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02/07/2012 04:40:18 PM · #1 |
| Alright guys, I recently started using the TOPAZ bundle to assist me with editing. Overall it has been an awesome experience. . .but it seems that most of their effects come with the penalty of adding a ton of grain. Is anyone else having this issue, or am I being tarded? I know that lighting up a darkened scene creates noise, and if it were just this I would be fine. . .but many of the effects seem to create a wall of static that reduces the quality of the shots. Almost thinking of saying screw it and trying to manage it all in CS5. . .but Topaz saves so much time I would like to use it. Hmmmmm. |
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02/07/2012 04:44:40 PM · #2 |
| On a lot of the effects there is a group of adjustments you can make (over on the right-hand side). You may have to "toggle" it to see them via a little triangle arrow. Grain is one of the adjustments on quite a few and by default I've noticed that it's not set to zero. Sorry, can't pull the software up at the moment to be more specific. |
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02/07/2012 04:49:25 PM · #3 |
| Look at the tutorials and get a better understanding of what each slider does. The presets are ok but they all tend to be on the extreme end and will need tweaking before you have an image you are happy with. |
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02/07/2012 04:50:46 PM · #4 |
Try turning off the "details" section sliders. That seems to take a lot of the adjustments too far over the top for my taste, so I use the details slider sparingly.
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02/07/2012 05:12:31 PM · #5 |
For Topaz Adjust 5 and B&W Effects (both have adaptive exposure), make sure to use the "Process Detail Independently" check box. After that, you can up the detail slider to get a much more natural look.
If your images are starting out with some grain, run them though Topaz DeNoise first to get a crisp image to start with. |
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02/07/2012 05:54:11 PM · #6 |
| Thanks for the help guys. . .I will try all of your selections. . .but giantmike, one question. I am using Adjust 4.1 (I think). Does this also have the Process Detail independently option? |
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02/07/2012 06:39:03 PM · #7 |
| Is this why my preview screen always looks super granulated??? Or is that a standard issue as well? |
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02/07/2012 06:47:47 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by crowis:
Thanks for the help guys. . .I will try all of your selections. . .but giantmike, one question. I am using Adjust 4.1 (I think). Does this also have the Process Detail independently option? |
Indeed it does. I think it's hiding under the Detail section below all of the sliders. |
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02/07/2012 07:36:49 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by crowis:
Thanks for the help guys. . .I will try all of your selections. . .but giantmike, one question. I am using Adjust 4.1 (I think). Does this also have the Process Detail independently option? |
Since all upgrades have been/are free, why don't you just upgrade to Adjust 5? |
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02/07/2012 09:02:52 PM · #10 |
In general, I've found the way that Topaz works just introduces noise. It's way worse in my LX3 shots, and I haven't a clue why. It's not just that the LX3 has more noise, as it sorta creates a weird texture. I just am careful about it's use.
Also, my preview screen ALWAYS looks way noisier than the end product. |
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02/07/2012 09:10:50 PM · #11 |
| I used topaz with my 40D all the time. No problem. When I went to the 7D, every time I topaz, I topaz denoise first. I can't seem to topaz without it without getting too much extra noise. |
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02/07/2012 10:26:50 PM · #12 |
The sharper and more precise your "native noise" is, the more of an issue it is with Topaz. Topaz got a LOT harder to use when I went from 20D to 5D, and harder still when I went to 5D2. I don't like the way it works with 7D at ALL. I rarely use Topaz Adjust anymore; I find all this is much easier to control with Topaz Detail, but I'm mostly using Nik now anyway, where this seems to be a more controllable problem.
Basically (not sure if anyone's mentioned this) what's happening is that the local-area contrast (the "detail") is interpreting camera noise/grain structure as structure that needs to be amplified, and going to town on it.
LX3, incidentally, has a very crisp noise pattern so it's also a difficult fit with Topaz. The little Sony DSC we have works more easily with Adjust.
R.
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02/08/2012 07:19:23 AM · #13 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
The sharper and more precise your "native noise" is, the more of an issue it is with Topaz. Topaz got a LOT harder to use when I went from 20D to 5D, and harder still when I went to 5D2. I don't like the way it works with 7D at ALL. I rarely use Topaz Adjust anymore; I find all this is much easier to control with Topaz Detail, but I'm mostly using Nik now anyway, where this seems to be a more controllable problem.
Basically (not sure if anyone's mentioned this) what's happening is that the local-area contrast (the "detail") is interpreting camera noise/grain structure as structure that needs to be amplified, and going to town on it.
LX3, incidentally, has a very crisp noise pattern so it's also a difficult fit with Topaz. The little Sony DSC we have works more easily with Adjust.
R. |
i concur, i used to use it quite a bit when i still had my XS. ever since i got the 60D i dont use it [topaz adjust] hardly ever. sometimes i'll see what it can do, but for the most part, yes, the noise is unacceptable to me. |
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02/08/2012 07:35:16 AM · #14 |
I was going to write something very similar to this, but I'll quote and add a few complementary notes:
I have the 20D which is very good for noise. However, settings I used for bright images taken at ISO 100 are no where near acceptable for darker images at ISO 3200 primarily because the noise becomes the detail TOPAZ reveals.
Keep in mind, Topaz isn't adding anything to your image, it is enhancing what is already there. In my workflow, the first step I take is to carefully adjust the noise that is in the original image first. DeNoise has some view filters to assist. You can always add a contrast layer to help "see" the noise better. Reduce noise and Topaz will work better.
A second note is on that of Adjust and Detail. Adjust is like using a chainsaw on your block of ice that you are trying to carve. Detail is like the small chisels you use to make it look very nice. Detail allows more direct fine control over the fine, medium, and large details. Adjust does all that (with a little less control) and then adds other features such as adaptive exposure, etc. Often, you'll find that Topaz detail will give you the photo "pop" results you want.
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
The sharper and more precise your "native noise" is, the more of an issue it is with Topaz. Topaz got a LOT harder to use when I went from 20D to 5D, and harder still when I went to 5D2. I don't like the way it works with 7D at ALL. I rarely use Topaz Adjust anymore; I find all this is much easier to control with Topaz Detail, but I'm mostly using Nik now anyway, where this seems to be a more controllable problem.
Basically (not sure if anyone's mentioned this) what's happening is that the local-area contrast (the "detail") is interpreting camera noise/grain structure as structure that needs to be amplified, and going to town on it.
LX3, incidentally, has a very crisp noise pattern so it's also a difficult fit with Topaz. The little Sony DSC we have works more easily with Adjust.
ETA:
Don't use Topaz as a button click option for making a photo look better. Use it as a TOOL to understand what detail is in your image. Run the sliders to extreme so you know what is in the photo and what it is capable of displaying (which could also be noise). Then, based on how you mapped the image in your mind, set the final sliders.
R. |
Message edited by author 2012-02-08 07:37:25. |
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