dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

When my life settles down, I need to tackle learning Lightroom I guess. Moved to small town of Salida CO and am looking for photography mentors.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

My point of view is always the same on this type of question...

Do I need it? The answer is always: No.
Do you want it? I have no answer, you do, thought.

Every software has some type of 'free' denoise. The key is to learn how to use it.

Add-ons, plug-ins and the like are an easy way out that prevents learning.

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

Interesting perspective. Guess I assumed the Topaz apps would do a ‘better’ job or something, esp the way folks rave about them. At any rate, I’ve decided I do not, in fact, need them! I’m too easily seduced by ‘sales.’ Moving on! Thanks all!

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

I absolutely love Topaz Denoise and Sharpen. I also use Topaz Adjust. I use them all the time with excellent results. I try the Gigapixel but didn't purchase that one

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

Like some others who have commented already, I shoot birds with a high shutter speed (1/2500), which gets my ISO pretty high at times. I use DeNoise on almost every image that I choose to process. Sharpen and Gigapixel occasionally.

Having said that, i will suggest that your photographic life would benefit most from getting up to speed in Lightroom. There are sharpening and denoising tools included, and Adobe is very aware that Topaz is a competitor. The downside is that LR is a subscription service these days. It is your decision whether to go that route.

Best of luck!

Ron 717 Loc: Pennsylvania

My advice is to download them as a 30 day trial and use them on questionable images and then decide if it’s worth it to you. I personally have Denoise, Sharpen, and Gigapixel and use Denoise and Sharpen frequently. I have been using Topaz products for years and find them very useful.

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

I got the bundle last year. Gigapixel didn't work with my old GPU so I have never used it (and never really needed it). Sharpen did pretty well but I noted in a couple cases that it added extraneous elements to my image so I occasionally use it with care. DeNoise works well for me. It's the only one I use on a regular basis. Yes, you can get denoise elements in most PostProcessingPackages but the Topaz version appears to me that it does better than LR (my normal PP). Since it can be used with LR I use it as a plugin so it doesn't really require switching packages. I tend to do a lot of low light work and when my daughter got married last year I took a lot of shots at the reception. The non-flash shots used fairly high ISO and I used LR to reduce the noise. Later I got a trial DeNoise from Topaz and found a significant improvement so I got the package.

For me, DeNoise is worth it because I use high ISO so much. YMMV. Sharpen is OK but I don't do a lot of sharpening. One shot of two people at different distances was improved because one was in focus and the other not so much. Sharpen made the OOF person look better. Tried it on a group shot and the results were not as good. It was easier than trying to focus stack in a dynamic scene.

I should also note that although when I first started learning PP I used a lot of different trial packages, after sticking with LR/PS I haven't done much trialing of other software so I can't compare Topaz with anything other than LR.

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

The trial is a great idea. Thanks.

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

I’m getting a better handle on when these tools are especially useful. Thanks.

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

Thanks for your in-depth reply. Very helpful.

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

Yes, I agree: I need to bite the bullet and learn LR. Thanks.

dbfalconer Loc: Salida CO

Thanks, Tracy. I can see I need to do more research. I did not know about Adjust. Think I’ll hone skills with what I already own, then tackle LR. And try Topaz later. Thanks.

bkwaters

If you do a lot of animal photography, such as birds, Topaz Sharpen is magic.

If the Catalog function in LRC is daunting, open your pictures in Bridge and then edit in LRC. LRC is so powerful now, I could easily get by with only LRC and Topaz Sharpen if I wanted to.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I was happy with my Topaz as it was ... then came along Topaz AI and I was hooked on the magic

Other programs can take a photo that is so noisy and grainy that it looks like a scattering of sand and make it into a hi-resolution photo !! Others you verbally tell what the photo is and it gathers parts and puts you on an elephant riding backward if that is what you tell it. Then there is a Dr. Frankenstine like Google Deepdreams that monsters your photo with dogs etc when there were none.

We live in a magic AI time we live in a time of robotics that learns with AI... beware...

"I have not made the leap to Lightroom yet.... I need to bite the bullet and learn LR." dbfalconer, why complicate your life with Lightroom? Old and expensive over the year.

George Eastman and Kodak never meant nor dreamed for this AI revolution to happen. Kodak invented the first digital camera and like car companies and electric cars... rejected the idea... Kodak management said, "but we make film."

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

There is no "bite the bullet". It is a fun walk in the park of new things to learn. Remember, it is non destructive!