Delete original RAW files after denoising?

[konrad79]

I usually work with ARW raw files in LR Classic. When I use the Denoise feature, Enhanced NR-dng files are created.

Can I delete the original ARW files - is all the information contained in the enhanced NR-dng files? Or do I lose the possibility of non-destructive editing (except for the denoising, of course, which cannot be undone)?

[JohanElzenga · Accepted solution]

The denoised file contains everything the raw file contains. It is demosaiced however and the Denoise amount is fixed and 'baked in', meaning that cannot be undone. As you can see in what direction denoise is going from the Camera Raw beta, then you can conclude that in the future denoise will simply be a slider in the develop panel. No new DNG, and the possibility to change the denoise amount at any time. To me that is a compelling reason to not delete the original raw file!