Moon with Topaz DeNoise AI

[CCD-Freak]

I recently found a program called Topaz DeNoise AI which I have been using to remove noise and sharpen my deep sky images so I decided to give it a whirl on some old lunar images.  These pictures are single snap shots with an ASI-290MM and an old C8 under less than perfect seeing.  The results are pretty interesting so I will be experimenting with this some more.   "Wadayathink ???"

Before

After

Edited May 23, 2021 by CCD-Freak

[Adreneline]

Hi John

I have Topaz DeNoise AI and have used it selectively on some DSO images; I use it in Low Light mode and set the denoise to 2/3 and sharpen to 0/1.

I have seen some on SGL express the opinion that the programme can introduce 'false" detail and that it's use should be declared. I am not qualified to comment. Regarding planetary sharpening I'm not sure why DeNoise AI is any different to wavelet sharpening in something like Registax, or indeed sharpening in any other image processing software. Providing the sharpening is done in moderation and with care then it can enhance the final image and still give a very natural look.

Personally I prefer your second image - to me it is much more pleasing on the eye and I think the end result looks very good indeed.

Adrian

[CCD-Freak]

Hi Adrian

I agree....you can over process with any software so I tend to go for the minimum required to get an improvement in the image.  You can see the details in the original image but they are fuzzed out a bit and Topaz with it's AI algorithms did a good job of bringing it out.  Topaz is so easy to use and I am still experimenting with it to determine the most effective settings. 

After

Before

Edited May 24, 2021 by CCD-Freak

[CCD-Freak]

Another

 

Before

 

After

Edited May 24, 2021 by CCD-Freak

[wornish]

I use Topaz DeNoise for my moon shots.  I think when used in moderation it does a great job.

[inFINNity Deck]

7 hours ago, Adreneline said:

Hi John

I have Topaz DeNoise AI and have used it selectively on some DSO images; I use it in Low Light mode and set the denoise to 2/3 and sharpen to 0/1.

I have seen some on SGL express the opinion that the programme can introduce 'false" detail and that it's use should be declared. I am not qualified to comment. Regarding planetary sharpening I'm not sure why DeNoise AI is any different to wavelet sharpening in something like Registax, or indeed sharpening in any other image processing software. Providing the sharpening is done in moderation and with care then it can enhance the final image and still give a very natural look.

Personally I prefer your second image - to me it is much more pleasing on the eye and I think the end result looks very good indeed.

Adrian

Nice images John!

Like Adrian, I too use Topaz Denoise AI for DSO with varying settings (here is an example, and here is another). It has indeed to be used with caution as it does make things up and can deform stars to elongated specks. For that reason I do not use it for all my DSO-images, it depends on how well Topaz handles them. The moon-images shown by John look very pleasing to the eye once run through Topaz, so I see no reason why it should not be used.

I have also read comments that its use should be declared. I generally do so, but only to explain to other imagers how I get to my end result. I see no other reasons for declaring it, the images most of us produce are after all more art than science. Here in the Netherlands in 2019 I attended this presentation by Sara Wager explaining just that and I could not agree more with what she said. In general the scientific value of our images drops after the first non-linear stretch. After that it can at the most only be used to detect new or moving objects like novae, asteroids etc, or to show the distribution of gases, but not to take measurements of brightness, abundance, etc. As far as I have been able to tell so far Topaz only deforms structures, I have not seen it creating star-like objects.

Nicolàs