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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> USM for Dummies
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 06/26/2005 11:52:53 AM · #1
Could someone direct me to a good place to learn more about USM? I'm new to SLR photography, and I see the term bandied about all over the place. Just today someone commented "nothing a little USM couldn't take care of" on one of my forum posts, and I feel like an idiot: I have no idea what this means. I thought USM was a Canon AF motor type.
 06/26/2005 11:54:45 AM · #2
USM is Un Sharp Mask used in Photoshop to sharpen images..do a search on google
 06/26/2005 12:01:38 PM · #3
i often use the high-pass sharpening technique. in photoshop: duplicate current layer then Filter>Other>High Pass, with a radius of 10 and then set that layer's blending mode to Hard Light and then adjust opacity. High pass sharpening tends to do a good job of sharpening without boosting noise levels
 06/26/2005 12:10:56 PM · #4
Originally posted by longlivenyhc:
i often use the high-pass sharpening technique. in photoshop: duplicate current layer then Filter>Other>High Pass, with a radius of 10 and then set that layer's blending mode to Hard Light and then adjust opacity. High pass sharpening tends to do a good job of sharpening without boosting noise levels


Wow. Just did a test run on some of my photos with that technique. Works bloody well. I'll be using this one alot. Thanks, mate!
 06/26/2005 12:10:59 PM · #5
Unsharp mask... duh!! I'm very familiar with it... never referred to it as USM before, although that's a heck of a lot easier ;-)
 06/26/2005 12:12:12 PM · #6
lol
Too many darn TLAs all over the place! ;o)
 06/26/2005 12:15:12 PM · #7
Originally posted by Uusilehto:
Originally posted by longlivenyhc:
i often use the high-pass sharpening technique. in photoshop: duplicate current layer then Filter>Other>High Pass, with a radius of 10 and then set that layer's blending mode to Hard Light and then adjust opacity. High pass sharpening tends to do a good job of sharpening without boosting noise levels


Wow. Just did a test run on some of my photos with that technique. Works bloody well. I'll be using this one alot. Thanks, mate!


no prob, just repeating what i learned a while back from this place. i take no credit for the technique.
 06/26/2005 12:15:54 PM · #8
longlivenyhc's high pass technique is excellent advice. What I love about this particular technique is that it essentially gives you a sharpening adjustment layer. You can just modify the opacity at any time to regulate the apparent sharpness.

Thanks all for the great info/advice.
 06/26/2005 12:32:44 PM · #9
Please remember that the High-Pass sharpening technique (and many variations) and NOT legal for Basic Editing challenges, since they use blending modes other than the "Normal" setting.

The "regular" Unsharp Mask filter can be used, with or without applying the "Fade" function afterwards.
 06/26/2005 12:40:37 PM · #10
a good explanation
 06/26/2005 12:44:18 PM · #11
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Please remember that the High-Pass sharpening technique (and many variations) and NOT legal for Basic Editing challenges, since they use blending modes other than the "Normal" setting.


Yeah.. Shame really. But whaddyagonnado. Is it allowed in Adv. Editing?

edit: Typo

Message edited by author 2005-06-26 12:44:58.
 06/26/2005 12:48:03 PM · #12
Yes, high-pass sharpening should be OK for Advanced Editing.
 06/26/2005 01:11:45 PM · #13
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Yes, high-pass sharpening should be OK for Advanced Editing.


yeah, shame about the basic editing challenges, but i still love it.
 06/26/2005 02:09:50 PM · #14
USM is, of course also Canon's sub-brand for Ultra Sonic Motor used in their higher end lenses for speed and quiet operation.

Essentially electric current causes oscillations in a piezo-electric ceramic which in tern grip eachother and move passed each other. This is in contrast to a classic electric motor with coils and magnets which have less torque, take time to start and stop and are noisy.

Bye!
 06/26/2005 02:16:58 PM · #15
Originally posted by RichT8496:
USM is, of course also Canon's sub-brand for Ultra Sonic Motor used in their higher end lenses for speed and quiet operation.

Essentially electric current causes oscillations in a piezo-electric ceramic which in tern grip eachother and move passed each other.

