An experiment was done to explore the noise and color saturation trade-offs in color processing of digital camera images. Usually pixel noise during capture is amplified when the color saturation is dialed up in the image processing. The data collected in the present study allow us to understand how perceptual preference changes along the noise and color saturation trade-off continuum. This makes it possible to pick the most preferred point on the noise-saturation trade-off line for individual cameras.
Xuemei Zhang, Richard L. Baer, "Perceptual preference for noise and color saturation tradeoff in digital camera images" in Proc. IS&T 14th Color and Imaging Conf., 2006, pp 119 - 124, https://doi.org/10.2352/CIC.2006.14.1.art00022