Topaz

Archibald wrote in post #19498307
What is the reason for changing the color profile? Is it for printing?

My color profile (as I understand it) is set by my Spyder software, and I never change it.

Mostly for pleasing colours. Sometimes I like Adobe Color and sometimes I like one of the Canon profiles. I also calibrate but that is just for the monitor, which has nothing to do with profiles.

I heard a rumour that if I buy the current Topaz AI and a paid upgrade comes along - that the current version I purchased would stop working. So I would be forced to buy the upgrade, which is a subscription service ultimately.

Does anyone know if this is true? I'd like to buy it, but I won't go to a subscription model. I dumped Adobe because of that.

greyswan wrote in post #19498333
I heard a rumour that if I buy the current Topaz AI and a paid upgrade comes along - that the current version I purchased would stop working. So I would be forced to buy the upgrade, which is a subscription service ultimately.

Does anyone know if this is true? I'd like to buy it, but I won't go to a subscription model. I dumped Adobe because of that.

I don't think it is a subscription but more of an annual fee to get updates. I think it will continue work but you won't get the updates or upgrades. I'd contact Topaz support to be sure.

Archibald wrote in post #19498307
What is the reason for changing the color profile? Is it for printing?

My color profile (as I understand it) is set by my Spyder software, and I never change it.

I was out for a while. As I said I use I1 Display Pro to calibrate my iMacs. Calibration insures your screen is correct meaning blacks and whites don't clip, colours (industry screen standard), brightness, etc are correct. The app you use to do that is a personal choice. They all work.

Profiles are just a colour preference. Or if you are working with other parties you may need to use a colour chart to create a profile if you are passing files to others to insure accuracy between those other parties. ColorChecker Passport Pro is one example.

Here is the LrC default profile.

Since I don't have any 3rd party commitments I just pick a pleasing colour for the file I'm working on. All files are different.

Adobe Color

greyswan wrote in post #19498333
I heard a rumour that if I buy the current Topaz AI and a paid upgrade comes along - that the current version I purchased would stop working. So I would be forced to buy the upgrade, which is a subscription service ultimately.

Does anyone know if this is true? I'd like to buy it, but I won't go to a subscription model. I dumped Adobe because of that.

You buy it, you get updates for 1 year. After that, you still have a working copy, just don't get the updates. It has been $50 year per program to get another year, $100 max, if you own multiple programs. Don't know the update cost for another year on Topaz Photo AI yet as mine is less than 1 year old. Since getting DXO PhotoLab 6,(which includes Pure Raw 3 components) I seldom use my Topaz products. So it will be a tough decision for me. I used to love my Topaz products, but DXO seems to top it, for me, except for an out of focus shot, where Topaz Sharpen will help, if it does not do weird things to it. HTH

digital paradise wrote in post #19498375
I was out for a while. As I said I use I1 Display Pro to calibrate my iMacs. Calibration insures your screen is correct meaning blacks and whites don't clip, colours (industry screen standard), brightness, etc are correct. The app you use to do that is a personal choice. They all work.

Profiles are just a colour preference. Or if you are working with other parties you may need to use a colour chart to create a profile if you are passing files to others to insure accuracy between those other parties. ColorChecker Passport Pro is one example.

Here is the LrC default profile.

Hosted photo: posted by digital paradise in
./showthread.php?p=194​98375&i=i197079090
forum: RAW, Post Processing & Printing

I can drop down and chose a different one.

Hosted photo: posted by digital paradise in
./showthread.php?p=194​98375&i=i68045366
forum: RAW, Post Processing & Printing

OK, thanks for the info. I have never varied the color profile in LRC. This is new to me.

Does the DNG plugin copy over all the EXIF data to the new file? With the 'Edit In' functionality, I lose my GPS data. That's easy enough to copy back from the CRx file in LRC, but it's an extra step.

Luminar products strip all the EXIF data out. No camera info, no exposure info, even date information goes away. Can't put that back from LRC. Deal breaker for me.

Archibald wrote in post #19498431
OK, thanks for the info. I have never varied the color profile in LRC. This is new to me.

It is some times necessary when printing. OTherwise I usually don't mess with it either.

edmidlifecrisis wrote in post #19498503
It is some times necessary when printing. OTherwise I usually don't mess with it either.

Thanks! It is a corner of LR where I never go. I've been using Lightroom since version 2 and still don't know it. Lol.

So I started to read about it and there is a ton of confusing stuff about it online, confusing because there are things with similar names that are quite different. But OK, there are places that declare changing Adobe Color profile to Camera Matching gives MUCH better results. I'm looking at the comparison and see only a subtle difference. And there is no definitive answer in Camera Matching either because there are several different styles to choose from.

