How does Topaz Photo AI V2 compare to Lightroom Denoise AI? We decided to try again, this time with a direct RAW-to-RAW comparison.
Oooops!
Sometimes, we must admit that we don’t know everything about Lightroom, or, quite frankly, everything else in life.
In the last comparison article while using Lightroom Classic as a platform, I launched Topaz Photo AI by R-clicking on the RAW image, selecting “Edit in” and selecting “Topaz Photo AI.” The issue, which I noted in my previous article, was that I could not edit as a PSD or TNG file. I ended up selecting a TIFF file instead. While that has value, as a TIFF file is a full-resolution file, it’s not exactly the same as when you denoise RAW files.
Of course, I mentioned in my first article about Photo AI V2 that you could denoise a RAW file in stand-alone mode.
However, it is possible to launch Photo AI from Lightroom and still process the image as a RAW file. Here, I must give a tip of the hat to reader Jack DeMember, who wrote in the comments of my previous article that I could launch from File > Plug-In Extras > Process in Topaz Photo AI. And so I’ve learned one more way to access various apps from Lightroom! I appreciate any corrections and discussion, provided they are respectful.
What is Topaz Photo AI V2?
Photo AI is an image enhancement app that sharpens, reduces noise, and increases the resolution of your photos through machine learning. It works on either Mac or PC, as stand-alone software or in Lightroom Classic or Photoshop CC. It also supports RAW files as well as JPGs, TIFFs, and DNGs. You can refine your selection using masks, apply enhancements in layers, preserve text in photos, recover the detail in faces, and much more. And finally, it supports batch-processing.
The price is currently $199 and is not subscription-based. You will most likely be able to use the app for many years. Why do I say this? I purchased Topaz Star Effects in November 2013, initially using it with Photoshop CS6 using OS 10.7.5. Topaz Labs hasn’t made Star Effects in years. Despite that, it still works in Photoshop CC more than 10 years later. Seriously, how many companies do that?
Topaz also transferred it to my new email when I lost access to my previous email. Topaz, take a bow for creating apps with such longevity and providing solid customer service. This should never be overlooked.
We compared the noise reduction software in Topaz Photo AI v2.4.2 to Lightroom Classic Denoise AI v13.2. For the comparison, I selected a single exposure photo from Borrego Springs, CA in September 2015, using a Nikon D610 DSLR full frame camera at 20 seconds f/2.8 ISO 4000.
Comparison issues
Aside from me not knowing that you could edit RAW files while remaining in Lightroom, there are other challenges when making comparisons between denoising programs. Again, one of them is attempting to do any meaningful apples-to-apples comparison. As before, I attempted to “eyeball” more or less the same amount of denoising and the same amount of sharpening, trying to make them both look equally good. I used the same photo as last time to offer similar comparisons. There’s value in comparing the results in this article with the previous article, I hope.
Denoising with Lightroom Classic Denoise AI v13.2
I opened the RAW image in the Develop Module. Then, I selected 21 for denoising, as I tend to go easy on my denoising. I don’t like that plastic sort of look, and it’s easy to overdo it with any noise reduction software. After clicking okay, Lightroom processed the image for thirty seconds, also creating a new DNG file.
Denoising with Photo AI
Comparisons between Photo AI and Lightroom Classic at 300% magnification
Above: RAW on the left side, and Lightroom Classic Denoise AI set to 21 on the right side.
Above: RAW file on the left side, and Topaz Photo AI set at a Strength at 21 and Minor Deblurring at 36 on the right side.
Above: Lightroom Classic Denoise AI set to 21 on the left side, and Topaz Photo AI set at a Strength at 21 and Minor Deblurring at 36 on the right side.
Comparisons between Photo AI and Lightroom Classic at 400% magnification
Above: RAW on the left side, and Lightroom Classic Denoise AI set to 21 on the right side.
Above: RAW file on the left side, and Topaz Photo AI set at a Strength at 21 and Minor Deblurring at 36 on the right side.
