OnOne PhotoTools vs. Nik Viveza

travischance

I'm a windows user of CS4 and have recently considered purchasing a series of good plug ins to enhance my workflow. Originally, I came across Topaz Adjust but the results (as a whole) were too close to HDR for my taste.

I reviewed OnOne PhotoTools 2.6 & Nik Viveza and liked what both offered. Unfortuantely, there are very few reviews that compare both the products listed above. Both are priced at $249 and seem to have very similar features. My pp workflow is relatively simple with adjustments to curves, contrast, unsharp mask in lightness channel and increases to vibrance when needed. Typically I use the calculations method for B+W conversions. However, I'm really looking to add some punch & detail to images without crossing into the HDR world.

OnOne PhotoTools was on sale yesterday for $159 and I purchased a copy of it. Any insight to your experiences with either or both would be a tremendous help! Thanks -

pathfinder

I think one of the tricks to Topaz Adjust, or other plug ins in general, ( which I like and use rather frequently at times ) is to perform it on a layer, and then blend it back into the original file, using Opacity to adjust to taste. You do not have to use the Topaz Adjust with the presets, either, as you can play with the sliders and you can start with a preset that comes close, and then begin to alter it and adjust it until you get it looking better. You can even use TA on selections of your image on layers, as well.

I have Viveza version 1, and like it for landscapes sometimes, but find I use it less now that Topaz Adjust, and other softwares are available. I use Color Effex Pro from OnOne software more than Viveza. It will even do B&W conversions that are pretty good as well.

travischance

pathfinder wrote: »

I think one of the tricks to Topaz Adjust, or other plug ins genreally, ( which I like and use rather frequently at times ) is to perform it on a layer, and then blend it back into the original file, using Opacity to adjust to taste. You do not have to use the Topaz Adjust with the presets, either, as you can play with the sliders and you can start with a preset that comes close, and then begin to alter it and adjust it until you get it looking better. You can even use TA on selections of your image on layers, as well.

I have Viveza version 1, and like it for landscapes sometimes, but find I use it less now that Topaz Adjust, and other softwares are available. I use Color Effex Pro from OnOne software more than Viveza. It will even do B&W conversions that are pretty good as well.

Thanks Pathfinder. I took a look at a few of your landscapes and I like the amount of detail you have (not too much but enough for visual interest). Do you recall which plugin(s) you used for the following:

Toroweap South Rim
Monument Valley
Indiana Scenery Bull

Harryb

I use both and I use the NIK set more than I use the Onone set. You have to realize that I shoot mainly wildlife. When I do people or landscape captures I lean towards the Onone set.

Both websites have some excellent online video tutes.

pathfinder

Toroweap South Rim is a pano shot with a 50D that i did use TZ ( Topaz Adjust ) as it is in the title of that file. I darkened the sky with a curve, and probably accentuated the detail via TZ, but I don't really recall the exact processing steps that I did. It is not a favorite of mine, other than a memory of being there.

Monument Valley was a 3 frame HDR, captured with a 5DMkII and a 28mm lens. processed via Photomatix ( as that is how I begin creating my HDRs ) and then finally edited in Photoshop. I do not recall that I used Topaz Adjust on it at all. I like that image too, the light and the clouds were glorious. But I may prefer it in B&W, and I don't think I had uploaded the monochrome version that I just found in my LR catalog. Here is the B&W version



The final image Indiana Scenery Bull is a composite. The bull was shot locally in Indiana, with a 5D or a 5DMkii, and the sky was captured in Utah with a G9. The bull was cut out and dropped onto the sky which I shot while in Arches. I don't think either of those frames was passed through TZ. The bull was warmed in Color Efex Pro, because the light was much colder than in this image. While the sky looks over cooked a bit, it really looked like that that afternoon. I don't think I had to do much to the sky at all

eoren1

I have been using OnOne for my HDRs a fair bit recently. Mostly just use the Magic Landscape one and tweak it a bit. It definitely adds a nice punch and cleans up some of the problems (color shifts) from HDR. I've used it sparingly on other photos with good results as well.

pathfinder

What software exactly are you using for your HDR work?

racer

I dont think one can really compare the two programs, as Nik Viveza is used for color adjustments, and OnOne Phototools is used for special effect filters. The end results are totally different from each other. You might want to download a trial of Nik ColorEfex to compare to OnOne Phototools, and download OnOne PhotoTune to compare to Nik Viveza. (they would be the respective programs from each company). For B&W, you might want to try Nik SilverEfex. You also might want to compare Tiffen DFX to ColorEfex and Phototools. I have tried them all as trials, and own Nik ColorEfex.

In my opinion, Nik Viveza is TOTALLY useless, as the same thing can be done in camera raw and photoshop with waaaaaay more precision and control.
I found OnOne Phototools extremely hard to use because you cant preview the effects on your photo. You must apply the effect, then reset everything is you dont like it, totally annoying and a waste of time.
Nik ColorEfex, Tiffen DFX, and Nik SilverEfex all allow you to go threw and randomly click on different effects to preview them. The benefit of using these filter effects is that you can find creative effects that you wouldn't have normally thought of.

