on1 prefect suite. Do I want it?

[Merluza]

I've got Perfect Mask 5 and as a result I keep getting special offers from on1. I get them so often that I consider the offer price to be the actual one. Anyway here's another and I was tempted but really all I really care about is the masking tool which they have supposedly improved and added to the layers part. Are any of the other bits of the package worth having and is the Masking Tool really any better? it only costs about £70 but I already have OP10 and Capture1, as well as Photoshop? I feel that I have enough clutter but am I missing anything by not using their full suite? I'm vaguely interested in the Resize option. Does anybody find the full package worthwhile and make good use of it?

 

[Carlh]

Cant you download a trial version and find out?

 

[Brian G]

Cant you download a trial version and find out?

Yes. Like most software companies you can download a 30 day trial and assess it for yourself.
OnOne also offer a "30 day money back guarantee" although I'm not sure what that covers.

 

[Merluza]

Thanks, yes that's the sensible thing to do but I was hoping for some opinions as well. They are particularly strong on presets whose value generally evades me, it would be nice to hear from an enthusiast if there are any on the site and anyone who has used the updated Perfect Mask.

 

[shreds]

If you have Capture One then you probably have some pretty powerful tools there already. Presets may not hit the exact look you are after anyway, so tweaking it in the first place ain't that much more difficult.

But see how you go on with the trial.

Just be aware that you will keep getting bombarded with the special offers until you give in or unsubscribe. Oh and having the full suite is usually far cheaper than getting the component parts unless you are very selective.

 

[Paul-H]

Hi

I will end up wanting to keep the older masking tool as it is so much better than the one included in their latest software, they tried to dumb it down to make it easier to use but lost all the little edges that made \mask 5 so good.

Mind you they are not alone in doing that Topaz Mask3 is so much better than Mask 4 for the same reasons.

Why do these software makers think Dumber is Better ?

Paul

 

[juggler]

Hi

I will end up wanting to keep the older masking tool as it is so much better than the one included in their latest software, they tried to dumb it down to make it easier to use but lost all the little edges that made \mask 5 so good.

Mind you they are not alone in doing that Topaz Mask3 is so much better than Mask 4 for the same reasons.

Why do these software makers think Dumber is Better ?

Paul

I haven't yet managed to create acceptable results using Topaz Remask 4. Am I alone?

 

[Muzzieman]

If you don't want to shell out for photoshop I would highly recommend it. This advice is only from using version 7 a while ago though.

 

[ancient_mariner]

I'm using version 8.5. For me, the 2 key modules are perfect effects (especially dynamic contrast and glow) and perfect B&W (tonal control is V easy, and I like the split toning controls) and perfect resize for adding borders for printing.

No single software package excels in every area: for me, DX Optics pro is best for initial development, Lightroom for dynamic range and tonal control + cataloguing, Perfect photo suite for final polish.

 

[Brian G]

I must confess to being a bit of a "toy" collector, and I have Perfect Effects (started with v8 and recently went to v9) the Nik collection and the full set of Topaz plug-ins.
Of them all, I find I use Topaz "Adjust", "Detail" and "Clarity" the most often, although certainly not on every image - most of the time Lightroom does enough by itself.
OnOne has some nice features and if you want to do layers without Photoshop, it's a good option, but I've not really used it that much and I'm less familiar with it in the way I am with Topaz.
OnOne do some excellent webinar tutorials which are archived on "YouTube" so it might be worth checking out a few of those.

As for the OP's question of "Do I want it?" - these software add-ons are very much a case of personal choice, and the effect I'm looking for is not necessarily the one that you want - hence my suggestion to download a trial and have a play with it. As ancient_mariner says above "No single software package excels in every area."
OnOne, Nik and Topaz effects all come with pre-sets, but they should be regarded as starting points, and you have a comprehensive range of sliders that can be adjusted to give as much or as little of the effect that you want.