Luminar Noiseless AI vs Topaz Denoise AI - Which is BETTER? 

In this tutorial, I compare Topaz Labs Denoise AI and Luminar Neo's Noiseless AI. Noiseless AI is an extension of Luminar Neo. For more information about Neo and Noiseless AI, click on the link below: bit.ly/2JUJxKw (Save with the Promo Code morganti-neo) For more information about Topaz Denoise AI, click on the link below and scroll down to the section on Denoise: bit.ly/3cDqa5J Please help support my channel - consider purchasing my Lightroom Presets: www.anthonymorganti.com/ YOU can help me help others learn photography. You can quickly offer your support here where I receive 100% of your kind gift: ko-fi.com/anthonymorganti You can change the default amount to the amount you'd like to donate. ** I am an affiliate for all companies mentioned here, EXCEPT Affinity Photo. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement: onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/ Anthony Morganti’s MUST HAVE applications: At least one Non-Destructive RAW Editor Lightroom - bit.ly/2zwQ0nW Luminar - bit.ly/2JUJxKw (Save with the Promo Code morganti-neo) On1 Photo RAW - on1.sjv.io/EaGR2K (Save 20% with Promo Code: AM20) PhotoLab 5: tidd.ly/2HhiN9X At least one FULL Editing App: Photoshop - bit.ly/2zwQ0nW Affinity Photo - affinity.serif.com/en-us/photo/ My MUST-HAVE Plugins: Topaz Gigapixel AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J Topaz Sharpen AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J Topaz Denoise AI - bit.ly/3cDqa5J Instead of Topaz Denoise AI: On1 NoNoise AI - on1.sjv.io/EaGR2K (Save 20% with Promo Code: AM20 - May not work on sale product) Nik Silver Efex Pro 3 - tidd.ly/3dc4gYm The Best Sky Images I've Seen Available -- Ocudrone - bit.ly/3vtDpjR *Save 10% with Discount Code: Morganti10 ** Note that the promo codes listed above may not work on sale products. *** I am an affiliate for all companies listed EXCEPT Affinity Photo. Please read my Code of Ethics Statement: onlinephotographytraining.com/code-of-ethics/ Please follow me on Instagram: instagram.com/anthonymorganti/ Thank you!

OMG! Finally. FINALLY! A head-to-head, comparison video of photo editing tools that isn't just Auto This vs Auto That, but with an effort to actually USE the features of the different programs to get the most out of each piece of software. A Human Being deciding what levels of which sliders work 'best', using NI (Natural Intelligence). And then, a discussion with useful, informed comments on the differences between the results, plus UI, performance, etc.. I normally visit YT without logging in, but just had to dig up my UN & PW to tell you how much at least this one guy appreciates the approach and extra time & effort that went into it. GOOD JOB. Keep up the good work. and while I'm logged in, I'm :"snashin' that like button". :-) --dan

Thank you. Lots of good comments already, so I will just say that I would like to see future comparisons using the same pictures, because I believe that will give us the best way to evaluate everything head to head.

Thanks for the comparison video! I thought both did good but Topaz did the overall best IMHO. I am keeping in mind that you were zooming in considerably but at 100% I thought both looked fine. More and more I think a little bit of noise adds almost a film grain look if it is correctly reeled in so I don't need an app to completely eliminate it. Overall, I have to say I am disappointed with Luminar Neo in general. It kind of works but on so many of my files it produces inferior results compared to Lightroom and Capture One. So my eyes are looking to On1 2023 coming up rather than spending the money for the expensive Neo extensions.

Did you remove all sharpening before sending to Topaz? I use it (or the new Photo AI that includes it) and you'll get the artefacts if you let LRC sharpen, but if you take all sharpening out you get the best result and can always sharpen after if you need to

The biggest issue I have with NEO Noiseless AI, and it's an absolute show stopper for me, is that you can't use the feature when calling NEO from Lightroom for Photoshop. These new NEO plug-in features (HDR, Noiseless AI, etc.) will *only* work when NEO is run in stand-alone mode. Very disappointed in Luminar's decision to take this direction.

I have had strange mosaic like noise shown on your fist picture of Jonesy. This happened when using DeNoise when the image has had sharpening applied before using DeNoise. If I set sharpening to zero in Lightroom, then run the image through DeNoise, the weird mosaic noise goes away. Could there have been some sharpening done to that image ahead of the noise processing? Even the default sharpening Lightroom might have done when importing could be enough.

I suspect the darkening of the first image is a result of Denoise AI not passing on the setting adjustment EXIF data for the application to display as-shot. For the larger cat portrait, I would try the Low Light option for Denoise AI. It maintains more detail in low light areas and, I think, smooths out the bokeh areas better. One point not mentioned is that Denoise AI has many controls, in addition to masks. I find all of the denoise programs I’ve tried introduce artifacts, mostly In random noise areas like sand or hair that is not unidirectional, or in extremely noisy areas. This is where Topaz controls shine. Topaz masks allow me to minimize the DeNoise to, say, 20% to eliminate artifacts in when they are introduced. I’ve also found using masks to reduce the denoise amount on subjects while pumping up the slider for bokeh areas to be very effective. Because of the controls, while default results are usually good, Topaz final results will be dependent on the amount of the user’s experience.

I have the same “darkening” issue with output files when using my Nikon D850 raw files in Topaz Denoise AI

Please use the same 5 images for all further tests so we can see relations to all the apps...

