PHOTO ENLARGEMENT SOFTWARE--BEST CHOICES? SUBSTITUTE FOR EXTRA LONG TELEPHOTO?
Apr 17, 2015 09:47:43 #
TRAVLR38
Loc: CENTRAL PA
Hi to all. I have been taking pictures as an increasingly serious hobby for about five years, and I've subscribed to UHH for at least a year now. Very enjoyable, and often informative.
I have two questions about photo enlarging software, and I was hoping that some members might be able to answer one or both.
1. I have been looking at Photo-Zoom Pro and Perfect Resize. Any ideas on which is better, or is there a third (or fourth choice)?
2. If these programs work as advertised, wouldn't they serve as a substitute for a large, heavy, expensive telephoto lens?
thanks in adviance for advice.
I have two questions about photo enlarging software, and I was hoping that some members might be able to answer one or both.
1. I have been looking at Photo-Zoom Pro and Perfect Resize. Any ideas on which is better, or is there a third (or fourth choice)?
2. If these programs work as advertised, wouldn't they serve as a substitute for a large, heavy, expensive telephoto lens?
thanks in adviance for advice.
Apr 17, 2015 10:40:10 #
TRAVLR38 wrote:
It turns out the newer version of Photoshop, PS CC 2014 does an excellent job of enlargement all by itself. I own Perfect Resize and have compared the two - differences are indistinguishable.Hi to all. I have been taking pictures as an incre... (show quote)
As to your other question, no, an enlargement can never compete with the detail and subtle nuances of color you get with a good telephoto lens. And BTW, the same can be said with the superzoom cameras - their output, while good, just can not hold the detail that a DSLR telephoto lens brings to the table.
As ever, though, the Devil is in those details. How much of it do you really need?
Apr 17, 2015 19:02:16 #
I am fairly new to Photoshop, but do have a subscription to CC14. I was reading a thread the other day that discussed increasing the number of pixels in a photo by resizing. Is this what you are referring to when you talk about enlarging an image? I would be interested to know what the process is that you use so I can try it myself. Thanks.
Apr 18, 2015 06:45:14 #
For me the best is Photo-Zoom Classic 5, because I own it. The reason I own it is because Serif sold it at a very low price. Luckily it is a very good program. According to what I have read in the past these specialty programs are superior to the typical bicubie and others found in typical edit programs. (may not be currently correct) Now that I have a 20 mpix camera, I rarely use up-sizing.
Too often we view things of ordinary life thru a microscope, in the search of subtleties that are hard to perceive in casual viewing. This is especially true with the trend toward (casual) viewing/sharing photography on the home 52" HDTV rather than print.
When speaking with people one should respect "social distance." Photo prints and projections deserve the same distance respect. With sufficient distance the eye blends away many image micro problems.
DonP, Nuff philosophy crap get back to TRAVLR38's Question: View the reference below ... use flat view and start at the bottom, that is where programs are compared:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3549977#forum-post-52206033
Too often we view things of ordinary life thru a microscope, in the search of subtleties that are hard to perceive in casual viewing. This is especially true with the trend toward (casual) viewing/sharing photography on the home 52" HDTV rather than print.
When speaking with people one should respect "social distance." Photo prints and projections deserve the same distance respect. With sufficient distance the eye blends away many image micro problems.
DonP, Nuff philosophy crap get back to TRAVLR38's Question: View the reference below ... use flat view and start at the bottom, that is where programs are compared:
http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3549977#forum-post-52206033
Apr 18, 2015 07:04:26 #
dpullum wrote:
For me the best is Photo-Zoom Classic 5, because I... (show quote)
http://www.benvista.com/photozoomclassic
http://www.on1.com/products/resize9/
Apr 18, 2015 09:48:22 #
Apr 18, 2015 09:48:30 #
Apr 18, 2015 09:48:52 #
Apr 18, 2015 09:49:07 #
Apr 18, 2015 10:16:26 #
chemdoc wrote:
I am fairly new to Photoshop, but do have a subscription to CC14. I was reading a thread the other day that discussed increasing the number of pixels in a photo by resizing. Is this what you are referring to when you talk about enlarging an image? I would be interested to know what the process is that you use so I can try it myself. Thanks.
The number of pixels in a photo is determined by the camera's sensor. They all have a pixel rating. That number stays constant when enlarging a photo. They just become more spread out until the quality of the photo decreases noticeably. Eventually you can begin to pick out the individual pixels. You can't add more once the photo is taken. Cropping a photo decreases the number of pixels, since you are throwing away some of the photo and it's pixels. Enlarging it back to the original size will show degradation just as enlarging the original did, but at a smaller photo size. DPI and display resolution also affect image quality in regards to printing and viewing. The discussion you mention may have been in reference to image capture quality, which can be changed in most digital cameras.
Apr 18, 2015 10:23:14 #
TRAVLR38 wrote:
Hi to all. I have been taking pictures as an incre... (show quote)
I've never used Photozoom pro but can attest that Perfect Resize does an excellent job. It is the offspring of what was once called Genuine Fractals, and was an industry standard back in its day. I use it for large prints because I shoot with m43 cameras and while I get good sharp prints from the cameras up to 16x20, I prefer to use Perfect Resize when printing larger to retain maximum detail.
There is NO substitute for a long lens though. You always want to start with the best file you can get, and upres only when necessary.
Apr 19, 2015 05:35:49 #
LFingar wrote:
...The number of pixels in a photo is determined by the camera's sensor. They all have a pixel rating. That number stays constant when enlarging a photo. They just become more spread out until the quality of the photo decreases noticeably. Eventually you can begin to pick out the individual pixels. You can't add more once the photo is taken....
My understanding is that it is possible to increase the number of pixels in a digital image, using software that creates new ones with values in between the ones that came out of the camera. So you actually can '"add more once the photo is taken". This is one way of "enlarging a photo", and good software does it well, but not without some loss of quality, or not to the same quality as you would get if your lens and sensor gave you better resolution in the first place. You can also print a given number of pixels at different output sizes (another way of "enlarging a photo" ) . That is the situation in which the pixels "just become more spread out until the quality of the photo decreases noticeably".
I am very open to the possibility that my understanding is wholly wrong, and cheerfully await correction.
Apr 19, 2015 06:11:33 #
kencameron1949 wrote:
My understanding is that it is possible to increas... (show quote)
Can't argue with your understanding of how some software works. It seems entirely possible, but not something I have any experience with, or had even ever heard of before. If you are correct then I stand corrected!
Welcome to the Hog!
Apr 19, 2015 07:27:25 #
TRAVLR38 wrote:
1. I have been looking at Photo-Zoom Pro and Perfect Resize. Any ideas on which is better, or is there a third (or fourth choice)?
2. If these programs work as advertised, wouldn't they serve as a substitute for a large, heavy, expensive telephoto lens?
thanks in adviance for advice.
1. I have been looking at Photo-Zoom Pro and Perfect Resize. Any ideas on which is better, or is there a third (or fourth choice)?
2. If these programs work as advertised, wouldn't they serve as a substitute for a large, heavy, expensive telephoto lens?
thanks in adviance for advice.
Perfect Resize is the one I prefer. It does work better than the standard PhotoShop options. Sometimes I need to boost an image for a large poster or billboard and Perfect Resize may work. There is no substitute for a good telephoto lens. Enlarging software has to create pixels using various algorithms and sometimes the result is good and other times it is terrible.
I think it depends on the original image and what the final output format. There are a few threads on UHH that have examples of the use of enlarging software so I won't post examples here.
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