I have reviewed this software before but now feel it is time to retest the software with a much bigger challenge.
The Big Topaz AI Gigapixel Test
My sample photo is one of the dreaded ‘brick wall’ pictures – useful because the repetitive structure of the wall allows the edges and centre of the picture to be compared.
I took the sample photo with the 24mp Canon EOS M50 using a high quality telephoto lens. The native picture is 6,000 by 4,000 pixels, which is good for a 20 inch print at 300 DPI.
I then resized the photo to 9,000 x 6,000 pixels, for a 30 inch print and 18,000 by 12,000 pixels for a huge 60 inch print – five feet wide!
As a comparison, I also resized it using Affinity Photo’s Lanczos3 re-sampling method to the same dimensions. My previous tests showed that Affinity Photo is one of the best image upscaling programs available – every bit as good as Photoshop.
Let’s compare the results:
Original Image
Here’s the original image – both a small version and 100% crops of the centre and edges. I’ve not sharpened it at all – it is as it came out of the camera.
It’s a decently sharp image, both in the centre and the edge.
Now let’s have a look at the results of the upscaling. In the comparisons, the Affinity Photo image is on the Left and the Topaz AI Gigapixel Image is on the Right.
9,000 x 6,000 Pixel Image
Centre
Edge
18,000 x 12,000 Pixel Image
Centre
Edge
The Results – Part 1
Affinity Photo has done a good job with the upscaling. The 18,000 pixel version is well over a gigabyte in size, so it is a real test of the software and both have handled the file successfully.
But look at how much better Topaz AI Gigapixel has done! The clarity and sharpness of its results are just unbelievable. There is no question that a really excellent print could be made from its results – a FIVE FOOT wide print, no less.
The Results – Part 2
But how do the AI Gigapixel enlargements compare to the original image? The results may surprise you.
Original vs AI Gigapixel 150%
Original vs AI Gigapixel 300%
Notice that the enlarged image is sharper than the original! Even the 300% enlargement is! The more modest 150% enlargement is also better than the original! This has real implications – it means that any enlargement is better done in AI Gigapixel than any other tool. Previously, I had thought the difference for modest enlargements wasn’t enough to justify purchasing AI Gigapixel. Not any more! The latest version is so good that I will do all enlargements with it.
Conclusion
These results are better than when I previously tested AI Gigapixel. Topaz just keep on improving this software and it is now in the must have category. The enlargements are incredibly sharp already, and absolutely no image post processing has been done, so the final result will be even better…
Even if the enlargements are modest, AI Gigapixel outperforms the competition. It does take longer than the other tools but the results are so worth it!
Topaz AI Gigapixel retails at $99.00 and can be downloaded from Topaz Labs.