Above: Lightroom Classic Denoise AI set to 21 on the left side, and Topaz Photo AI set at a Strength at 21 and Minor Deblurring at 36 on the right side.
Comparisons are difficult to see sometimes in these articles. However, we hope that by zooming in at 300% or 400%, you can sufficiently pixel-peep and really see what each program is doing. Let’s have a look at 400% magnification, zoomed in on the galactic core of the Milky Way this time.
After pixel-peeping, what is your opinion?
Thoughts while comparing Topaz Photo AI V2 with Lightroom Classic when reducing noise
From this one example, the noise reduction is different from the previous article, where I was comparing Photo AI denoising a TIFF file to Lightroom Denoise AI denoising a RAW file. How much of this is due to now comparing RAW files to RAW files, and how much of this is me dialing in the comparison so they are similar, it’s difficult to say. Because Topaz Photo AI uses a different model and it has different controls, I obviously compare the settings exactly, hence the reason I tried to “eyeball” it and make the settings look similar.
A contrast in contrast
Both programs denoise very well.
From this one comparison, it appears like Photo AI V2 denoises the sculpture a little better than Lightroom Denoise AI. This time, the contrast is about the same as the RAW file, while Lightroom has less contrast.
On the other hand, Lightroom seems to have addressed the color noise more effectively in the sky.
The denoising process in each is very simple to use. Lightroom offers only one slider. That’s it. Photo AI V2 offers the choice of models and a Minor Deblurring slider, offering more control, but it’s still very easy to use.
Photo AI V2 is slightly quicker than Lightroom’s Denoise AI. It took about five seconds on average to examine and determine various settings, then took five seconds to render the noise reduction for you to see. After that, it took another thirteen seconds to save, for a total of 23 seconds. Lightroom typically took about 30 seconds after pressing the Denoise button. And of course, it takes a second or two to instantiate as well.
For this particular photo, I prefer working with Topaz Photo AI V2 a little more. Why? It’s a bit faster and offers a few more parameters to tweak while still being simple. Also, I like the much larger window for seeing what the noise removal looks like. I also like that it’s not adding contrast or sharpening.
Either program allows you to increase or decrease contrast and sharpening easily afterwards, so this is not that large of an issue.
Are we comparing nanometers of difference?
We must bear in mind that we are pixel-peeping. No one is going to look at our photos at 300% or 400% magnification. It’s unlikely, if not impossible, for anyone to determine what noise reduction algorithm you are using when you post these on your website, and much less on Instagram. And it’s quite obvious that you can do really good work using either. Unless you are creating a large print and someone stands very close to it, I’m not sure that the minute differences between two solid kinds of noise reduction will matter as much as we think they do.
What I like about Photo AI specifically
Photo AI offers a good amount of denoising, which I love, so I feel like I can tweak the parameters a little more.
Additionally, it also analyzes the photo via Autopilot and automatically offers suggestions, which are often good enough on their own. This is not only for Remove Noise, but also Sharpen, and Subject. This can be especially useful for batch processing, novices, or people in a hurry. That said, I should point out that you may batch-process for noise and various other parameters in Lightroom Classic as well.
Using AI for denoising
Although I often stack my Milky Way photos to reduce noise, I have found that with more modern noise reduction tools such as the very capable one found in Photo AI V2, I feel increasingly comfortable taking single-exposure high-ISO photos. There’s a real immediacy and beauty to being able to take a single exposure photo knowing that with a few simple clicks, you can get rid of most or all of the noise and be able to create large prints. And there’s also the ability to take ten-year old photos taken with an APS-C sensor and revitalize the photos with modern denoising.
The bottom line in denoising programs
It’s great to have these various options. While we might all have our favorite denoising programs, I believe we can all agree that when various companies are in competition to create denoising, we as consumers all win. Each of them pushes the other to greater heights.
Gratuitous gallery of Milky Way photos of the amazing American Southwest, all needing a little TLC with some sort of denoising.
