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Author Topic: FocusMagic Workflow  (Read 3942 times)

PBC

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FocusMagic Workflow
« on: September 07, 2014, 03:43:30 pm »

I have seen a lot of positive views on using FocusMagic and wonder how people fit this in their workflow.

I am assuming (and please correct me if I am wrong) FocusMagic replaces the capture sharpen stage in Lightroom?

So do people just disable Detail in Lightroom, process the image then send it into Photoshop for final tweaks, before finally using FM to capture sharpen the image?

If so, what about output sharpening; is this done with another pass of FM or back to "normal" using PS or Photokit or LR?

Appreciate if someone could explain how it fits into the workflow which will help in looking at how it may benefit me

Many thanks
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2014, 04:10:48 pm »

I have seen a lot of positive views on using FocusMagic and wonder how people fit this in their workflow.

I am assuming (and please correct me if I am wrong) FocusMagic replaces the capture sharpen stage in Lightroom?

So do people just disable Detail in Lightroom, process the image then send it into Photoshop for final tweaks, before finally using FM to capture sharpen the image?

If so, what about output sharpening; is this done with another pass of FM or back to "normal" using PS or Photokit or LR?


Hi Phil,

Yes, that's the most obvious way to apply Capture sharpening with FM. Unfortunately one cannot do it from the beginning of the processing in LR, so in this case one typically delays sharpening until final Photoshop tweaks. I do the same with CaptureOne Pro, do all the basic Raw conversion processing there, but disable sharpening upon export, pick up the file in Photoshop and do my (Capture / Creative / Output) sharpening operations there.

Depending on the situation (down/upsampling for the output) I may apply another run with FM after resampling, but Creative 'sharpening' is more often done with Topaz Labs 'Detail'.

Cheers,
Bart
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PeterAit

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2014, 04:17:48 pm »

I think you are misunderstanding the use of Focus Magic. Yes, it makes photos sharper, but it's a different issue than what LR's sharpening deals with. Fm helps correct unsharpness that is due to focus errors or to blur (camera movement). My approach is to use FM as the very first step in my workflow. Import to LR, edit in PhotoShop, use FM, complete processing in LR. Other than LR's default sharpening, the image is "buck nekkid" when I use FM. Works for me, although I won't insist that this is the best way.
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Eyeball

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2014, 05:03:35 pm »

I like to use FM for capture sharpening when I have the time and/or when I know I will be going into Photoshop anyway.  When I use it that way, I will turn off sharpening in Lightroom.  While the "error recovery" nature of FM is what you often see advertised/emphasized, I think it does a fantastic job for capture sharpening and it is very easy to "tune-in".  It just always seems to sharpen everything without emphasizing noise and IMO that is exactly what you want for normal capture sharpening.

I may leave a little bit of noise reduction turned on in Lightroom unless I need special treatment there, too.  If I need heavy-duty noise reduction, I'll turn it off completely in LR and then use something like Imagenomic, Topaz Denoise or Nik Dfine in Photoshop.

If I am in a hurry and I don't want the time/bother of going to Photoshop, I'll depend on Lightroom.
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PBC

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #4 on: September 08, 2014, 12:18:20 pm »

.
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PBC

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2014, 12:18:24 pm »

So I am still confused :-)

From what I think I am understanding is that generally people will use LR sharpening, but sometimes use FM.

Now is this to fix blur due to defraction when you have moved to shoot an image past the sweet spot and defraction has kicked in?

Could the workflow be standardised to always use FM, covering off those times and also cover the times shooting at the sweet spot?

I admit I don't understand all the technical ramifications etc. as I am just a simple photographer who is trying to under the digital complications :-(

Would I gain or lose by always using FM (or should I use something else)?

If it helps - subject matter landscapes, current tool Pentax 645Z

Phil
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #6 on: September 08, 2014, 01:20:16 pm »

So I am still confused :-)

From what I think I am understanding is that generally people will use LR sharpening, but sometimes use FM.

Now is this to fix blur due to defraction when you have moved to shoot an image past the sweet spot and defraction has kicked in?

Hi Phil,

FocusMagic will tackle all sorts of blur, whether from diffraction or defocus or both. It will also handle the inherent unsharpness that's the result from the capture process (residual lens aberrations that cause blur) and demosaicing. It will also handle up/down-sampling blur. In addition it can also handle linear motion blur, or when used in two passes asymmetrical/elliptical blur. It uses deconvolution to sharpen, i.e. it adds resolution not just acutance to edges.

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Could the workflow be standardised to always use FM, covering off those times and also cover the times shooting at the sweet spot?

You can, just don't sharpen in LR, and do it in Photoshop.

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Would I gain or lose by always using FM (or should I use something else)?

FocusMagic does sharpening better than most other tools.

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If it helps - subject matter landscapes, current tool Pentax 645Z

Perfect match, because you may want to stop down the aperture quite a bit to gain depth of field. Those narrow apertures will cause diffraction blur, which FM can reverse quite well.

