Topaz Adjust and Detail - DPChallenge Forums

Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

01/18/2011 09:51:40 AM · #1

Just curious from those who have Topaz Labs software, how they find Adjust and Detail, and also how big a difference is there between these two products.

I've looked online at the main website, and others, and it seems these two products have a great deal of overlap. Adjust is maybe geared towards more HDR-like pictures, whereas Detail does a lot of sharpening adjustments. But other than that, they both look to be able to do a lot of global color manipulation/saturations etc.

Anyone who has these products, can you set me right please?

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/18/2011 10:00:15 AM · #2

Topaz Detail is much more subtle and precise than Topaz Adjust. You can control "amount" and "boost" of detail in 3 different "zones"; small, medium, and large. This is extremely useful. Also, with Topaz Detail you have "tone sliders" that are worth their weight in gold; they adjust the relative brightness (NOT saturation) along 3 separate continua: Magenta-Green, Yellow-Blue, and Red-Cyan. This allows wonderfully precise balancing of the tonal range of the image after its local-area-contrast has been manipulated.

Now that I have Detail, I rarely use Adjust; when I'm working on images that need attacking with a more HDR-like approach, I gravitate now towards tone mapping a single exposure with Nik HDR Efex Pro. One thing I've noticed, however, is that for some reason Topaz Adjust seems to work much better with crop-sensor images than it does on my full-frame, Canon 5D images; I think it has something to do with the extremely fine level of detail in the FF files...

R.

Yo_Spiff

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Olympus 12-100mm f/4.0 M.Zuiko ED IS PRO

01/18/2011 10:32:37 AM · #3

I use Adjust on most of my images. Over time I have taken to using it in a more subtle manner. I mostly use the "Photo pop" preset and a custom preset I call "spicify extra lite". I often add to it with PaintShop Pro's clarify adjustment, which is also a form of tonemapping, but still behaves a little differently. I find modest amounts of several kinds of adjustments are usually more effective.

I find I tend to use Topaz detail mostly for the color tweaking and highlight recovery features.

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

with Topaz Detail you have "tone sliders" that are worth their weight in gold; they adjust the relative brightness (NOT saturation) along 3 separate continua: Magenta-Green, Yellow-Blue, and Red-Cyan. This allows wonderfully precise balancing of the tonal range of the image after its local-area-contrast has been manipulated.

AHA! I knew there was something different about the way it adjusted colors and why I was gravitating towards it so much. Thanks for the enlightenment.

Message edited by author 2011-01-18 10:33:09.

NeVeRyn

Canon EOS-40D

Tamron SP AF 90mm f/2.8 Di for Canon

01/18/2011 10:48:31 AM · #4

The whole kit was on sale just before Christmas so I bought the set... Detail is more about micro-contrasts and defining the image where adjust works with dynamic exposure and saturation adjustments. While there is overlap in there general function and results - they each have their own niche for specific functions. Detail works wonders for bringing out the (surprise!) detail within the image, highlighting or hiding subtle differences in various scales. Adjust works wonders in balancing or enhancing lighting, color and saturation in an image. Detail works more closely with the image itself where Adjust works with areas on the image. They are both great add-ons - though the abilities of Denoise and Infocus really made the whole package the better value to me.

Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

01/18/2011 11:10:41 AM · #5

Do either of them do local edits (ie. like the adjustment brush in LR3), or are all the changes on a global scale?

NiallOTuama

Google Pixel 2

01/18/2011 11:11:23 AM · #6

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

I first used use adjust all the time. But now I only use it when I want to have 'fun' with a shot. Detail has become an elemental feature of my work flow. I rarely edit without it, to be honest.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/18/2011 11:20:37 AM · #7

Originally posted by gcoulson:

Do either of them do local edits (ie. like the adjustment brush in LR3), or are all the changes on a global scale?

You need to mask your selection area, before or after the fact, in photoshop or another editor. I'll typically create a duplicate layer, Topaz that, then install a layer mask and paint out whatever I don't want detailed. It's pretty quick.

R.

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

01/18/2011 11:28:33 AM · #8

I have both -- but I use adjust more than detail. Perhaps because detail crashes more often and takes more time to open. I just like the results of adjust -- clarity better than most things I come up with in detail.

Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

01/18/2011 11:32:59 AM · #9

Originally posted by vawendy:

Oh dear, I dont have PS or PSE, just LR3. Suspect it'll all be global edits for me then.

Bear_Music

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

01/18/2011 11:45:35 AM · #10

Originally posted by gcoulson:

Oh dear, I dont have PS or PSE, just LR3. Suspect it'll all be global edits for me then.

LR3 allows local adjustments, surely? You can use it to fade out unwanted areas of topaz effects?

R.

01/18/2011 11:50:32 AM · #11

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by gcoulson:

Oh dear, I dont have PS or PSE, just LR3. Suspect it'll all be global edits for me then.

LR3 allows local adjustments, surely? You can use it to fade out unwanted areas of topaz effects?

R.

It does allow local adjustments, but it doesn't do layers...so I wouldnt know how you can (IF you can?) overlay a Topaz-modified image onto the original and then erase out the effects you dont want.

Maybe someone with LR3 can chime in?

NiallOTuama

Google Pixel 2

01/18/2011 12:01:39 PM · #12

Originally posted by gcoulson:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by gcoulson:

Oh dear, I dont have PS or PSE, just LR3. Suspect it'll all be global edits for me then.

LR3 allows local adjustments, surely? You can use it to fade out unwanted areas of topaz effects?

R.

It does allow local adjustments, but it doesn't do layers...so I wouldnt know how you can (IF you can?) overlay a Topaz-modified image onto the original and then erase out the effects you dont want.

Maybe someone with LR3 can chime in?

OnOne software has promised some layer-in-lightroom plugins.
//www.ononesoftware.com/products/perfect-layers/
Early 2011 they say.