Topaz adjust and Topaz detail?

The various Topaz plug-ins are somewhat costly and somewhat slow. Topaz Denoise is, IMO, the best of the current crop of denoise applications. But what about Topaz Adjust and/or Topaz detail? I've tried the Adjust plug-in and so far, I don't think it does anything I couldn't do with PS CS3.

I haven't tried Topaz Detail. I assume it's a sharpener. The sample images look overdone to me (as do the examples from Topaz Adjust), but presumably the application could be used at a lower strength.

Is there anyone here who has some significant experience with PS and who has tried the Topaz Adjust and/or Detail modules? What did you think of the Topaz modules? Do they accomplish things which you couldn't do with PS?

Bill Hansen

Why bother to ask when you can d/l your own 30 day trial and see how it works BY you and FOR you?
--

-----
-paul

Hi Bill

I have both and find I use adjust the most. It's not good for a large number of photos because it is slow but if you have a few pics that you want to give some special effects and print it's very good. Detail has more sharpen options but you can sharpen in adjust also. First pic is the original and the second done in Adjust. Give them a try to see if they fit your needs.





--
Tom

I bought the complete bundle. I feel their DeNoise is superior to Noise Ninja, and have been experimenting with the rest.

I'm sure you could replicate some of the effects with CSx, but the time factor is worth it to me, especially if I have 80 to edit from one shoot. How much time do you want to spend at the computer? I'd rather be shooting. I'm going out shortly, in fact.

My websites:
sofobomo.org/2009/books/misha-marinsky/the-holga-bus-company/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ubereye/
http://ubereye.deviantart.com/
http://newyorkleftist.blogspot.com/

It probably doesn't matter, but I prefer the first sample to the second. The second photo looks way overprocessed and unnatural to me.

Yeah the first could have used a LITTLE sharpening, but the second is way too much, Maybe it depends on the intended use. I can't argue with the intentions though. The Topaz tools are first rate.
--
Mayonnaise on white bread, mmmmm!

Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos. . .
http://glenbarrington.smugmug.com/
http://www.jpgmag.com/people/glenbarrington/photos

Tom's example is an important one as far as I'm concerned. I guess my own taste in images and prints is different from that of many others, and that's why I was hoping to elicit the experience, and some samples, from people who have significant experience with both PS and the Topaz apps.

As I wrote, my experience with Adjust (so far) has been that a tiny little bit of it goes a long way. If a saw that several others felt the same way, it would nudge me back toward PS. If I saw several compelling examples of images which were greatly improved with Adjust and those same improvements couldn't have been made with PS (or at least not made very easily), then I'd spen a lot more time trying to make Adjust work for me.

The same sort of reasoning applies to other Topaz apps, except for Denoise, which I agree is the best NR tool I've tried. I reserve it for very special high ISO images though, because it is a resource hog, and it's pretty slow.

One of the more frustrating limitations of the Topaz apps is that the developers seem to have no interest in allowing a Batch mode, so each individual image has to be ssslllloooooowwllly processed before one can proceed to the next.

I would like to see some landscapes processed in Adjust, with both pre- and post-process views. That might help me decide on that particular app.

Bill

You might have a lot better luck asking in the Retouching forum where Adjust/Detail comes up fairly often.

I bought the whole bundle, but I got a good discount...

--
EOS 50D, 20D, 10D, 630, A-1, FZ28, SD1000
-- Please remove the Quote option!
-- Why can't you edit more than once???
-- How about switching to real forum software?

I use Topaz Adjust to tweak images. I always put the process step in a new layer and sometimes use masking and then adjust opacity to achieve the 'look' I seek. You can accomplish the same in PS CSx; however, it would require significantly more steps and time.

It is also good for times when you want to convert a photo to a more artistic presentation.

--



http://www.pbase.com/sullyc5er

It was just to show what Adjust can do, you can make it more extreme or just add a little. You can give it the Lucis Art look if you are into that. Here is a link that has samples of what you can do.
http://www.topazlabs.com/adjust/

Glen Barrington said:

Yeah the first could have used a LITTLE sharpening, but the second is way too much, Maybe it depends on the intended use. I can't argue with the intentions though. The Topaz tools are first rate.
--
Mayonnaise on white bread, mmmmm!

Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos. . .
http://glenbarrington.smugmug.com/
http://www.jpgmag.com/people/glenbarrington/photos

Click to expand...

--
Tom

All byt one of the examples on the topazlabs site are too overprocessed for my taste. I try to stay pretty close to the appearance of the scene when I shot it. I don't mind some minor enhancements - but to me the Topaz examples are beyond where I want to go.

I'll work with Topaz Adjust on a few more images, using layers and masks (as I would anyway), and using the app very gently.

Thanks for your answsers.

Bill

I own the Topaz bundle so obviously am fan boy of the products and the company. I didn't mean to sound like a wise guy but I seriously think you need to evaluate not only the output of the products, but if you can yourself achieve that result. The only way to find that out is to try them yourself.

Like Topaz also has a masking program. The first version worked well, but many found it very difficult to use. So you NEEDED to see if you can use it rather than ask others if they found good results with it.

V2 of this product is enormously easier to use. The difficulty many users found in V1 caused the company to do an extensive re-write. That the company was so responsive and also offered V2 free to users of V1 also tells you a good deal about the company.
--

-----
-paul

Bill -

Maybe it's the festive season .. or whatever..but I have't been on this Forum for a week or so maybe, so only just seen this post of yours...

But I've had Topaz Plug-ins on my CS for quite some time..and like you ..I have found an affinity quite a bit with Topaz Denoise .. .but equally for some reason I just don't think the other Topaz Plug-ins hold a candle to Denoise one.

As to sharpening..I've tried about all that kind as well , but STILL find I can get better 'controlled' adjustments with Focus Magic...and STILL prefer to use that. Can't really explain it but it just to me seems to have a sort of 'graded' action..not just the varied percentages etc.. but each setting seems to give me at least a better control than I seem to get from most others. And of course any one , if thought not quite right , can then readily be further adjusted by the 'Fade' control under 'Edit'

Topaz just don't seem to have got the others quite right somehow.. for my liking anyway ...

--
eric-UK