BOLSER39 Loc: Melbourne, FL

Need some advice. I was thinking of signing up for LR classic but I keeping emails from TOPAZ AI that make it sound great.

My camera gear is canon 7Dii, 60D and R5 with 100-400L II, Sometimes I use a canon 1.4 extender on the 100-400 but after installing firmware 2.0.0 on my R5 the images are no longer tack sharp. My primary subjects are birds and wildlife

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Topaz products are a heavy hand at editing, mostly running in an automated fashion. LR Classic is both a premier digital (RAW) editor and a management tool (database) for your digital assets (images). You should consider the $9.99 Adobe photographer's plan, giving both LR and PS and some other software, rather than the LR-only option Adobe now provides. Many people use both the Adobe subscription and the Topaz products, although everything in Topaz (results-wise) can be done in Adobe, just with less automation. Your budget and experience with other software tools might help you decide which is better for your needs. There's a steep learning curve to any of Adobe's products, something that might apply to / concern your decision.

BOLSER39 Loc: Melbourne, FL

Thanks, you have sold me on Adobe LR. I'm a slow learner but determined.

Hip Coyote

You have about seven different issues going on here...LRC vs. Topaz, different cameras, a 1.4 extender and possibly some technical issues surrounding what it is you're doing and a possible firmware problem? Where to start? Consider parsing your many issues into separate posts lest you this is going to be a looong and often not applicable mess of responses.

I concur with the LR recommendation. Learn to use it...as in really learn it. Once I wrapped my mind around it, I have been a happy user ever since. Skip Topaz until you are very competent at LRC.

Simplify your photo life. You are headed in the wrong direction, IMO. As Bruce Lee said, "one does not accumulate, one must eliminate." Or, as the quote goes, "fear the man who carries one gun." Because the gunman knows how to use it well.

Pick a camera, a lens or two and learn to use them well. Eliminate the unnecessary in your photo life. First to go would be the 60D. I had and loved mine...but gave it away to eliminate unnecessary equipment. As I get better, more and more gear is being eliminated to the point where my kit is refined to where I want it to be.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

While minimalism is a noble goal, we are using real physical tools here and they are subject to failure. I would argue that a semi-minimalist position is probably best. Get rid of the tools you use least. The second-most-used tool is your backup. The only time you might need a backup backup is if you are shooting sports on the sideline where equipment damage is possible from runaway participants or if you work in hostile environments.

I shoot events. When events are fast paced, a two-body operation has advantages because you can use two different lenses on different bodies. That makes lens changes just a matter of picking up the other body.

Hip Coyote

Totally agree...but the OP is a beginner, has three cameras, an extender, probably a gaggle of lenses, trying to figure out what software to use and is cross-threaded with a software upgrade. His post makes it clear he is jumbled up from the outset.

He doesn't need a back up or anything else...just figure out how to use the one camera then move on. He's not shooting events or things that matter should he blow the camera up or miss a shot. (Which is why I do not shoot event...I'm not nearly good enough.) He jacks up a camera, go home and start over another day. It's hobbiest photography, not a professional shoot.

I read a study that opined that too many options actually produces unnecessary anxiety...which kind of makes sense. To reduce beginner anxiety, just go simple.

I too use a two camera system on occasion...when on safari and recently did a lacrosse game where two cameras was essential. (Boy did I have a lot of learning to do there...ok shots, but messed up a lot too...) But, I would have had a much better learning rate had I simplified up front, THEN moved on to additional gear, not the other way around.

Best regards,

stan0301 Loc: Colorado

I, personally after over two million images find that I like Topaz a lot - and Photoshop is my basic tool

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I frequently disagree with your answers here. This time, I think you have it spot on!

I can only add that I hope one day you sign up for the plan and get the current version. You deserve to have the newest tools from Adobe!

terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains

I don't know what you need for what you do, or which Topaz app you refer to, but Topaz Photo Ai is essentially an AI sharpening, noise reduction and face enhancement tool that functions as a standalone or Photoshop plugin. It is limited to a few operations controlled by an amount slider and has very little use as a raw file developer. Masking is primitive, and there are "Adjust Lighting" and "Balance Color" options that each have a single "Strength" slider to control the amount of (bad) AI it applies. It is not an "editor" as is Lightroom/Camera Raw.

If you opt for the Adobe Photographer's Package you get the full latest version of Photoshop CC as well as Lightroom Classic, Lightroom and Lightroom Mobile. You also get Adobe Camera Raw which is the engine that drives Lightroom's editing functions, and Bridge which is a non-database file manager. (Bridge won't lose your files or cause you to have to post another to the myriad "Where did LrC lose all my pictures" threads).

Once you have all this, you can still buy the Topaz stuff if you wish, and use them right from Photoshop for whatever you find them useful for. I don't know of any function of Topaz Photo AI that cannot be accessed from Photoshop, although Topas says that "for best results" you should open your raw file directly in the standalone app. I never do that, since I use ACR to open all and develop all raw files.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I noticed that on the farm stand and in my wife when shopping. Don't notice it in myself but I am relative insensitive to my personal anxiety level.

Too many choices make you spend time in comparing close alternatives.

fantom Loc: Colorado

Don't be afraid of it. PS is complicated and takes awhile to master but LR is pretty straightforward and intuitive. After working with a couple of pix to get familair with the tools you might want to watch some Adobe or youtube vids on LR. Don't fret it.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Glad to help. As a new user, it might not be obvious that the <quote reply> button is used by the community to make directed responses.

As others suggested, pick one of the softwares to learn first and exclusively. Most find LR the easier, as this 'complex' software was intended by Adobe to be the easier to learn, as compared to the very complex PS. With your subscription, you get access to Adobe-specific / subscriber-specific video training. Supplement that training with free video training from utube. Record the URLs or 'save' the specific vidoes and / or subscribe to the authors for people you like.

Use search ideas like:

google lightroom getting started video
google lightroom basic image edit video

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thanks Bill! My ideas / suggestions / hard opinions really should appeal to everyone always ...

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

I use both Topaz and Lightroom Classic, but I use Lightroom a lot more than Topaz. I do find the sharpening in Topaz to be better with the tougher issues I may have created.

ELNikkor

Tried Lightroom, took half hour on one RAW image & it output as a jpeg that looked just like my SOOC jpeg. With thousands of photos I might want to tweak, I took special deals on Topaz Gig, Sharpen, & Denoise. Totally satisfied with the simplicity, speed, and results of Topaz.