I almost always work the Clarity and Vibrance sliders, and often the Temp and Tint ones too, and that probably distorts the profiles enough to make them unrecognizable.

Anyway, it's good to know this feature is there. I plan to get some experience with it, and after that I'll undoubtedly see some benefits.

Archibald wrote in post #19312301
I bought Sharpen AI a few months ago. I wasn't convinced it was doing a better job than Lightroom, but I wanted to find out. There are so many positive testimonials by folks I respect.

I did the trial initially, but I found one month isn't long enough to properly evaluate the program.

It's been a while, and I STILL don't know the answer. Most of my slightly blurry pics are high ISO. Sharpen AI doesn't to a good job on those. Too many artifacts. So IMO it needs to be tested on low ISO pics that have a bit of blur. With those, many parts of the photo (like background) get sharpened that shouldn't get sharpened. To fix that, one has to do selective sharpening. That is time-consuming! Worth it, though, for some pics.

Still a bit skeptical and still testing...

As far as reducing noise goes, I don't push my sensor very hard, so I'm satisfied with the noise reduction in Canon DPP and Photoshop.

I have used Topaz tools for over a decade (and had a couple of articles published in Professional Photographers Magazine (PPA)) a good while ago on some of their products.

I do use Sharpen AI when necessary. I don't use it routinely, but on a case by case basis as needed, particularly for motion sharpening. It does a wondrously better job correcting motion blur than Photoshop. I suspect motion blur is something AI figures out very well.

I'm amazed by how good Gigapixel AI is. I would have exclaimed with great ponderousness and gravitas only a couple of years ago that no software could ever interpolate detail...but Gigapixel AI does an amazing job at it most of the time. I have especially found it useful in sharpening--actually adding detail--to old family photographs that I've scanned to digital. It makes old Polaroid and Instamatic photographs look very close to digital shots.

Thanks for the reply. That was the original premise (pay once but upgrade only if you want to, but I have been given to understand that your old version will simply stop working once the new upgrade version rolls out. This is separate from the normal updates.

I'm also looking at DXO as an alternative.

RDKirk wrote in post #19498606
As far as reducing noise goes, I don't push my sensor very hard, so I'm satisfied with the noise reduction in Canon DPP and Photoshop.

I have used Topaz tools for over a decade (and had a couple of articles published in Professional Photographers Magazine (PPA)) a good while ago on some of their products.

I do use Sharpen AI when necessary. I don't use it routinely, but on a case by case basis as needed, particularly for motion sharpening. It does a wondrously better job correcting motion blur than Photoshop. I suspect motion blur is something AI figures out very well.

I'm amazed by how good Gigapixel AI is. I would have exclaimed with great ponderousness and gravitas only a couple of years ago that no software could ever interpolate detail...but Gigapixel AI does an amazing job at it most of the time. I have especially found it useful in sharpening--actually adding detail--to old family photographs that I've scanned to digital. It makes old Polaroid and Instamatic photographs look very close to digital shots.

Interesting what you say about old photos. I haven't tried it on those yet but should give it a try. That together with colorizing could potentially do amazing things for ancient black and whites.

In the last few months I have had lots of success with Sharpen AI, and lots of failures too. Performance varies a lot, and I'm not sure exactly why or which photos will be successful. It is a good program to have for the shots it saves.

greyswan wrote in post #19498634
Thanks for the reply. That was the original premise (pay once but upgrade only if you want to, but I have been given to understand that your old version will simply stop working once the new upgrade version rolls out. This is separate from the normal updates.

I'm also looking at DXO as an alternative.

I just went to Topaz website. This is what it says in the FAQ.


Can I Still Use My Program If I Don't Buy Upgrades?

Yes! Your user license gives you access to any version of the program you own. If you decide not to buy future updates to your program after your initial upgrade license expires, you can continue to use your program. If and when you decide that new features of our programs are worth having, you can buy a new 12 month upgrade license at that time.


Edit: That said, I would recommend looking at DXO Pure Raw or PL 6. For me, for the majority of my images, it is proving to be a better mousetrap! YMMV

I have Topaz AI and use it all the time firstly with my Nikon bodies I had and now with my Sony A77 ii, I start off with my RAW filles opened up in LR5 then after some basic enhancements - Blacks and Whites and Colour, I then export it straight into Topaz. In Topaz I tend to compare the different modes of de noise by having multi windows open zoomed into the default 100% using the ticked auto settings.

Sometimes I leave the default import sharpening on in LR (Think its set to 25 on the slider) as I don't see any harm from doing this.

Quite happy with what it does - the only thing that does annoy me is the monthy reminder to either postpone or upgrade (pay) for the updated model despite mine being payed for at the initial AI install.

P.