This sounds remarkably similar to the mechanism whereby interlocking protein molecules bring about muscular contraction.
 06/27/2005 03:55:50 AM · #16
Originally posted by GeneralE:
[quote=RichT8496]
This sounds remarkably similar to the mechanism whereby interlocking protein molecules bring about muscular contraction.


eerrm...Indeed!
 06/27/2005 08:52:28 AM · #17
Is there anyone who has a good understanding of USM (the PS type) who would be willing to write a little tutorial on it. Potential subjects of that tutorial:
- different types of USM for people, landscapes, architecture etc.
- what does changing amount, range and theshold do and what are "good" values
- some input on "local contrast USM"
- what does the "fade USM" thing do different setting (normal, hard light etc)
- what is legal in Basic challenge and what not. Same with adv.editing.

I nominate BradP and Librodo
 06/27/2005 09:15:57 AM · #18
Originally posted by Uusilehto:
Originally posted by longlivenyhc:
i often use the high-pass sharpening technique. in photoshop: duplicate current layer then Filter>Other>High Pass, with a radius of 10 and then set that layer's blending mode to Hard Light and then adjust opacity. High pass sharpening tends to do a good job of sharpening without boosting noise levels


Wow. Just did a test run on some of my photos with that technique. Works bloody well. I'll be using this one alot. Thanks, mate!


As pointed out high-pass is not allowed in basic challenges. Also, layers other than adjustment layers are not allowed and the blending mode must be normal.

All is legal for advanced.
 06/27/2005 09:23:23 AM · #19
Originally posted by longlivenyhc:
i often use the high-pass sharpening technique. in photoshop: duplicate current layer then Filter>Other>High Pass, with a radius of 10 and then set that layer's blending mode to Hard Light and then adjust opacity. High pass sharpening tends to do a good job of sharpening without boosting noise levels


I've gotten fairly good at using USM. Tweak here and there to get what
I want without sacrificing quality. But doing this is simply amazing!!
I wish I would have known about this from the onset!
06/27/2005 09:47:43 AM · #20
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by RichT8496:
USM is, of course also Canon's sub-brand for Ultra Sonic Motor used in their higher end lenses for speed and quiet operation.

Essentially electric current causes oscillations in a piezo-electric ceramic which in tern grip eachother and move passed each other.

This sounds remarkably similar to the mechanism whereby interlocking protein molecules bring about muscular contraction.


Funnily enough, those mechanistically similar protein molecules in muscles, when attached to your human eye lens, give you a similar end result too! And dead quiet too....
 06/27/2005 09:49:06 AM · #21
I need to try this
 06/27/2005 12:28:42 PM · #22
Originally posted by Gauti:
Is there anyone who has a good understanding of USM (the PS type) who would be willing to write a little tutorial on it. Potential subjects of that tutorial:
- different types of USM for people, landscapes, architecture etc.
- what does changing amount, range and theshold do and what are "good" values
- some input on "local contrast USM"
- what does the "fade USM" thing do different setting (normal, hard light etc)
- what is legal in Basic challenge and what not. Same with adv.editing.

I nominate BradP and Librodo

Tutorial.

Also, I'm moving the thread to the "Tips and Tricks" category -- no one will find it in "Hardware."
 10/23/2005 06:34:28 AM · #23
Great USM explantion.
 10/23/2005 09:53:40 AM · #24
Here are two questions I don't see answered here or in the tutorial.

1. Usually you hear that USM is done as a final step in the workflow. So the question I have is do people do it before or after resizing? Clearly I have seen advantages to USM after resizing - and that is what the tutorial on challenge submissions suggests.

2. In the recent personification challenge I found I had to trade sharpening against picking up some artifacts. The image did well - my best yet in fact - tnx for the votes.



When I submitted it I felt it needed more sharpening, but did not find a satisfactory way to do it with out picking up too much noise. That "hair" was really Poison Ivy branches. It was those branches where the noise would show up - especially the branches in the doorway with the dark background. I would have liked more sharpening of the wood on the shed and one of the commenters wanted more sharpening of the grass. So the question I have is: is there a way to do that without getting the noise elsewhere?
 10/23/2005 01:09:41 PM · #25
Originally posted by fotoshootme:
USM is Un Sharp Mask used in Photoshop to sharpen images..do a search on google


Unsharp Mask is not a Photoshop exclusive. The same is used in Paint Shop Pro since version 7, and probably in many other photo editing programs.
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