Is unsharp mask obsolete?

I read that high pass sharpening has the following advantages over unsharp mask USM

1. Nondestructive
2. Only sharpens the edges so that noise is left alone

But doesn't smart filters eliminate advantage #1 and
The threshold lever in USM eliminate advantage #2

I'm starting to think high pass sharpen is useless.

Ur thoughts?

I don't have CS5, but at least in older versions of CS, Unsharp Mask has typically been applied either to a copy layer or to a final flattened/resized version. Either way, you "keep" the original.

But, it's true that there are alternative approaches to sharpening which can give different effects and also which can work with layers.

Check out the Sharpening Tutorials sticky in the section!:

https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=466333

High pass is no more and no less nondestructive than USM or any other pixel level edit.

Neither HP, USM nor deconvolution (Smart) sharpening are "useless". Each has its time and place; it's up to the individual to determine where and when.

There are so many methods of sharpening available in the native photoshop before you even get to plug ins. They all have their place and it is through experience that you learn the art of sharpening. I use several different methods depending on the image and its intended output. I don't feel that there is a one method fits all when it comes to sharpening.

There was a time when USM was the best acceptable method of sharpening but over the years Adobe has improved and added functions that gave us more options.

ssim wrote in post #13175133
There are so many methods of sharpening available in the native photoshop before you even get to plug ins. They all have their place and it is through experience that you learn the art of sharpening. I use several different methods depending on the image and its intended output. I don't feel that there is a one method fits all when it comes to sharpening.

There was a time when USM was the best acceptable method of sharpening but over the years Adobe has improved and added functions that gave us more options.

I think Sheldon has it right. It really depends on the shot and the intended output. I use high pass more often than not, but only because of the output I'm looking for and the makeup of the shots. Even then, I'll use masks because the high pass process can't read my mind -- although a plugin for such a thing would be really cool.

This is even better than high pass.

http://www.earthboundl​ight.com …search=edge+mas​k&bool=and

I agree--it depends on the shot. Here is one way to test things. Create a duplicate layer for sharpening. Convert it to a smart object. Then create as many sharpening filters on that later as you want. I often do two or three methods, turning them on or off to decide which method worked best for a given shot. and of course you can go back and adjust any of them.

Yes. Many ways to do this. I think smart objects are one of the best PS features.

Does anybody else have the problem of Photshop slowing down to a crawl when using Smart Sharpen?

Also the preview button in the Smart Sharpen filter doesn't work. Any clue?