Topaz DeNoise AI – How Good Is It?

Topaz AI Clear has long been one of my favourite ‘image finishers’ – it performs two excellent operations: it removes any noise and it clarifies and sharpens the image. Despite the new DeNoise AI, I’ve continue to use AI Clear (part of the Topaz Studio suite).

Today, I compared DeNoise AI with AI Clear, to see how the two stacked up. I used this image:

I’ve always liked working with this image – I processed the RAW file in Luminar 4 and I think it’s the best version I have ever made of it. It is, however, a little noisy, especially in the sky.

I then put it through both AI Clear and the new DeNoise AI. Here are the results:

Processed by AI Clear

Processed by Noise AI

The first thing to notice is that the colour rendition of the new DeNoise AI is better. AI Clear has ever so slightly desaturated and lightened the image. DeNoise AI has not affected the colours. Let’s examine a few comparisons side by side at 100%. In each case, DeNoise AI’s result is the middle picture, AI Clear is on the left and the original image is on the right.

Clicking on any image will bring up the full-size version.

DeNoise AI-Conclusion

It’s easy to see, when examining the full size results, that DeNoise AI has removed more noise and introduced less artifacts than AI Clear. DeNoise AI also sharpens the image and does so a little better than AI Clear. As mentioned before, DeNoise AI has less effect on the colours than AI Clear.

This comparison convinces me that Topaz have provided, in DeNoise AI, a genuine enhancement to AI Clear. DeNoise AI removes noise better than any other noise removal program I have tested. It sharpens the images really well, although further processing in Sharpen AI is still beneficial.

My conclusion is that using Luminar 4 for RAW development and then Topaz AI tools for extra processing yields the best results I have ever seen.

Topaz 25% off sale

This sale ends on 29th December 2019. Trial versions are available so now is a great time to test out the software. Click here for more details… See my previous Topaz DeNoise review here.