As suggested in my post on a panorama stitch for a bird portrait, I ran the ISO 1600 RAW files through DxO PureRaw 6 after noticing the noise in the 1:1 detail crops. I attached them to that post but it is easier to compare them in an image slider.

The previously slider I had used, Twenty20, has not been updated in over 12 months so I needed to research and install a replacement.

These comparisons make it clear how much more detail and reduced luminance and colour noise there is in the DxO PureRAW images compared to Lightroom even though ISO 1600 is relatively low. Lightroom AI noise reduction would give a better result than the basic Lightroom output but last time a compared Lightroom AI and DxO PureRAW there were still significant benefit to PureRAW5 and PureRAW6 has been another little step forward.

I used to reserve DxO PureRAW for processing high ISO images (6400 or greater) but have started using it for images shot at lower ISO now too. These images show the benefits at ISO 1600 but I have also used it when shooting at base ISO 64 to maximise dynamic range when I want to maintain high detail and then aggressively open a dark subject which has been underexposed to maintain highlight detail. I shared this in my post on Maximising Dynamic Range in Backlit Images.

Photos with Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 800mm f6.3 VR S