generated masks. Lightroom backs this file up with your Catalog so you don’t have to worry about losing it.
- It’s a good idea to apply Denoise early in your workflow, before using Generative AI Remove or AI masking. That’s because Lightroom has to recalculate any masks or removes once you’ve applied Denoise to make sure they’re accurate.
- If the result is too smooth for your taste, you can compensate by adding Grain in the Effects panel.
- Applying Denoise automatically applies Raw Details to the image as well, so you get get the best of both worlds. But you can’t apply both Super Resolution and Denoise to the same image.
- For the best performance Adobe recommends a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) with at least 8GB memory, and updated GPU drivers.
- You can now copy and paste Denoise settings, and use them in Develop Presets.
Mastering Lightroom Classic: Book Two – The Develop Module
You can learn more about Denoise, Manual Noise Reduction and all other aspects of developing photos in Lightroom Classic with my ebook Mastering Lightroom Classic: Book Two – The Develop Module
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12 comments
Thanks. This has been really well explained . I have a better understanding of what to do and will try ASAP.
Once you have “denoised” the RAW file and have the DNG, is it still a
“Raw” type file that can be edited accordingly? Or od you then use the usual Photoshop editing.
Kind regards, Hendrina
Hi Hendrina, DNG files are Raw files so yes, you can develop the resulting DNG just the same way you can any Raw file.
How to export after they have had denoise applied? As a DNG?
Hi Bill, you can export the photo using any format you like. Using Denoise has no bearing on file format.
Is anyone able to explain why Dimension of new DNG file, which was created after denoising is 683×1014? How to keep dimension as the Original foto 6024×4024?
Hi Kamil, Denoise doesn’t reduce the size of your photos. Did you check the dimensions of the new DNG file in the Metadata panel? Is it possible that you exported the file using settings that reduced the size?
I only shoot RAW and have been using the new AI denoise for a while, this morning the DNG files are not being auto imported into my LRC folder alongside the original. It looks like now I have to import them as an additional step and this is a waste of time. Is there a setting to auto import the DNG?
Hi Michael, the DNG files aren’t auto imported as such, they are saved in the same folder as the original file and added to the Catalog by Lightroom. Can you see them in the Library module Grid View after doing Denoise? If so, then right-click on the thumbnail and select Show in Finder/Show in Windows Explorer from the menu to see where they have been saved.
This is helpful – all of the content I’m finding online speaks to LrC saving the “denoised” file as a DNG in addition to the RAW file and mentioned being able to locate these files separately. From my understanding, this is no longer the case. I know that using the Denoise feature (previous to this version of LrC) created a separate DNG file that was about 4x the size of the raw file – does it no longer enlarge the file size (does that make sense?)?
Hi Bonnie, yes that makes sense. Lightroom no longer makes a separate DNG file after applying Denoise. The information gets saved in the .lrcat-data file in your Catalog. So this file gets bigger as you use Denoise, but overall it doesn’t use as much hard drive space as the old way of creating new DNG files.
As always, excellent article, well explained and questions answered simply and well.
Does this new version without the stacked images cause high CPU usage for anyone else? Now each time I go to an image I’ve used AI Denoise on my fans go nuts since the CPU is being hammered….