ruthenium
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 p.1 #4 · Topaz Gigapixal vs Topaz Photo Upscale | |
What you mentioned above is somewhat confusing.
I have Topaz Photo AI 4.0.4, but I am not familiar with their new subscription-only successor to Photo AI, that they now call Topaz Photo. The latter is not available for a free trial (to the best of my knowledge); thus, I don't know how the new Topaz Photo is different from Topaz Photo AI, although I strongly suspect that the differences can be mostly "cosmetic".
With the above disclaimer, my experience was that Topaz Gigapixel worked very much like the "Upscale" tool of Topaz Photo AI. Furthermore, Topaz Gigapixel looked like the Upscale module taken from Photo AI and offered as a standalone app.
The following does not sound right to me: quote, "Upscale is somewhat equivalent to Gigapixel minus some detail, denoise, sharpen, etc, and is designed specifically for enlargement, restoration, details, according to Topaz." In my experience, Gigapixel and the Upscale tool in Photo AI work essentially the same way. They both refine details (sharpen, in effect) and do some denoising as integral adjustments that happen during the upscale process. Thus, Upscale in Photo AI (and most likely in Topaz Photo) is not merely "somewhat equivalent to Gigapixel." In my experience the two were essentially identical in what they did.
I don't know what the following means: "Photo upscale is one of several features that are not part of Gigapixel, like wow, face recovery, etc." Note that Face recovery is a tool in Topaz Photo/Photo AI, but this tool is not part of the Upscale tool - these are two different tools.
In general, Topaz Photo AI/Photo are collections of tools (Sharpen, Denoise, Remove, Upscale, and several others). These tools are a mixed bag. Only few of these tools work well and reliably, without introducing artifacts. Upscale is one. I also find Remove tool to be useful when it is needed. Everything else is open to luck and chance, meaning that the effects can be unpredictable, sometimes unbelievably ugly and accompanied by prominent artifacts.
I have followed the development of the current Topaz software products until recently, and I have formed a certain opinion about the software developers at Topaz. They pursue the development of new tools and features, yet too often the results give the impression of inadequate performance in practice. I find the current subscription costs to be ridiculously high for what Topaz is offering. I am willing to give my money to companies like DxO or Capture One, but I am not subscribing to Topaz.
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Oh well I guess "upgrades" are whatever they say they are or aren't.