I have been using Focus Magic, a deconvolution program, for several years. CS3 has Smart Sharpen, which seems to be modeled on Focus Magic. I seem to get better results from FM.
Does anybody know if Smart Sharpen is actually a deconvolution program, or is it some other variety of sharpening, perhaps USM-based, or more direct Edge sharpening?
I first got Focus Magic to use to "save" images that were a tad too soft, but soon began to include it in my regular workflow, on almost every image. My sharpening workflow now takes the following form:
1) No sharpening in ACR, but I do use the Clarity slider, which looks to me like the old trick of USM with a small Amount and large Radius, sometimes called Local Contrast.
2) I then work on the native sized (1DMKii) file in 16 bit and ProPhoto colorspace in CS3. On occasion I do some creative sharpening with PKSharpen here, but usually I have no need for that. I have not been doing any Capture sharpening.
3) After uprezzing to print-size, I use Focus Magic, sometimes globally, sometimes locally, and occasionally in 2 or 3 passes at different blur widths for each selection (although that is not done often). I then apply PKSharpen based on the print medium and final print size. However, on many images, Focus Magic seems to do a good enough job at bringing the image into pleasantly sharp focus that I am pleased with the natural look in the final print, and do not use PKSharpen's Output Sharpening.
Has anybody used Focus Magic and compared it to Smart Sharpen?
Has anybody used Focus Magic before uprezzing, and if so, at less than 100%, or with less than optimal blur width?
If so, do you use FM again at the uprezzed size, and at full blur width and/or full 100% strength?
Incidentally, I have never gone above 100%, and would be curious to know if anybody here has, and why.