In my opinion, most of the other plugins that these companies sell are totally useless, as all they do is duplicate things you can already do with photoshop, give you a lot less control over it all, lead to poorer results, all while charging you a arm and a leg to buy them.
With the exception of programs like ColorEfex and DFX, your money might be better spent on the three part, 65 hour, lynda.com Deke McClelland Photoshop One on One series (I am half way threw the advanced series and already hear this guy in my sleep! :twitch)
http://www.lynda.com/home/DisplayCourse.aspx?lpk2=61019

pathfinder

I don't think Viveza is totally useless, but would agree that with a little learning, and a lot of effort, you can duplicate much of what it does, in PS. That said, Viveza is an easy way to add color and saturation to an image. The main image I remember using Viveza for is this one, and I liked the effect. I could probably have achieved the same thing without Viveza ( maybe with a pass through LAB ), but not as fast and as easy This image was edited before that advent of Adobe Camera Raw 5. Today I would probably try to achieve the effect by punching up the Vibrance slider and the saturation sliders in the Hue green and yellow boxes in LR3 or ACR 6.3

racer

pathfinder wrote: »

I don't think Viveza is totally useless, but would agree that with a little learning, and a lot of effort, you can duplicate much of what it does, in PS. That said, Viveza is an easy way to add color and saturation to an image. The main image I remember using Viveza for is this one, and I liked the effect. I could probably have achieved the same thing without Vivez ( maybe with a pass through LAB ), but not as fast and as easy This image was edited before that advent of Adobe Camera Raw 5. Today I would probably try to achieve the effect by punching up the Vibrance slider and the saturation sliders in the Hue green and yellow boxes in LR3 or ACR 6.3

I think in the time it took you to use Viveza, I could have done the EXACT same thing simply by making some adjustment layers and masking the areas I wanted to adjust. Pretty much, this is all that Viveza is doing when you paint in individual adjustments, but it does it with much less control, offering you only a half dozen sliders vs. a endless number of options when using a adjustment layer and mask. Nik charges you $200 to be able to do something you could already do in the same amount of time .

MarkR

racer wrote: »

I think in the time it took you to use Viveza, I could have done the EXACT same thing simply by making some adjustment layers and masking the areas I wanted to adjust. Pretty much, this is all that Viveza is doing when you paint in individual adjustments, but it does it with much less control, offering you only a half dozen sliders vs. a endless number of options when using a adjustment layer and mask. Nik charges you $200 to be able to do something you could already do in the same amount of time .

There is a huge difference in learning curve, and for some people, time is money.

Disclaimer: Nik, OnOne, and AlienSkin: all way out of my price range.

pathfinder

Mark, I will not argue the merits, or lack thereof, of software I have purchased and been satisfied with. I get no software for free, and am not paid to suggest any software, so I feel I am as unbiased as most folks.

Is Viveza the best plug in out there? - no, probably not, but it is useful at times, and was definitely more useful prior to CS4 or CS5. Vibrance controls have allowed us to enhance images differently than we did 5 years ago.

Silver EFex gets raves review from some folks, and I have seen gorgeous images attributed to its use. But in my hands, I am usually happier with results I get from Channel Mixer, or its updated CS5 equivalent called Image >Adjustment >B&W

MarkR

pathfinder wrote: »

Mark, I will not argue the merits, or lack thereof, of software I have purchased and been satisfied with. I get no software for free, and am not paid to suggest any software, so I feel I am as unbiased as most folks.

Is Viveza the best plug in out there? - no, probably not, but it is useful at times, and was definitely more useful prior to CS4 or CS5. Vibrance controls have allowed us to enhance images differently than we did 5 years ago.

Silver EFex gets raves review from some folks, and I have seen gorgeous images attributed to its use. But in my hands, I am usually happier with results I get from Channel Mixer, or its updated CS5 equivalent called Image >Adjustment >B&W

I was actually defending Viveza, sorta. Just too far out of my price league to make it worth my while. If my livelihood depended on getting quality images out fast, I'd probably reach for a Viveza before thinking about layers, masking, etc.

Oh, and what's with this 14-day trial period thing anyway? /sulk

racer

pathfinder wrote: »

Silver Efex gets raves review from some folks, and I have seen gorgeous images attributed to its use. But in my hands, I am usually happier with results I get from Channel Mixer, or its updated CS5 equivalent called Image >Adjustment >B&W

I think of Silver Efex as being more like the special effects filter, like Color Efex. Any sort of B&W can be made very easy without the Nik plugin, but Silver Efex allows you to see creative effects you might not have thought of without it. Its espcially useful if you want to emulate a certain B&W film look, but dont have that type of photo to reference, or dont want to spend hours trying to get a proper match.

I have only started seriously using photoshop with CS3, and then, I didnt know much about it. Viveza could have been cutting edge and very useful then. It is only my opinion that with CS5, it takes 15 minutes for someone to learn how to make a adjustment layer and edit a mask.
The OP asked for thoughts on these plugins, this is what I think about them, I wasnt trying to start anything with you or anyone, just trying to give a different viewpoint from what everyone else posted

pathfinder

I agree that the ability to see a real time preview image with a plug in, like with Color Efex or Silver Efex, can be very valuable, and let one try things they might not have considered.. Silver Efex does allow film emulation I had forgotten that.

Playing with sliders is how I use Topaz Adjust at times - kind of just playing around with the sliders and seeing if something looks worthwhile exploring. Photoshop and ACR, as well as Lightroom, are all built around sliders and real time image evaluation now, but it wasn't always that easy. A plug in that does not let you see the result until you are done with it is just not worth the time to me either, racer.

No hard feelings, guys, image editing has lots of different ways to accomplish similar goals, and we may arrive at our destinations via different roads, some easy, some bumpy, but the important thing is that we can get where we want to go....whether we take the highway or a backroad. Sometimes I prefer the backroads, and sometimes I just want to roar down the Interstate.