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New Topaz Video AI brings All-new enhancement model, Plus After Effects integration, alpha layer support, and more

Topaz just released the new Video AI 5.2 version (Click here to see th product page). Press text:

This release includes the new Rhea Enhancement model, Pro seat management, Frame Interpolation for After Effects, Alpha layer support, and many UI and backend fixes.

  1. Rhea Enhancement Model

Rhea represents a combination of Proteus and Iris. The model is intended to be more accurate in preserving fine details across a wider range of subjects, while also handling text in a less destructive way.

This model and Rhea internally processes inputs at 4x scale and then downscales to your selected output resolution.

We’re very excited to see your results with Rhea, here are some example frames from this model:

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  1. Frame Interpolation for After Effects

Today we are also launching Frame Interpolation in Adobe After Effects. This plugin addition includes access to all Frame Interpolation models for up to 16x slow motion conversion.

For more information on using the After Effects Frame Interpolation plugin, see this post in the Video AI Plug-ins forum section. 62

  1. Alpha (transparency) layer support

Video AI can now copy alpha layers from inputs and merge them back with AI model output videos. Alpha layer copying is supported in the following codecs:

  • QuickTime Animation
  • TIFF
  • PNG

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Pro seat management

After a pre-launch period with several Pro teams around the world, Video AI Pro will be officially launching later this week. This new license tier offers seat management, commercial usage rights, and multi-GPU support for teams working with Video AI.

As part of this transition in licensing, we will be discontinuing the previous implementation of multi-GPU rendering for the standard license. Our team found that less than 2% of users made use of the multi-GPU setting, and further development will be focused on multi-GPU optimization for Pro teams.

If you are affected by this change and would like to discuss further options, please contact enterprise@topazlabs.com

Bug fixes & other improvements:

  • Preview set saving functionality restored.
  • UI lag greatly reduced, specifically for long operations.
  • Ensures colorspace correctness for input videos with a wider list of colorspace related flags.
    – Uses the setparams filter instead of -colorspace, ... flags to explicitly override the input metadata to ensure only the metadata tags are updated without changing the video data itself.
  • Timeline width now adjusts correctly between different video inputs.
  • Export preferences now save consistently.
  • Added pause/resume controls to right-click menu.
  • Fixed crop settings auto-populating after first digit.
  • Time remaining/elapsed toggle now available for both Previews and Exports.
  • Fixed “Open in Explorer/Finder” button for previews and exports.
  • Disabled automatic generation of TIFF sequences for Previews. These temporary files are no longer in use and the app now reads preview files in the selected Export format.

Venus Optics officially announced the new Laowa CF 12-24mm f/5.6 Zoom Shift lens

Venus Optics just announced this new Laowa Zoom Shift APS-C lens. Preorders will open soon on their website and on BHphoto.

Main Specs:

  • Format:
    Full size: no shift support
    APS-C: ±7mm shift support
  • Mount: E / L / RF / Z / X
  • Focal length: 12-24mm (equivalent to 18-36mm on APS-C)
  • Aperture value: F5.6-F22
  • Aperture blades: 9
  • Lens construction: 15 elements in 11 groups
    , 2 aspherical lenses
    , 3 ED lenses
  • Minimum shooting distance: 0.15m
  • Maximum magnification: 0.4x
  • Filter diameter: 77mm
  • Size: φ80×98.91mm
  • Weight: 575g
  • Dust and water resistance: –
  • AF:MF only
  • Image stabilization: –
  • Other functions:
    ±7mm shift

The web goes frenzy on the Z7III: Some claim it’s not coming, some claim to know the specs…


New Z6III  at BHphoto, Amazon, Adorama, FotoErhardt, WexUK

The new Z6III is a nice camera and that’s why some now question if a new Z7III is actually necessary. PetaPixel wrote that While the Z6 III Is Here, a Z7 III is Far Less of a Certainty:

The only way I can see Nikon can release the Z7 III is to change what photographers have come to expect from it. The only camera really “missing” from Nikon’s lineup is a video-focused system like Canon’s R5C, Sony’s a7S, or Panasonic’s S5 IIX.

On the opposite on Weibo people claim to know the Z7III si coming and is likely to have those specs:

– Accelerated FX-format 90.75MP BSI CMOS sensor
– Cross-pixel Super Pixel Package sensor mode with pseudo LPF (10.1M)
– Four image size selections: L/M/S/B (only L/B for RAW)
– EXPEED 7 processor
– Four-leaf button
– Easy-to-use two-axis multi-angle LCD screen, high-brightness EVF
– Optimized body grip
– 8-stage IBIS, enhanced gyro video electronic image stabilization
– Pixel shift high-resolution shooting
– Dual data stream AF system, updated AI focus algorithm and process, more powerful than Z 9 and Z 8 –
FX/DX-format 14-bit RAW mechanical shutter continuous shooting up to 14fps
– FX-format B-size 14-bit RAW electronic shutter continuous shooting up to 20fps
– HEIF/JPG electronic shutter continuous shooting mode: C30 (FX-B/DX-L), C60 (FX-B/DX-M), C120 (FX-B)
– High quality video sampling modes are 12K-FX, 8K-DX, 4K-FX
– 12-bit N-RAW recording up to FX 12K/30p and 4K/120p, DX 8K/60p
– Supports non-pixel-to-pixel N-RAW encoding
– Up to UHD 8K/30p and 5.4K/60p and 4K/120p H.265 10-bit 4:2:0 MOV video
– Supports 4K ProRes 422 HQ 10-bit MOV video up to 4K/60p, ProRes RAW encoding
– N-log2 with IPP2
– Precise shutter angle options
– Separation of project frame rate and shooting frame rate (S&Q in Codec)
– Two card slots, support CFexpress B, SD UHS-II
– Supports WiFi 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth LE connectivity
– USB-C fast charging and HDMI Type-A connectivity

My take is that nobody knows a thing about the Z7III and that all that this means is that it might be not coming any time soon.