How do you use the Topaz plugins?

[jaapv]

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First off: this works best on M1 Macs, as Topaz AI plugins are rather slow on Intel Macs and PC.

Topaz has two noise reduction/sharpening plugins.

There is Sharpen AI which will reduce unobtrusive noise to a level that it does not get sharpened and then do an amazing sharpening, and Denoise AI which does a spectacular job of removing even heavy noise and then sharpening the image.
So the two are meant for different types of images. Roughly: Sharpen AI for low-ISO , well-exposed and Denoise AI for high-ISO, underexposed.

But sometimes we have images that are not uniform. Has anybody tried using the two on two layers and painting on a layer mask? Did that work?
Or do we have to wait for Mask AI to be updated to Big Sur/M1- which it will. be, according to Topaz-?
Then we could mask part of the image, run one plugin, invert the mask and run the other. 
 

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[LocalHero1953]

I have puzzled for some time about which works best, as I find their use cases and behaviour overlap considerably - I try both and choose the one that works best. I will try thinking about your low ISO vs high ISO cases.

I haven't tried masking and using both in different areas of a single image. IME the processing is usually needed just for single problem areas i.e. I don't have images that have both well-lit fine-detailed areas and dark noisy areas. I might expect theatre photography to throw these up, but for such shots I don't normally want to enhance the shadows - I'm happy for them to remain shadows and flatten the noise, if needed, with a brush in LR.

I'll be interested to see your examples and those from others.

I don't have a problem running Topaz plugins on a PC. I have 16Gb RAM, a RTX2080 graphics card and M.2 or SSD storage, which all help. Redrawing is very quick and final processing is acceptable. I think a good GPU is the critical element.

[jankap]

I use the stand-alone versions of TOPAZ only at the moment. I have not updated my versions of LR and PS for long. The Dan Margulis plug-ins were the last ones.

[LocalHero1953]

In my earlier reply I was thinking of masking within the Topaz plugins, which I think is a facility, but I haven't used it. Masking in PS is another option that allows you to play with both tools by trial and error.

[AndreasG]

vor 22 Minuten schrieb LocalHero1953:

......as I find their use cases and behaviour overlap considerably

Definitely, both programs offer denoise and sharpen functions, the final result depends on your own settings, but the trouble is, the setting and results depend extremely on the photo. I suppose that Denoise AI and Sharpen AI are based on the same algorithm, with only a different layout - see below - of the user interface, nevertheless, I prefer (don't know why, maybe the ease of handling) the Denoise AI, it indeed works very well in cases of heavy noise and high ISO. My working horse is a MacMini with a 3.2GHz i/ proccesor and 32GB RAM, the speed could be better, it takes around 5-7sec for the preview and 40-50sec for the full image (DNG from a M10-D).

I did not yet try with masking and layers, but certainly will do and report. Should mention that my versions shown here are not the latest ones. I use them as plug-ins in Luminar 3.

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Edited July 13, 2021 by AndreasG

[jaapv]

Yes, that is the old version. It has been updated quite a bit since then.
As I explained above the two programs have a different bias and the user has to make the choice, depending on the photograph. Once I am in the program I use the quadruple preview to choose the mode and I have never failed to find the right setting. Mostly auto is optimal. As for the speed, yes on my previous Intel Mac it was coffee-break slow, but on my MacMini M1 it is easily fast enough to be a fixed part of my workflow. This webinar still uses Intel, but I understand  from Matt that he will be upgrading to Silicon.

 

 

 

 

[kentroberts]

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I don't use Photoshop or masks much but I have used DeNoise and Sharpen on the same image through LightRoom. Here's a closeup of a mermaid's face (public art installation) taken with the Q2 at ISO 6400. I ran the original thru DeNoise which did a great job of removing the noise but left the details a little soft, such as her eye lashes and eye brows. So I ran the DeNoised image through Sharpen AI and it turned out beautifully.

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[jrp]

I just tried Sharpen AI on my MacBook Pro 2021 on an 189MB hi-red mode SL2 file and on a distant ship.

I had tried Topaz’ In Focus several years ago, but it created too many artefacts to be useful. This is a completely different story. For some reason the edges of my hi res photo were not sharp. Sharpen AI restored the sharpness, much to my amazement. (Brick buildings across a wide river). 
 

A standard resolution of a ship over a mile away allowed me to read its name.

I’m well, pleased.