The light was dreadful but the #UsualSuspects came out to play in the #woodland at #WWT #CastleEspie today: a very vocal #bluetit and a lovely female #bullfinch.
Shot on #canon, rescued in #TopazLabs #DenoiseAI and processed in #AffinityPhoto.
#nature #NaturePhotography #wildlife #bird #birds #passerine #countydown #northernireland
Auch wenn noch einige Tage bis zum „echten“ Black Friday ins Land gehen, so starten dennoch einige Anbieter bereits jetzt ihre Rabattaktionen. Topaz Labs, Hersteller von unter anderem Sharpen AI und Denoise AI, ist hier ganz vorn mit dabei. Bis zu 65 % Rabatt werden angeboten, das ist eine ganz ordentliche Ersparnis. Die größte Einsparung hat man beim Kauf des Bundles mit Topaz Photo AI, DeNoise AI, Sharpen AI und Gigapixel AI – statt der üblichen 458,97 $ sind aktuell nur 159 $ fällig. Eine Ersparnis von 65 %. Alle Programme erwerbt Ihr gleichzeitig sowohl als Stand-alone-Version, als auch als Plugins für Photoshop und Lightroom. Immerhin 63 % spart Ihr noch, wenn Ihr aktuell das Everything Bundle kauft, hier ist zusätzlich noch das Programm Video AI enthalten. Statt 757,97 $ werden für das Bundle derzeit 279 $ aufgerufen. Aber auch wer nur ein einzelnes Produkt erwerben will, kann immerhin noch bis zu 47 % sparen. Video AI wird mit 47 % rabattiert, alle anderen Programme von Topaz Labs mit 25 %. Vor dem Kauf könnt Ihr die Programme natürlich testen, die Testversionen funktionieren 30 Tage ohne Einschränkung. So viel Zeit sollte man sich allerdings dann doch nicht zum Testen nehmen, die Black Friday Aktion ist nur bis zum 02.12.2022 gültig.
https://runorsmile.de/dies-und-das/black-friday-deals-by-topaz-labs/
Auch wenn noch einige Tage bis zum „echten“ Black Friday ins Land gehen, so starten dennoch einige Anbieter bereits jetzt ihre Rabattaktionen. Topaz Labs, Hersteller von unter anderem Sharpen AI und Denoise AI, ist hier ganz vorn mit dabei. Bis zu 65 % Rabatt werden angeboten, das ist eine ganz ordentliche Ersparnis. Die größte Einsparung hat […]
ON1 NoNoise AI Versus Topaz DeNoise AI: Noise Reduction Throwdown
ON1, an established photography software company located in Oregon, recently released its new noise reduction application called NoNoise AI. As a longtime user of Topaz Labs DeNoise AI, it only made sense to pit these two machine-learning-based noise reduction programs against each other and see which one comes out on top.
But First…
Before diving into a comparison of ON1 NoNoise AI and Topaz Labs DeNoise AI, there are a couple of things to point out. First is a list of visible negative effects from photographing with high ISOs so that we may more closely examine the results below.
While these two applications primarily target "digital grain" type noise, there are other degradations happening to an image simultaneously as the noise gets worse and, to an extent, I noticed both software applications attempting to fix a few of these as well, so I thought it was worth mentioning.
Another thing to point out is what the “AI” in NoNoise AI or DeNoise AI is doing. The programs are not simply finding hidden details already existing “behind” the noise and enhancing them. Simplified, the software is reading your photo, comparing it to its massive data library complied from machine learning to recognize what something should look like, and then replaces the original artifacts with clean textures and details based on its photo-driven libraries.
In practice, you don’t really think about this and to the end-user, it does just look like original details being cleaned up and brought out because it works so well (most of the time). However, organizations like the National Audubon Society, which just hosted the 2021 Photography Awards Contest, recognize the difference and specifically did not allow “AI and machine-learning-based software used for upscaling, sharpening and significant noise reduction.” In a sense, it can be argued that the final edited images from AI noise reduction software are composites.
Audubon 2021 Photography Awards Contest rules.
Features and Functionality
Moving into the comparison, I want to first discuss the similarities and differences as far as the layout, tools, and file handling workflow goes for each application.
Layout
Opening each program, both have a similar layout in default settings. The photo being processed is oriented on the lefthand side, the main toolbar panel is on the right, and there are more information and tools on the top and bottom.
ON1 NoNoise AI Topaz Labs DeNoise AI
As far as looks go, ON1 NoNoise AI is by far superior with its minimal use of color. Topaz Denoise AI on the other hand tries its best to skew your color perception by maintaining a blue color palette throughout the program -- a big no-no for the editing process.
Both allow color changes to the preview background color but, for the most part, this is never seen unless your zoom is backed out all the way and it also doesn’t affect the panels surrounding the photo. ON1 goes a step further to provide a customizable accent color, but this makes a minimal difference to anything.
