Even though I’ve watched videos and read reviews of Topaz products, I’ve never actually tried them, remaining faithful to my workflow and not venturing further. I like the software and see what it can do with my pictures, but feel safe with what I’m currently using. So, what can Topaz Photo AI bring that I haven’t been able to accomplish?
I’m writing this review from a completely newbie’s point of view when it comes to this software, so if you’re an existing user you can see things I could improve on or really disagree with. with my findings, but I will say that I am extremely impressed with it.
Don’t take my word for it because there is a free trial of the software above topaz . website for you to try with your own images. To save them you must activate the license, Once activated, Topaz Photo AI can be used on two computers as a plugin for Lightroom and Photoshop or as a standalone software and includes a year’s upgrade unlimited. With the Black Friday sale just around the corner, there’s a massive $299 off retail price, which means you only pay $159, including a 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee.
What is included in Photo AI?
Topaz makes various plug-ins and standalone software. What can Topaz Photo AI bring to your workflow?
- Remove noise, including raw files
- Sharpen
- face restoration
- Enhanced resolution
- high-class
They all do exactly what the name suggests and do them very, very well, in fact. For most of my initial testing with the software, I used the raw files of the Fujifilm X-T4 and can clearly see the difference. Results were never overdone or overripe thanks to the autopilot, however there was a significant improvement in overall image quality. I didn’t expect the quality of the upscaled images it produces. 
I also tested the Topaz Photo AI features on my phone photos and camera jpg files, and again it worked perfectly. So if you want to see how your images can be improved with these features then I will definitely give it a try.
Display
The interface is clean and uncomplicated, which is a good thing for new users like me. You can use any feature on or off depending on the outcome you’re after, and although I’ll be using this feature primarily for landscape photos, I’ve tried the face recovery option. For some faces with higher ISO or softer, it sharpens and improves them significantly. So far, I’ve only used the software as a standalone or through the Lightroom plugin using the plug-in’s File>Add-ons option, rather than the Edit In option. The software starts to act quickly, and after the AI analyzes your image, it will give you a preview for you to adjust as you see fit. I mainly use Autopilot mode with only minor adjustments here and there, because the results it gives are very good.
Autopilot mode is also configurable via the cog icon, and you can set different options depending on your usual genre of photography. I found this helpful. It’s a minimal and straightforward approach, although this can be easily changed to fit whatever your image requires.
Result
At first, I wondered how much this software could really improve captured images, but the results speak for themselves. Sometimes it can save some images that I normally skim through due to wind blur and other motion issues.
The details Topaz Photo AI is easy to extract and enhance from some images is surprising, as I don’t think it can achieve them. The softness of the road and buildings in the image below was easily corrected, allowing me to save images that I should have thrown away. This software isn’t an excuse to take bad photos, but it can certainly allow you to preserve photos in some cases that you probably won’t be able to take again.
As for myself, I don’t always want to produce extremely sharp images, but with the subtle improvements I’ve been able to apply with this software, I’m very pleased with the results it produces. create.
I don’t take a lot of astrophotography, but I remember I caught a glimpse of the aurora borealis while in Iceland this year, so what better way to test the noise reduction than with an image like this? Again, the software has reduced the noise. The image below is 100% enlarged to show you the difference it makes. Included in the collection are some screenshots to show you how much this software can improve your images.
what i like
- autopilot
- Clean interface
- Easy to use
- Improved correction visible in images
- Plugin or standalone
What can be improved
- Save speed on some images
Some images take longer to save back into Lightroom. I’m sure this is due to the complexity of the AI adjustments being made and not what prevents me from using the software, because the resulting images are worth it. This sometimes takes around 80 seconds for Nikon raw files, and isn’t an annoying amount of time I’ve experienced with some programs.
Different subjects
Really impressed with what Topaz Photo AI can do so easily with landscapes, I had to try it on some other subjects: crab images and architecture images, both of which are snapshots. fast but both are greatly improved with Topaz Photo AI. Autopilot scanned and analyzed the images relatively quickly and produced results that I am very pleased with considering the original images.
As I mentioned, I’ve been using this as a plugin through Lightroom and have therefore created a global retouch for the image. If using it as a Photoshop plugin, it can be used through layers and masks to locally correct or enhance areas in your image.
Inference
Since this is my first venture with software, I must say I am very impressed with Topaz Photo AI. I never encountered any irregularities or soft areas, even when I adjusted some sliders. Some images, depending on the complexity of the adjustments and the file size, will take a little longer to save back into Lightroom, but the results are definitely worth it. I have to admit I’m convinced by what I’ve seen so far and will be adding it to my workflow for future editing.
