Free trial Topaz sharpen AI

[Nikonmike]

https://topazlabs.com/sharpen-ai/ref/70/

This is the full image

This was the best i could get in just photoshop

 

This is Topaz and photoshop.

 

 

[Clicker]

Hmmmm ... that’s  pretty impressive Mike... 

[Nikonmike]

23 minutes ago, Clicker said:

Hmmmm ... that’s  pretty impressive Mike... 

Yes, i think someone who understands PP better than me could make it work well.

[Ryewolf]

I had a quick go with it this evening, both images were jpg's:

The original image, no processing at 1:1 crop

The second image was using the AI Stablize Mode using the default 50:50 options

First image is the original with no processing, 1:1 crop

Second image was using AI Focus Mode using the default 50:50 settings

One thing I did notice was that the Stablize mode did create more artifacts than the Focus when viewed at greater than 1:1

[johntwo]

Been looking at this.  Rye, I wanted to make a comparison with my normal approach of using  High Pass sharpening in combination with TOPAZ DeNoise.  I've used your original image if that's OK?  (I will delete if not).

To my eye, the High Pass approach is a bit more aggressive and about as sharp. Where it wins though in in suppressing the BG noise.  The disadvantage of most sharpening packages is that they tend to sharpen noise as well as the subject matter.    Using Topaz DeNoise on the High Pass sharpening layer allows you to avoid that to a large extent.  The Topaz Sharpener does seem to produce slightly  more refined detail although I think that I might have been a little heavy handed in applying the High Pass layer to the original.   It's a good plugin and it certainly delivers but I probably won't be spending  the £45 needed to acquire it.

Edited March 6, 2019 by johntwo

[Ryewolf]

I would normally also run a denoise after sharpening, I just wanted to see how each of the modes compared and how much noise was created. It does produce a quite a sharp image with certainly less noise than say the Nik eFex output sharpener.

[johntwo]

De noising first and then sharpening would be better Rye.   That way, you are sharpening less noise - if indeed there is any left.