(Early Access) Distraction Removal: Dust (Camera Raw)

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Announcing Early Access to a new feature in Adobe Camera Raw (17.5) – Dust Removal

This post applies to Camera Raw.

The team is sharing an early look at Dust Removal, which can be found in the Remove edit panel for Camera Raw. Dust Removal helps with removing distracting spots on an image that may be caused by dust on a camera's sensor.

Once enabled, your image will be scanned, and the detected dust spots will automatically be removed using Content-Aware Remove. For refinement, you can select one or multiple spots to delete or refresh. Batch removal is supported as well, just select the "Dust" checkbox under "Remove" in the copy settings dialog.

Please note that scanned negatives are not in the scope of this feature at this time. 

• Dust spots on scans tend to be in the focal plane with the negative and very sharp, while sensor dust is typically out of the focal plane and not in focus.
  
• Scanned negative dust tends to show as white spots on a darker background, while perceived sensor dust tends to show as dark spots in lighter areas. 

We would love to hear your feedback on Dust Removal! Please give it a try and let us know what you think:

• How is it useful?
• How could it be more useful?
• What could we do to improve your experience?

Lisa Ngo, Product Manager

Also see this video by @brianmatiash where he demos the feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwpUX4b6igY 

Posted by:

[4applesleft]

This is great.  Such a time saver.  Dust spots are the worst!  I hope this feature makes it way to LightroomClassic as well.

[LynnGrillo]

In my case, the dust wasn't on my lens, it was on the mirror in which I was taking the photo. The filter could not identify any dust even though it is all over the photo. I know it's a crappy photo, but hey, if PS can make it better, then why not?

[jrsforums]

@LynnGrillo that does not look like sensor dust....which, in my experience, is black due to no/less light hitting sensor.  As you say, if it is on mirror, the algorithm is not designed to handle that.

[LynnGrillo]

It's not. I said as much in the post. The dust is on the mirror. (not the mirror in the camera, the mirror in the photo!)

[d_8226]

Saves me nearly an HOUR on some photos, specifically ones that are B&W conversions and gallery sized. 

[Aimé Feys]

It is a wonderful added value, hopefully this will also come to LrC

[vgf]

So it moves small specs of dust but not large blurry ones.... just in case you want to improve it

[Ronalmeida]

In this photo, the tool to remove dirt spots did not work, either separately or in batches.

[rene52]

Although I have only just started to use the Dust Removal Option, I ma finding it good but it doesn't pick up all of the spots which I know on my sensor (I do get it clreaned regualarly) that it dioesn't seem to pick up. The only orher thing I would like in the Beta option si a better preview or a slider across the image showing the spots it has picked up.  I still have to go over my image to find the spots the dust removeal has 'missed'

[Aimé Feys]

yes it is a good idea for a preview and adjust slider too

[BoosterMrs]

If you hit the eye icon just above the "early release" and then mouse

 over your image you will see all the dust spots that it has removed.

[Lendemain]

It would be great if dust and reflection corrections could be applied only to specific areas of the image, which would likely also make the AI more precise

[JBedfordPhoto]

I love that Adobe is FINALLY automating dust removal, a request I've been making for many years. 

So far, it works pretty well, but when it comes to dust spots that aren't circular in form, ACR tends to skip over them. 

I understand that this is a very complex task, but it will be nice to see this tool improve in the months and years to come. 

Great work. 

[wilhelm_1625]

For me it's very useful. It really save time to clean the fotos from dust

[craigd80112855]

PLEASE give this a keyboard shortcut in the final load (or update)

[ArtsyStudios]

Used on some lower quality pictures, tool doesnt detect the dust.

[Tilinski]

I was waiting for a tool like this for decades because Im a film shooter and high res scann always render dust and particals which i remove by hand with the heal tool but it takes ages, 

 Having said that not even one photo was recognized by the AI tool, always the same massage "no dust was found"

I always scan RAW and convert with negative lab pro, then i access camera Raw but nothing. never..

[Erik Bloodaxe]

This tool is for removing sensor dust spots.

You should read the very topmost post.

"Please note that scanned negatives are not in the scope of this feature at this time."

[Niclas Magnusson]

One thing that I would like to see in the future would be dust removal for bigger circuls from dust on the lens when shot agains strong light. 

[andreww93331702]

Brilliant! Thank you!

[Blakkur]

Staubentfernung: spart viel Zeit, funktioniert sehr gut.

[photoguy505]

Absolutely astonished at how well this feature works! I just accidentally found it, tried it, and I am truly amazed. Please forgive my initial doubt, I was well satisfied with the result

[rebecca_8935]

I digitize old family photos and dust spots are always a problem.  This feature would be a great time saver, yet it did not find any dust in two very dusty / spotty photos.  Help!

[Erik Bloodaxe]

This tool is for the the removal of sensor dust spots only. It is stated very clearly in the initial, topmost post:

"Please note that scanned negatives are not in the scope of this feature at this time. "

So unfortunately you are trying to perform a task for which this tool was not designed.

[default61l29ne7irsl]

Absoultely fabulous. First time user, forever converted. Would be nice to be able to enlarge certain spots to make sure it gets all of the dust. Still waiting on using the other parts of the distraction removal. Bravo.