Good evaluation. My tests confirm your findings, although in some cases the sharpening in DxO PureRAW may be a little harsh. My workflow is different. I manage my raw files in Photo Mechanic Plus. From there, it's raw converter -> ON1 Photo RAW or Affinity Photo (and various plugins). Use of Topaz Denoise AI requires a bit of finesse to get optimum results. However, even then DxO PureRAW does a better job.
Thanks for your comment. It is nice that Pure RAW can work with different workflows. Agree that DXO Pure RAW seems to do a better job than Denoise AI. It's great to have options!
I also had the problem with over-sharpen results at the beginning. But then I realized that the reason actually was because more sharpen was applied automatically by Capture One when I brought it back into my usual workflow. I just disabled that along with the automatic application of Denoise in Capture One and the results look pretty natural now, at least in my opinion. Another way to go is to actually use DXO PhotoLab instead where you have the benefit of being able to control both levels of Denoise and sharpen, among numerous other parameters as well. But it costs more!
Adobe products are laughable when it comes to demosaicing Canon RAWs, so it should not surprise anyone. You could also compare PureRAW with Canon's own software DPP, which does a much better job than LR at demosaicing, but still cannot cope with that amount of noise which PureRAW tackles effortlessly.
Have you tried editing your Canon files in Capture One? I’m super happy with how C1 handles my Nikon files. I’m not talking about the Denoise function, but rendering the raw in general.
I just purchased it and tried my first few noisy photos. I was extremely satisfied!
I’ve seen 5-6 reviews of PureRaw and this was the first one that convinced me to buy it. Thanks.
Really cool man. And yeah, Topaz screwed up every photo I put through it. All out of focus areas were blotchy and ugly.
Great info, Keith!
Thanks Steve. Pretty cool technology. Not for every shot, but worth the extra effort (very small) for some!
Good evaluation. My tests confirm your findings, although in some cases the sharpening in DxO PureRAW may be a little harsh. My workflow is different. I manage my raw files in Photo Mechanic Plus. From there, it's raw converter -> ON1 Photo RAW or Affinity Photo (and various plugins). Use of Topaz Denoise AI requires a bit of finesse to get optimum results. However, even then DxO PureRAW does a better job.
Thanks for your comment. It is nice that Pure RAW can work with different workflows. Agree that DXO Pure RAW seems to do a better job than Denoise AI. It's great to have options!
I also had the problem with over-sharpen results at the beginning. But then I realized that the reason actually was because more sharpen was applied automatically by Capture One when I brought it back into my usual workflow. I just disabled that along with the automatic application of Denoise in Capture One and the results look pretty natural now, at least in my opinion.
Another way to go is to actually use DXO PhotoLab instead where you have the benefit of being able to control both levels of Denoise and sharpen, among numerous other parameters as well. But it costs more!
Adobe products are laughable when it comes to demosaicing Canon RAWs, so it should not surprise anyone. You could also compare PureRAW with Canon's own software DPP, which does a much better job than LR at demosaicing, but still cannot cope with that amount of noise which PureRAW tackles effortlessly.
Have you tried editing your Canon files in Capture One? I’m super happy with how C1 handles my Nikon files. I’m not talking about the Denoise function, but rendering the raw in general.
Tried it on several pics. Topaz Studio 2s "Clear AI" does a better job.