Tool Panels
Looking at the main tool panels, we see a general similarity in that there are tools for noise reduction and tools for sharpening.
ON1 NoNoise AI on the left, Topaz Labs DeNoise AI on the right.
Topaz Labs has an additional AI Model section that has four options: Standard, Clear, Low Light, Severe Noise. Standard would be for your regular photos with low to moderate noise. Clear uses an older Topaz Labs noise reduction engine and does not rely on AI as much, and this mode is good for times when you see a lot of inconsistent noise reduction and artifacting introduced by the AI models. Low Light and Severe Noise kind of sound like they’d be targeting the same thing, however, if your final photo is meant to have a lot of dark spaces it might be best with Low Light.
While Topaz Labs has one slider for noise reduction and one slider for sharpness at the heart of its program, ON1 has three sliders for both and allows for more refinement, which is greatly appreciated. It’s more hands-on, but also more time-consuming. Both have Auto toggles which are handy to get a suggestion on where to start with the sliders. From my long experience with Topaz Labs, I know that sometimes the Auto suggestion is completely off base, but it usually will speed up the process.
One of the more interesting sliders that exists in ON1 NoNoise AI is the color tool (and to be sure, no, this doesn’t act like the Color Noise Reduction tool in Topaz Labs). I mentioned earlier in my list of negative effects of high ISO shooting that color-shifting becomes a problem. Color noise can give off a shift in the blacks and other colors get all faded and skewed. This nice tool works to take care of that by offsetting these issues. Sometimes in a lower ISO photo, the tool isn’t doing any favors when fully active, but for really noisy images it makes a huge difference.
For example, below is a photo taken with the Sony Alpha 1 at ISO 25,600.
Photo processed with Topaz Labs DeNoise AI. Photo processed with ON1 NoNoise AI using the Color slider to neutralize the magenta cast seen with Topaz Labs.
Workflow
The suggested workflow for each program differs in that ON1 NoNoise AI prefers to work off of original RAW files whereas Topaz Labs DeNoise AI is mostly set up to take processed files. Topaz Labs just released version 3.2 which supposedly includes improvements to the RAW color processing, however from what I could see comparing v3.1 and v3.2 was a lens profile correction and that’s all. As for ON1, when you try to import a non-RAW file, there’s a pop-up message that says, “results from non-RAW photos are considered beta quality and will improve soon.”
Topaz Labs DeNoise AI version 3.2 release notes. ON1 NoNoise AI pop-up message.
Topaz Labs easily wins here, as it is more flexible and leverages programs like Capture One to do a far better job at the RAW processing. ON1’s logic is that noise gets introduced during the demosaicing stage of RAW processing and therefore they can get to it at the source. What’s lost, though, is the incredible color processing and RAW-level adjustments from programs like Capture One that aren’t the same at all after ON1 outputs a converted DNG.
One other thing to mention as it relates to workflow is that both of these applications have advanced masking abilities to control where the noise reduction is being applied, however, only ON1 can also do layering within the program. This can be a big advantage to those who need varying localized noise reduction and sharpening without having to deal with going in and out of Adobe Photoshop multiple times.
One other thing to look at is how previews are handled. Fully processing the photos at the end of the process can take some time, so previews allow users to get a good but not perfect example of what the photo will look like. I find that ON1 previews are snappy and update in near real-time when dragging the sliders. The downside is that the preview accuracy compared to the outputted photo is only what I would call "decent." On the other hand, Topaz Labs previews take longer to process and update, but the accuracy is close to the same as the outputted photo.
Photo Comparisons
Since I’m the one doing the processing, here’s my idealistic result to keep in mind: I believe noise reduction is a balancing act. Completely wiping the noise away until the photo is a smeary mess of zero detail is easy -- any editing program can do that. What I aimed for in my testing was getting to the point where the noise was reduced as much as possible while also keeping or enhancing as much detail as possible in the image without getting "crunchy."
This generally means I like a little bit of noise left in the photo so it doesn’t look plasticky and doesn’t wipe away the fine details that benefit from a little grain-type noise. Noise present in the results below is not an indication that the programs cannot obliterate it, it’s a reflection of me trying to get the best-looking results while toeing the line of clean, yet detailed.
In the example images below, I’m using ON1 NoNoise AI version 16.0.0.10785 and Topaz Labs DeNoise AI version 3.2.0.
Example 1
Original Image — 100% Crop — Sony Alpha 1, ISO 25,600 Capture One 21 – 100% Crop ON1 NoNoise AI – 100% Crop Topaz Labs DeNoise AI – 100% Crop
What I found here was that I was able to get more fine detail out of Topaz Labs with this comparison. However, ON1’s Color slider was able to do away with the high ISO color cast happening in the image.
Example 2
Original Image — 100% Crop — Sony Alpha 7C, ISO 25,600 Capture One 21 – 100% Crop ON1 NoNoise AI – 100% Crop Topaz Labs DeNoise AI – 100% Crop
In this comparison, you can see that neither ON1 nor Topaz Labs have any good reason to be touching the RAW files. Both are looking sickly when editing off the RAW compared to Capture One. I say, let the RAW processing be handled by the professionals.