I'd like to see Luminar noiseless vs Deep Prime using the same images. However, I am a most interesting question in light of the new ON1 2023 is weather that new version of ON1 can send a raw file to Pure RAW 2 for Deep Prime noise reduction (best for Fuji) and brought back into ON1 2033 as a DNG for all the great new masking features?

Thanks for doing this comparison! I think I'll stick with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop with Topaz tools as plugins. I have a question about masking in the current Topaz Denoise AI. Is there a way to apply an initial Denoising (for lack of a better term) and then use masking to selectively augment areas that may need tweaking? It seems like earlier releases of Denoise with the masking feature allowed this, but maybe I'm misremembering the old functionality. Now it appears that choosing masking removes all noise reduction so you have to start from scratch. Thanks so much! - Scott

I'm surprised you said On1 NoNoise AI sliders don't do anything. They do "a lot" on my Windows PC and I've generally found On1 to have the edge over Topaz, especially since updates to On1.

It would have been great if you included dxo Pure Raw in this, as I consider it the best but would have been great to see it in comparison to these two.

I found out the same thing. The skylum products do not seem to work It does well but it’s much slower than Denoise.

So does this software let me buy a small sensor cheap point and shoot and then de noise to result in acceptable images? Or is there no way around sensor size. If it would then I'd buy a camera like the nikon a1000 or the lumix zs 90. Cheap and good zoom.

Use the same images!!!!!!! I pretty much agree with your judgement but that "odd pixelation" you mention is a bit off putting to me. What I'm seeing in Luminar I'd call "clumping" like somehow that's supposed to be a better term! LOL!!! HOWEVER - You're magnifying the heck out of things that are shot at quite high ISO, so are most folks going to see that???? I've been a Topaz fan for a long time but like you said, Luminar should be catching up..... GREAT COMPARISON!!!!! THANKS!!!

What tickles me is your frequent apologies for slurping coffee (which I never heard in the audio [using earbuds]) while the software processed the images. I make the majority of my own video tutorials late at night and in the early morning hours while quietly sipping Jim Beam & 7 through a swizzle stick which I'm sure no one will ever hear or suspect.

Good comparison. To me the Topaz was the best. I have Topaz denoise, sharpen and gigapixel and the new Topaz photo ai now. My favorite application is Topaz DeNoise AI, it's fast and does a good job. I also have luminar AI and luminar Neo as well as on1 photoraw 2022. As far as noise goes, Topaz DeNoise AI beats them all, even Topaz's new Photo AI. I just put a stopwatch on the Topaz Photo Ai (with sharpening turned on) and it took two minutes and 43 seconds to process and save a 6000 X 4000 Nikon D7200 raw file as a dng, that's too slow! It only took Topaz DeNoise Ai 19.42 seconds to do the same thing, although without the sharpening of Photo AI.

How is it possible at 25.6k and 40k iso to be so little iso? My Canon has the same amount of noise at 1600

I also find that Neo is really slow and that the sliders do not seem to make any difference .I trust that they will do something about this in the fullness of time !!!!

Yes, Luminar’s Noiseless is slow. And with a normal computer not optimized for speed, it is worse. You said you spent time playing around in Topaz, so that takes away much of that speed advantage. Also, you played around with Topaz, but you never touched Luminar’s Denoise tab. I’ve seen that Noiseless seems to smooth out smaller bits of grain, while trying to preserve details - while its Denoise tab can offer a lot more smoothing, but potentially more detail lost. What would be your evaluation after getting the best you could possibly do in both softwares?

This is great because I already own Topaz Denoise and I don't own any Fuji cameras, so win win for me. Thanks for sharing

Let's use the same images then we can always circle back around and co pare all the products at one time.

I kinda disagree with your statement that it isn't a fair comparison since topaz labs has been doing it for longer. Luminar is making an entry into a market and to make it worthwhile for a consumer, they better be as good as competition. Otherwise, there is no value proposition for the consumer. Also, this is my complaint with luminar products overall. Super slow. And this video demoed it pretty well

I have nothing to add other than Topaz Denoise AI has had more iterations for improvement. Luminar AI "should" get better as their devs learn more.

Luminar Neo doesn’t support Apple RAW, big flaw as over 80% of phone users have IPhones

The way Luminar is charging for those plugins is ridiculous and also no way to test them before purchasing. That alone is pretty telling.

I know which is better because I did a comparison, it’s Denoise AI. Luminar Noiseless AI needs some major tweaking. And Noiseless AI took FOR EVER to render! 😫 (On my 2021 M1 iMac.)

IMO Topaz is better value for money , Luminar is a subscription.

Like everything Skylum has produced so far, it is not a complete product. Your sips of coffee highlights the slowness of the product. I also found that the sliders did nothing. The program might just be designed to be one and done. Overall, Skylum should step back and fix issues with Neo and increase the speed of the product. As of today, I believe the Adobe products and Topaz are the way to go. Skylum wake up and refine what you have. You are on the right track. Finally, t he AI masking is awful. I took and image of a trail and it miss identities everything and had objects identified that were not in the image. Frustration-yes

luminar neo feels like a fisher price toy compared to capture one (I know they're very different... but..) I only use neo for presets and cheesy sky replacements I'm convinces the luminosityand color denoise do absolutely nothing

You keep saying Luminar AI and I don’t think you compared with TOPAZ DENOISE AI!!!

Typical for the Skylum products, it's slow and mediocre and soon to be abandonware.