Topaz has just updated both these programs very effectivly. New layout and much faster.
Topaz DeNoise & Sharpen updated.
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Letolen
Active member
I see so much advertisement for Topaz.
How do you rate the program to others with same function?
How do you rate the program to others with same function?
pochito
Active member
I find Denoise good but no match to PL4 Deep Prime. And in my WF denoising is the first thing I do. PL applies optical corrections in the same round.
As for Sharpen I try to open it from PS, which allows me to use layers and have more control. It has saved some images through "stabilize" but as a whole, I am wary of those "AI" thinghies. Probably because I don't understand well what they are doing.
For other kind of sharpening I just use the Nik plugin
As for Sharpen I try to open it from PS, which allows me to use layers and have more control. It has saved some images through "stabilize" but as a whole, I am wary of those "AI" thinghies. Probably because I don't understand well what they are doing.
For other kind of sharpening I just use the Nik plugin
AI Denoise does work well but I agree with pochito that DxO PL4 is the best solution for noise reduction. It works best on images shot with camera/lens combinations that have been profiled by DxO. They have profiles for nearly all "big three" camera/lens combos. The profiles correct for lens distortion, vignetting, and sharpness.
AI Sharpen can produce amazing results but is situational. I'd go so far as to say it is in a class of its own for the ability to recover unusable images. It does particularly well with motion blur/camera shake. There are a couple of down sides. First it seems to be very image dependent meaning it doesn't work on all images. I've not used it enough to notice a pattern for when it does/doesn't do well. Secondly in some situations(e.g. busy BG) it can produce some weird artifacts. So it is best used with a program that can handle layers to that selective masking can be applied. It has a masking function but IMO it's easier/faster to just produce a tiff for import as a layer into another pixel editor.
Years ago I read one of the on-line guru's advice to keep RAW files with good content but technical problems because software constantly improves and some day those images might be useful. I will say that AI Sharpen is the first software that has finally come along that has in fact resurrected some of those images from my files. Below are a couple examples of results. This is not a paid promotion
1) Left side "repaired" with AI Sharpen in Stabilize mode. This is a full resolution crop out of an image. If you look carefully you can see some banding/pixelation in the white feathers on the neck. It doesn't show when viewed at a reasonable size.
2) Right side recovered with AI Sharpen in Stabilize mode. This is the most dramatic example I've seen so far. Note the recovered feather detail on the face.
3) This is another full rez crop out of an image that clearly suffered from motion blur.
4) AI Sharpen in Stabilize mode. Not perfect but looks great at a usable resolution.
5)
As Dan said, it can do some amazing things on some photos, but your mileage will vary.... A LOT! I don't regret buying back when I initially bought it, but so far I am not upgrading. For the most part AI is just the latest buzz word. I will use it when trying to salvage a favorite photo, but most of the time I don't see any added benefit to other programs or techniques. I would never use it without layers.
Blue tit photo
Well-known member
I actually think that denoise is very good, but the sharpen AI is more versatile. I agree with @NorthernFocus that it is very image dependant. In some cases it works and in some not. I personally think that the earlier version was better because it was faster.