Example 3
Original Image — 100% Crop — Sony Alpha 7R III, ISO 6,400 Capture One 21 – 100% Crop ON1 NoNoise AI – 100% Crop Topaz Labs DeNoise AI – 100% Crop
While I think it’s easy for the eyes to go for Topaz Labs here because it’s more vibrant, when it comes to noise reduction I think ON1 was able to clear more color noise in the darkest areas. It’s just a shame about its RAW color processing.
Example 4
Original Image — 100% Crop — Sony Alpha 7S III, ISO 52,000 Capture One 21 – 100% Crop ON1 NoNoise AI – 100% Crop Topaz Labs DeNoise AI – 100% Crop
This one left me speechless at how amazing ON1 NoNoise AI can be. Look at all that fine detail brought into the deer’s fur while still removing the noise. Topaz Labs ended up getting muddy details that I wasn’t able to finesse into anything better. There are parts where NoNoise AI gets oversharpened in my opinion, but with masking and layers inside the application, it can be toned down on a local basis.
Example 5
Original Image — 100% Crop — Sony Alpha 1, ISO 25,600 Capture One 21 – 100% Crop ON1 NoNoise AI – 100% Crop Topaz Labs DeNoise AI – 100% Crop
Once again, ON1 is able to clear the color noise better than Topaz Labs. It also brings out details better, but it does teeter on being too sharp in some areas. It’s another impressive performance from the new ON1 NoNoise AI when Topaz Labs DeNoise AI has been around for a couple of years.
It’s In the Details
Today, my winner is Topaz Labs DeNoise AI for being more flexible in where I can use it in my workflow while getting good results much of the time. I find the RAW color processing side of ON1 NoNoise AI to be poor, and it gets worse when Capture One doesn’t play well with the converted DNGs once imported back in compared to the camera manufacturer’s proprietary RAW file.
That said, other than some quirks of using ON1 NoNoise AI -- like its insistence on always defaulting to the annoying split-screen slider and jumping zoom levels when I didn’t ask it to -- I prefer its toolset and layout more. I feel like I’m really able to hone in on what I need to do to get the best results. I think that once ON1 learns to deal with already-processed RAWs from a superior processor (it’s unusably bad when you try it right now) then it will take over as my go-to noise reduction software.
#comparisons #postprocessing #reviews #software #captureone #colornoise #denoiseai #details #editing #noisereduction #nonoiseai #on1nonoiseai #photoediting #postproduction #review #sharpening #topazlabsdenoiseai
Why Topaz Labs DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI Blew My Mind
For the past few years, I've been content with keeping my entire photo editing worldview pegged to the Adobe ecosystem. Anything that Lightroom couldn't handle, or that required more refined content-aware heavy-lifting, was offloaded to Photoshop. And that's the way things went for a very long time.
Just about everything that I needed to do in terms of organizing and editing my photos was handled by Adobe Lightroom (both Classic and the "New Coke" flavor).
Then, a few weeks ago, I went on a photo purge of legendary proportions in an effort to reduce the overall footprint that the files were taking up on my hard drives and cloud backups. During that cathartic exercise (really, I recommend everyone does this), I found a whole bunch of old photos that I forgot about. These were photos taken with cameras that I can barely remember using, but they held promise and I wanted to take a crack at editing them.
Unfortunately, that's where things fell apart pretty quickly, especially when it came to mitigating the extreme noise and lack of sharpness that these images suffered from. Unfortunately, Lightroom's noise reduction and sharpening tools only made things worse. With the noise reduction, any visible effect would also obliterate any edge details, rendering the image into a mushy mess. With the sharpening, I'd see an excess of added artifacts and noise get introduced. In most cases, the "corrected" results looked worse than the originals.
After doing some research and chatting with a few photography friends, I got turned on to Topaz DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'll save you the anticipation.
I was seriously impressed… blown away, actually.
While the results themselves were noteworthy, what really caught my eye was just how automated everything was. I’d just load my photo into the app that did what I needed to do—reduce noise or add detail, respectively, and sit back. In the case of noise reduction, DeNoise AI mitigated noise while preserving edge details and preventing any of the areas from getting mushy. Sharpen AI was able to snap detail back to photos that just barely missed critical focus and that would otherwise be rejected.
In both cases, using these purpose-driven apps worked exceptionally well and truly did save these legacy photos.
About the author: Brian Matiash is a professional photographer, videographer, and published author based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. His passion is to serve other photographers by helping them grow their own visual pursuits. Learn more about Brian by visiting his website, on Instagram, and on YouTube.
#software #technology #adobe #adobelightroom #adobephotoshop #denoise #denoiseai #imageediting #lightroom #photoshop #postproduction #sharpen #sharpenai #topazlabs
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