Slightly better than stepping on a Lego

I thought they were all gone for the year.

Male and female yellow rumped warblers (I think)

Both prettied up (Topaz Photo) images obtained with R5II and 200-800 @ 800; ISO 4K and 5K; 1/250s





Learning from this forum and a bit elsewhere, I think I've figured out the following:

What I originally knew as Topaz Photo (and its perpetual license) was renamed (awhile ago?) as Topaz Photo AI.

I presume the perpetual license for the AI version will remain perpetual (for Photo AI) but not be included in any future updates.

What is now 'Topaz Photo' is supposedly new-and-better, and using the new Topaz Photo will require a subscription.

With my current Topaz Photo one-year 'membership' (which was due for renewal next month), I have now been granted access to the new Topaz Photo (presumably until my renewal date...at which time I will have to decide whether I want to subscribe to the new Topaz Photo).

PLEASE IF I HAVE THIS WRONG DO NOT HESITATE TO POST

It appears that the subscription rate for the new Topaz Photo is $199 per year.

As posted here in this thread, that is a steep, steep price. Too steep.

On the other hand...

...I have found the product very, very useful at times...in fact, almost indispensable for certain tasks. And it can be kind of fun to use!

Apparently currently paid-up users will be offered some sort of discount; I will need to see the amount of that discount, and will think long-and-hard about the subscribing/renewing possibilities; I stuck with a legacy non-subscription Photoshop for well over a decade...(well, I'm almost embarrassed to say how long).

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Earlier in this thread, I was encouraged to 'put my camera away' after the Golden Hour in that nothing good happens with images obtained with so little light.

I'm sure that is (sort of) right...but part of why I read this forum is to see how people get the most out of their gear (especially hand-held) and their software, so that I can do the same.

At that time of day I'm usually outside grilling...looking out for (and occasionally imaging) backyard birds gives me something to do...while I'm burning dinner.

So I will continue shooting in the early evening, which, sadly, gets earlier and earlier this time of year...(and then the shock of Standard Time arrives).

AlanF said:

Where did you take it? It's a Sympetrum darwinianum, commonly known as the Darwin’s darter

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I photographed it in the "Kurobe Gorge", near Toyama. It's one of the deepest gorges in Japan. We accessed it by train, ready to hike a bit, which, unfortunately, couldn't be done. There had been an earthquake some time before, so it would have been dangerous to walk in that very steep gorge.
I took my revenge on the dragonfly!

Mekos said:

So: 34.2mp, €2900, the same LCD mechanism... More pixels, more money, same LCD mechanism, not much above my R6II... I'll keep it till a "new" R6IV.

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The primary target audience of incremental upgrades is people who don't have the previous model.

ISv said:

These are from today (another hot for the season day at ~31C and with the humidity, despite of the strong winds, it feels even worst!). Still without DxO PL...

View attachment 226532View attachment 226533View attachment 226534View attachment 226535

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What’s the name of the gray and black bird? Also, fantastic photos