Sep 17, 2012, 04:56
I did not yet spend a lot of time on this package, so this is my initial impression - I may take things back. I tend to compare the pack with NIK, which I know well.
1) The speed is off-putting and this is the first thing you notice. Each time you touch a slider, horizontal bar showing the progress of processing while the new image is being generated. It is usually only a few seconds, but it disrupts my concentration and I find it off-putting.
2) The context sensitive brush seems to work really well for not too complicated situations (did not try it with hair or sparse tree line on a horizon etc.).
3) The interface seems logical and intuitive enough for me, although names for some adjustments do not mean anything to me and the effect is not obvious even when the slider is displaced all the way to the right.
4) The toggle switch between the previous version and modified version does not indicate clearly enough what image you are in.
5) I was impressed by the breadth of the pack. Many features of NIK are also available in Topaz. I can not make any real comparison there yet. In addition, Topaz has some features not available in NIK. These are mostly "artistic" filters. Some are a bit gimmicky, like adding stars to highlights, adding highlights and lens flair, but others have potential uses (simplify)
Overall a useful software and worth having but the speed is a big issue. I think I will continue to use NIK as a frontline software, but I am likely to dip into Topaz for some special effects.
1) The speed is off-putting and this is the first thing you notice. Each time you touch a slider, horizontal bar showing the progress of processing while the new image is being generated. It is usually only a few seconds, but it disrupts my concentration and I find it off-putting.
2) The context sensitive brush seems to work really well for not too complicated situations (did not try it with hair or sparse tree line on a horizon etc.).
3) The interface seems logical and intuitive enough for me, although names for some adjustments do not mean anything to me and the effect is not obvious even when the slider is displaced all the way to the right.
4) The toggle switch between the previous version and modified version does not indicate clearly enough what image you are in.
5) I was impressed by the breadth of the pack. Many features of NIK are also available in Topaz. I can not make any real comparison there yet. In addition, Topaz has some features not available in NIK. These are mostly "artistic" filters. Some are a bit gimmicky, like adding stars to highlights, adding highlights and lens flair, but others have potential uses (simplify)
Overall a useful software and worth having but the speed is a big issue. I think I will continue to use NIK as a frontline software, but I am likely to dip into Topaz for some special effects.
Please see my photos at http://mullerpavel.smugmug.com (fewer, better image quality, not updated lately)
or at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pavel_photophile2008/ (all photos)
