Those with the Fujifilm X-T4 (and also the X-S10) might have noticed that Noise Reduction is no longer in the menu. Instead, there’s something called High ISO NR. What’s the difference? Why the change?

Below is a screenshot of the X-T3 manual (top) and X-T4 manual (bottom):

Notice that they both say the same thing: Reduce noise in pictures taken at high sensitivities. This demonstrates that they’re actually the same thing, just renamed. The X-T4 manual adds a little more info about what Noise Reduction does to a picture, although vaguely.

I don’t know why Fujifilm renamed Noise Reduction to High ISO NR; perhaps it’s a more accurate name, but it seems to have created some confusion. I’ve received several messages from users asking about it. Just know that both are the same exact thing: High ISO NR is Noise Reduction.

A couple years ago I took a closer look at Noise Reduction (and also Sharpening), and concluded that, for the most part, it doesn’t matter what the Noise Reduction is set to unless you pixel peep or print large. My personal opinion is that I like Noise Reduction set to -2, -3 or -4, with the lower setting most preferable. Why? Because the digital noise from Fujifilm X-Trans cameras has a film-grain-like appearance, and doesn’t look like typical digital noise from other camera brands. I like film grain, and I like the digital noise from Fujifilm cameras. That’s just my preference. Besides that, Noise Reduction reduces sharpness and smudges fine details, at least a little—you’ll likely only notice if you look very, very closely. There’s no right or wrong setting—choose whatever you prefer—but I most often set Noise Reduction (or High ISO NR) to the lowest option available, which is -4 on X-Trans IV cameras like the Fujifilm X-T4.