If you’ve ever had to increase your ISO a lot or attempted to capture quick movements in poor lighting, you understand the frustration of dealing with digital noise. Adobe’s tools don’t always fix the problem. This might explain why Topaz Photo AI has gained a lot of hype. But has Version 4 finally perfected noise reduction?
Matt Kloskowski, an expert in photo editing, tested it out. After watching his video, I’ll share my honest thoughts, balancing skepticism with hope.
Noise Reduction in Topaz Photo AI V4: A Serious Glow-Up?
Matt has found that the noise reduction feature in Topaz Photo AI Version 4 is improved, significantly faster, and more effective. He notes that it works about 30% quicker than before, so you won’t be left waiting long for Super Focus to finish its task.
Speaking of Super Focus, it’s officially out of beta now. This tool can help save those slightly blurry photos you might have otherwise deleted. You know the type: the composition and the moment are correct, but it’s just a bit out of focus. Matt says Super Focus can help recover those images, but he cautions against overusing it, as it can make pictures look too sharp if you’re not careful.
After watching Matt’s video, I think it does a good job of restoring fine details without leaving that unnatural appearance that some other programs create.
Another impressive update is how images are restored. Topaz Photo AI V4 has improved significantly in fixing dust, scratches, recovering text, and enhancing facial details.
Previously, you had to open Photoshop, use multiple tools, zoom in a lot, and fix each imperfection by hand. Now, Topaz can handle much of this work for you automatically. While it may not be perfect (you might still want to make some minor adjustments), it reduces editing time.
Matt says his tools for recovering faces and improving text clarity are much better than Photoshop’s Neural Filters. If you’re dealing with old scanned photos or anything that needs improvement, this could change how you edit.
So, Should You Ditch Adobe? Not So Fast
This isn’t a critique of Adobe. It remains essential for many photographers and is here to stay. However, if you often work with challenging images, like those with high ISO, blur, or damage, Topaz might be the hidden tool you’ve been looking for.
One great feature is that you can use Topaz as a plugin in Lightroom or Photoshop, or run it as a standalone application. This flexibility helps keep your workflow efficient, especially when using different software. Matt even suggests processing raw files in Topaz before making any edits, as it tends to produce much cleaner results.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I doubt any software will ever completely perfect noise reduction, at least not in a way where you can just set it and forget it. However, this new version comes close. Topaz Photo AI version 4 is more than just a minor update. It feels like a significant improvement that enhances speed, sharpness, and user-friendliness in meaningful ways.
If you already use Topaz, this update is worth trying. If you don’t use it yet but are frustrated with blurry high-ISO images or spend too much time fixing old scans, it might be worth trying.
I’m genuinely impressed. The changes are not just talk. They show real results. But why not test it on one of your images and see for yourself? You might be surprised by how much you can salvage.