Cheers,
Bart
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PBC

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #7 on: September 08, 2014, 05:26:37 pm »

Thanks Bart.  So as I always move into PS from Lightroom in my workflow, I can disable sharpening and then do the "capture" sharpening as the last step in the processing flow.

Then resize and output sharpening as required.

I have not really found any useful guides on the FM site as the best ways of setting FM up to capture sharpen.  Any pointers or resources I can use?

Thanks

Phil
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Ligament

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2014, 01:13:28 am »

Bart, I'll paypal you $50 to post a video detailing your sharpening process. You seem on the bleeding edge of this aspect, and I try to follow and understand your posts, however I admit to getting lost when you talk maths. If I saw your process on video, I think it would all come together nicely for me.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2014, 02:14:47 am by Ligament »
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Lundberg02

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2014, 01:45:25 am »

As Detail is moved to the right in LR, it shifts from edge enhancement to deconvolution, but FM is still better because of its versatility.
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2014, 02:20:11 am »

Thanks Bart.  So as I always move into PS from Lightroom in my workflow, I can disable sharpening and then do the "capture" sharpening as the last step in the processing flow.

Correct.

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Then resize and output sharpening as required.

Yep.

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I have not really found any useful guides on the FM site as the best ways of setting FM up to capture sharpen.  Any pointers or resources I can use?

There is a number of threads (e.g. here) on LuLa which address FocusMagic related aspects. Maybe that can be used as a start. Deconvolution based Capture sharpening as such is not really different from other uses of that technique, it's just focusing on Capture related restoration of resolution, instead of e.g. mitigating resampling blur.

Cheers,
Bart
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2014, 02:22:55 am »

Bart, I'll paypal you $50 to post a video detailing your sharpening process. You seem on the bleeding edge of this aspect, and I try to follow and understand your posts, however I admit to getting lost when you talk maths. If I saw your process on video, I think it would all come together nicely for me.

Hi,

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll think it over, but it takes a lot of work to do a proper instructional video. My time is also limited, so I'll have to see what's possible.

Cheers,
Bart
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2014, 02:27:54 am »

As Detail is moved to the right in LR, it shifts from edge enhancement to deconvolution, but FM is still better because of its versatility.

Indeed, moving the Detail slider to the right in LR/ACR will gradually increase the balance from traditional USM (acutance boosting) 'sharpening' towards a more deconvolution based type of sharpening. However, the particular implementation that is used will generate very gritty results pretty fast. It also requires a lot of masking to restrict its influence on smooth areas.

FM is more effective in restoring actual resolution, and it attempts to avoid noise amplification.

Cheers,
Bart
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Ligament

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #13 on: September 09, 2014, 05:15:53 am »

I really enjoy the "masking" feature in the ACR/LR Sharpening panel.

I also find that Focus Magic does a nicer sharpening job than ACR/LR, but there is no masking feature in Focus Magic.

Is there a way to solve this issue?
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #14 on: September 09, 2014, 06:13:11 am »

I really enjoy the "masking" feature in the ACR/LR Sharpening panel.

I also find that Focus Magic does a nicer sharpening job than ACR/LR, but there is no masking feature in Focus Magic.

Is there a way to solve this issue?

Hi,

FM doesn't really require masking, because it usually doesn't make a mess of smooth areas. Of course, that assumes the use of proper settings. One could of course force local sharpening by using a layer with masking.

Cheers,
Bart
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Bryan Conner

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #15 on: September 09, 2014, 06:35:09 am »

Hi,

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll think it over, but it takes a lot of work to do a proper instructional video. My time is also limited, so I'll have to see what's possible.

Cheers,
Bart

I definitely would contribute to the Bart van der Wolf financial fund in return for a sharpening video.  I too read and try to understand everything that Bart shares and wish very much for there to be a video/hands on format.
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #16 on: September 09, 2014, 07:12:44 am »

I definitely would contribute to the Bart van der Wolf financial fund in return for a sharpening video.

Hi Brian,

Thanks. Such a fund does not exist yet, but who am I to disagree that it should. 

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I too read and try to understand everything that Bart shares and wish very much for there to be a video/hands on format.

I'll consider it, when time permits do undertake such an effort.

Cheers,
Bart
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AFairley

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #17 on: September 10, 2014, 09:29:54 am »

I definitely would contribute to the Bart van der Wolf financial fund in return for a sharpening video.  I too read and try to understand everything that Bart shares and wish very much for there to be a video/hands on format.

+1. Bart, your public demands it.   :D
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #18 on: September 11, 2014, 02:10:09 am »

+1. Bart, your public demands it.   :D

Thanks Alan, it helps to move it up on the (very long) to-do list.

Cheers,
Bart
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PBC

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Re: FocusMagic Workflow
« Reply #19 on: September 11, 2014, 02:46:25 am »

Another +1 from me
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