Focus Magic

You might also want to take a look at Optipix by Reindeer Graphics

http://www.reindeergraphics.com/optipix/

Does *anybody* have a comparison of these two programs?

"BF" wrote in message

Has anyone tried the focus magic plugin for PhotoShop? I looked at the demo video and it looks like a must have for anyone like me that uses PhotoShop for image and color correction.

Thanks,
Bill

As well as http://www.ultrasharpen.com. I used to use both of the mentioned programs and once I found Ultra-Sharpen I junked them. It is very nicely done and is very affordable. I do however recommend the CD version as I found the videos quite helpful.

John

"RSD99" wrote in message

You might also want to take a look at Optipix by Reindeer Graphics
http://www.reindeergraphics.com/optipix/

Does *anybody* have a comparison of these two programs?

"BF" wrote in message

Has anyone tried the focus magic plugin for PhotoShop? I looked at the demo video and it looks like a must have for anyone like me that uses PhotoShop for image and color correction.

Thanks,
Bill

On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 17:35:02 GMT, "John Doe"
wrote:

As well as http://www.ultrasharpen.com. I used to use both of the mentioned programs and once I found Ultra-Sharpen I junked them. It is very nicely done and is very affordable. I do however recommend the CD version as I found the videos quite helpful.

Alternatively, you could save yourself the money and buy a book like Dan Margulis Professional PS and learn to do it correctly yourself. 😉

—

Hecate – The Real One

veni, vidi, reliqui

I think it is one of the best plugins I’ve seen for sharpening and even correcting motion blur. I love it, is much better than most unsharp corrections although sometimes unsharp is better, and you can’t beat the price. I use it a lot with a 10D and it really puts that crispness back into the image. I would recommend it.

gb

"BF" wrote in message

Has anyone tried the focus magic plugin for PhotoShop? I looked at the demo video and it looks like a must have for anyone like me that uses PhotoShop for image and color correction.

Thanks,
Bill

Sorry I have the book you mention and the technique in it isn’t even close to what Ultra-Sharpen does. Ultra-Sharpen is better that is in my opinion.

John

"Hecate" wrote in message

On Thu, 05 Aug 2004 17:35:02 GMT, "John Doe"
wrote:

As well as http://www.ultrasharpen.com. I used to use both of the

mentioned

programs and once I found Ultra-Sharpen I junked them. It is very nicely done and is very affordable. I do however recommend the CD version as I found the videos quite helpful.

Alternatively, you could save yourself the money and buy a book like Dan Margulis Professional PS and learn to do it correctly yourself. 😉

—

Hecate – The Real One

veni, vidi, reliqui

On Fri, 06 Aug 2004 03:10:01 GMT, "John Doe"
wrote:

Sorry I have the book you mention and the technique in it isn’t even close to what Ultra-Sharpen does. Ultra-Sharpen is better that is in my opinion.

Well, I could say you’re probably not doing it right then, but as I haven’t tried Ultrasharpen I won’t 😉

—

Hecate – The Real One

veni, vidi, reliqui

BF wrote:

Has anyone tried the focus magic plugin for PhotoShop? I looked at the demo video and it looks like a must have for anyone like me that uses PhotoShop for image and color correction.

Thanks,
Bill

I often find all these plugins sort of contradict with the concept of PS. PS (practically) packs all the nifty stuff you can dream of (wait for the lecture on all 473829 things it doesn’t do…) and gives you total freedom and then people choose and buy all kinds of one-click extras. Sharpening photos and fixing colours. Why would I buy a plugin for something that is easy to do in PS ?
I do believe you if you all say thi or that plugin is great. I just think many are rather unnecessary.

Just my 2 cents.

I would agree that some plugins are at best mere time savers to problems that someone else has already figured out. But some are genuine improvements in the way that the digital information is processed to achieve a goal. Focus Magic is one of these. It does not sharpen an image by enhanceing the transition between light and dark pixels (unsharp) as is found in PS. It uses a deconvolultion algorithm that attempts a kind of reverse blur of a spot of light. It is used extensively in astronomy correcting for atmospheric and lense distortions. I have found it is a superior way to sharpen a large percentage of digital photographs. I would encourage any serious enthusiast to at least try a demo of it and evaluate it.

gb

"Pjotr Wedersteers" wrote in message

BF wrote:

Has anyone tried the focus magic plugin for PhotoShop? I looked at the demo video and it looks like a must have for anyone like me that uses PhotoShop for image and color correction.

Thanks,
Bill

I often find all these plugins sort of contradict with the concept of PS. PS (practically) packs all the nifty stuff you can dream of (wait for the lecture on all 473829 things it doesn’t do…) and gives you total freedom and then people choose and buy all kinds of one-click extras. Sharpening photos and fixing colours. Why would I buy a plugin for

something

that is easy to do in PS ?
I do believe you if you all say thi or that plugin is great. I just think many are rather unnecessary.

Just my 2 cents.

gb wrote:

I would agree that some plugins are at best mere time savers to problems that someone else has already figured out. But some are genuine improvements in the way that the digital information is processed to achieve a goal. Focus Magic is one of these. It does not sharpen an image by enhanceing the transition between light and dark pixels (unsharp) as is found in PS. It uses a deconvolultion algorithm that attempts a kind of reverse blur of a spot of light. It is used extensively in astronomy correcting for atmospheric and lense distortions. I have found it is a superior way to sharpen a large percentage of digital photographs. I would encourage any serious enthusiast to at least try a demo of it and evaluate it.

gb

"Pjotr Wedersteers" wrote in message

BF wrote:

Has anyone tried the focus magic plugin for PhotoShop? I looked at the demo video and it looks like a must have for anyone like me that uses PhotoShop for image and color correction.

Thanks,
Bill

I often find all these plugins sort of contradict with the concept of PS. PS (practically) packs all the nifty stuff you can dream of (wait for the lecture on all 473829 things it doesn’t do…) and gives you total freedom and then people choose and buy all kinds of one-click extras. Sharpening photos and fixing colours. Why would I buy a plugin for

something

that is easy to do in PS ?
I do believe you if you all say thi or that plugin is great. I just think many are rather unnecessary.

Just my 2 cents.

I whole heartedly agree! Focus Magic is the best sharpening tool I’ve used. It’s seems like "magic" the way it will sharpen some pretty badly out of focus images. Even "regular" digital images are nicely sharpened with this tool.

It seems to work by narrowing the lines and edges in the image. I’m not sure what it is doing, but that’s how it appears. So, you get nice thin, sharp edges without the blooming and harshness of Photoshop’s sharpening.

Believe me, there is nothing in Photoshop that does what Focus Magic does. It’s worth every penny.

OK, it’s not perfect. The motion blur correction is only partially successful. The motion blur can’t be very big. If you are under about 7 pixels of correction, it works pretty well. It’s saved a few pictures for me. (Hand-held, low light, shots during a wedding ceremony.)

Clyde

I looked at the samples on their web site and can’t say I was impressived. The sharpening of the non-blurred images didn’t look much better than other sharpening plug-ins I have seen. I did better than unsharp mask alone, but only because unsharp mask sharpened the noise/grain while FM didn’t. Other techniques will do the same, that is sharpen without sharpening the noise or grain.

As for the blurred images, well none of them even after FM was worth a crap or useful so that is pointless. Not overly impressed especially for the money.

John