Topaz Labs released a new version of Sharpen AI. This update includes batch processing capabilities and the ability to selectively apply or remove the sharpening treatment to certain areas in your image. Topaz Labs is also launching a special sale: Sharpen AI will be on sale for $59.99 (regularly $79.99) until April 3. Here is my experience with Topaz Labs Sharpen AI:
I have always had a hard time correctly focusing fast manual lenses. My hit rate wide open is about 50%. With the latest developments in image processing and AI, I started experimenting with different tools that can fix blurry images in post-production. The first tool I used is the new Topaz Labs Sharpen AI that was announced a few weeks ago (you can get a 30-day free trial). Here are some of the results I got – I worked with the original DNG file directly in Topaz Labs Sharpen AI and I did a JPG export without any additional editing. For comparison, I also generated a JPG file in Lightroom without any modifications (click for larger view):
All of the above images are cropped for better comparison. The full-size JPG files can be found on Flickr.
My main complaint about Topaz Labs Sharpen AI is the processing time – I have an 8 core iMac Pro with 64 GB of RAM and it still takes a while to process each action (usually over 1 minute when working with the original DNG file).
To get a better understanding of the product, here are the instructions from Topaz Labs Sharpen AI (click for larger view):
Topaz Labs just released Gigapixel AI 4.0 – this is another machine-learning enlargement software solution (existing customers can update for free, for new users Topaz is offering $20 off until April 1st):
