Even in raw format, all digital cameras apply some amount of sharpening [1] even when the setting is "off" in the camera menu. Also, all raw format conversion software (Lightroom, Capture One, etc.) applies sharpening by default.
I could imagine that a sharpening algorithm could transform a random distribution into something with structure. That the authors appear to not reference camera or image sharpening anywhere in the paper is somewhat worrisome.
I could imagine that a sharpening algorithm could transform a random distribution into something with structure. That the authors appear to not reference camera or image sharpening anywhere in the paper is somewhat worrisome.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsharp_masking