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Re: [OM] Focus Magic

Subject: Re: [OM] Focus Magic
From: Chris Barker <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2019 10:49:42 +0100
In Capture One I find myself using much more of the Clarity sliders than 
Sharpening ones.  I think that it’s a LCE adjustment, but the result is more 
pleasing lighting as well as sharpness (apparent, I’m sure).

This example has +34 of Clarity and Structure sliders applied, for instance:

https://show.cbimages.uk/Photography/Blipfoto/i-kk2rzN6/A

I am probably less discerning than some on the List, but it works well for me, 
as in this example as well:

https://show.cbimages.uk/Photography/Blipfoto/i-zNGBtxT/A

Chris



> On 17 Sep 2019, at 22:00, Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> On 9/17/2019 1:57 PM, Tina Manley wrote:
>> PESO:
>> 
>> I recently had to reinstall Windows 10 and all of my Photoshop plug-ins had
>> to be reinstalled, too.  The only one I've had problems with is Focus Magic
>> which I use a lot.  I get a runtime error:
>> Runtime Error (at 5:198):
>> Internal Error: Failed to expand shell folder constant "userdocs"
>> 
>> The software company is no help just saying that they've never seen that
>> error before and have no suggestions.  I'm tired of messing with it and
>> started looking for a similar program.  I downloaded SmartDeblur but it is
>> awful and nothing like Focus Magic.
> 
> It's important, well, useful, to understand the differences in these programs.
> 
> 1. The vast majority of sharpening programs/apps use UnSharp Mask, a 
> technique inherited from film, where it was a physical technique. While 
> powerful and useful in some ways, unsophisticated applications easily lead to 
> troublesome artifacts. I have not used an USM for sharpening for a long time.
> 
> 2. Deconvolution is another approach to sharpening that works by recreating 
> detail lost in the aberrations on the lens. There are quite a few specialized 
> versions that work from knowledge of the characteristics of specific lenses.
> 
> Canon does that in their Raw conversion program. DPP. Some speculate that DxO 
> uses deconvolution in their sharpening.
> 
> The only generalized versions that I know are Focus Magic and Topaz InFocus. 
> I did this comparison for another purpose, but it does provide some idea that 
> Topaz IF will do pretty much what FM does, albeit with a different interface 
> and settings. 
> <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/Focus_Magic/_B003950fpACRvsPlugin.htm
>  
> <http://www.moosemystic.net/Gallery/tech/Focus_Magic/_B003950fpACRvsPlugin.htm>>
> 
> 3. The newest approach is AI, in the form of a trained neural network. Topaz 
> Sharpen AI does this. It's both almost magic, and frustrating.
> 
> Like other Topaz AI products, when it works, which is most of the time, it is 
> head and shoulders above anything else I've seen. Also like their other AI 
> apps, where it doesn't "understand" the subject, or some part of it, it can 
> fail. I've also had an image where it didn't do anything obviously wrong, but 
> it wasn't as nice a result as FM.
> 
> It is also a machine eater, taking what seems forever to do a whole frame. 
> Because it's slow, even at showing previews, getting to know the settings is 
> also slow.
> 
> How Sharp Moose

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