Quick Tip: Best Way to Reduce Sharpness on Action Cameras in Post
Best way to reduce aliasing issues that often occur on action camera footage. To do this, we are going to be working in After Effects, using a free plugin called FXAA.
| Mar 17, 2025, 20:14 IST
Aliasing is a distortion artifact that can occur on any footage, but it is extremely common on footage from action cameras, drones, and cell phones.
Aliasing makes edges appear jagged or “stair-stepped” rather than smooth. This is caused by a phenomenon known as “sampling error,” which occurs when the camera’s sensor is not able to capture enough detail to accurately represent the image. This makes sense because action cameras often have tiny camera sensors, due to their small size.
If your action camera footage looks too sharp or overly processed, you can reduce sharpness in post-production using these quick methods:
1. Use a Blur or Soften Filter
In Premiere Pro: Apply the Gaussian Blur effect (1-2px is enough).
In DaVinci Resolve: Use the Mist or Glow effect under OpenFX.
In Final Cut Pro: Use Soften or Gaussian Blur, adjusting opacity for subtlety.
2. Reduce Sharpness in Lumetri (Premiere Pro)
Go to Lumetri Color > Creative > Sharpen
Set Sharpen to -10 to -20 for a more natural look.
3. Adjust Clarity & Texture (DaVinci Resolve, Lightroom Video)
Lower Clarity/Texture in the Color Grading panel to reduce micro-contrast.
4. Add a Cinematic Look with Film Grain
Overlay a low-opacity film grain effect to soften details naturally.
5. Reduce Edge Contrast (Unsharp Mask Trick)
In Premiere Pro: Use Unsharp Mask, set Radius to 2-3px, and Amount to -50 to counteract excess sharpness.
These quick tweaks help your footage look smoother, more cinematic, and less artificial. Need help with a specific editing software?