Plug-In: which is the best lens blur plugin similar to cs6?

[mantra]

Hi

i did a search and i found many programs

for example focalpoint 2 , alien skin bokeh 2 and other

did you test them ?

which is the best to isolate to subject and blur the background ?

thanks in advance
cheers

[pellepiano]

The cheapest is Lens Blur, thats been in Photoshop for years. You can use depth masks to have gradual blur. Its rather slow though and the bokeh highlights are hard to control.Otherwise it works much like the other filters.

I use Focal Point as it has most options inside the filter, you can paint and add to the mask, and have good control over blurred areas with contrast and other stuff. The negative is the bokeh circles that are not contrasty enough, alomost pastell like. In that sense Alien Skin Bokeh is better. Then ther is Topaz lens Effects taht is priced nicely, but has a strange interface in my opinion, and the masking is odd.

No filter masks automatically, although Topaz tries to get some groundwork done automatically. So you need some masking skills on whatever filter you choose.

[mantra]

Originally Posted by pellepiano

The cheapest is Lens Blur, thats been in Photoshop for years. You can use depth masks to have gradual blur. Its rather slow though and the bokeh highlights are hard to control.Otherwise it works much like the other filters.

I use Focal Point as it has most options inside the filter, you can paint and add to the mask, and have good control over blurred areas with contrast and other stuff. The negative is the bokeh circles that are not contrasty enough, alomost pastell like. In that sense Alien Skin Bokeh is better. Then ther is Topaz lens Effects taht is priced nicely, but has a strange interface in my opinion, and the masking is odd.

No filter masks automatically, although Topaz tries to get some groundwork done automatically. So you need some masking skills on whatever filter you choose.

thanks
in short the new cs6 blur lens is unique , there is not plugin that can compete

cheers<

[Chain]

Have Adobe done any changes to Lens Blur in CS6? I've never been really happy with it...

Has anyone tried Lenscare from http://www.frischluft.com/ ? I've not tried all these 3rd party plugins so I don't know how it stacks up.
I remember trying it years ago and I found it amazing. Very quick, can use custom images for the aperture shape, an interesting "distortion for semi-transparent areas" feature and also works in AE (for video).

Ps: The "Flair" plugin also have a couple of nice blur-filters (I like the "aberrative" options, does anyone else have that?).

[pellepiano]

The CS6 new blur plugin does not understand depth mask selections the normal way, in my mind the most important thing. It also lacks control of the mask. I do like the bokeh tools though. It can make good blown out things.
Here is a image showing the result of using the same depth mask on the same image i CS6 and in Focal Point.

[mantra]

Originally Posted by pellepiano

The CS6 new blur plugin does not understand depth mask selections the normal way, in my mind the most important thing. It also lacks control of the mask. I do like the bokeh tools though. It can make good blown out things.
Here is a image showing the result of using the same depth mask on the same image i CS6 and in Focal Point.

i like focal point a lot of more
sadly it doesn't have the mask ability , i mean for example i want to mask a tree with many limbs , and blur the background

there is not a plugin that can mask the tree and limbs , keep it not blurred , and blur the background

thanks
cheers

ps about many plugins, i don't like their installation, they are invasive , the use the usual napoleon copy protection (i'm not again the copy protetion but i don't like whose can harm an operation system = and spread files in the photoshop folder

[JDClosser]

Originally Posted by pellepiano

The cheapest is Lens Blur, thats been in Photoshop for years. You can use depth masks to have gradual blur. Its rather slow though and the bokeh highlights are hard to control.Otherwise it works much like the other filters.

I use Focal Point as it has most options inside the filter, you can paint and add to the mask, and have good control over blurred areas with contrast and other stuff. The negative is the bokeh circles that are not contrasty enough, alomost pastell like. In that sense Alien Skin Bokeh is better. Then ther is Topaz lens Effects taht is priced nicely, but has a strange interface in my opinion, and the masking is odd.

No filter masks automatically, although Topaz tries to get some groundwork done automatically. So you need some masking skills on whatever filter you choose.

I agree 100%.
I use bokeh but you definetly need to setup your mask. There is no program that I am aware of that does the masking and the blurring together.

[mantra]

Originally Posted by JDClosser

I agree 100%.
I use bokeh but you definetly need to setup your mask. There is no program that I am aware of that does the masking and the blurring together.

the new cs6 blur filter should do it

thanks
cheers

[plugsnpixels]

Topaz Lens Effects has masking ability, and is discounted.

See examples of other plug-in options here under "Focus adjustment".

[Stroker]

http://www.dofpro.com/overview.htm

[plugsnpixels]

Originally Posted by Stroker

http://www.dofpro.com/overview.htm

I have that listed here under a slightly different name.

[JDClosser]

Originally Posted by mantra

the new cs6 blur filter should do it

thanks
cheers

It should and it would be great but it does not unfortunately.

[Chain]

I just tested CS6 beta, and as far as I can see, the new blur filter they have added won't allow you to pick a depth map...

To me it seem quite pointless; it's like a faster version of Lens Blur with the most important feature (depth map) removed... I was kind of hoping they would have added options for a nicer aperture/bokeh effect at least. :/

So for Photoshop Lens Blur is still the best we've got. If you want something better, 3rd party plugins will do the trick...

Ps: I wish they would add a proper Lens Flare filter, a motion blur that adds more of a motion trail (blurring in one direction instead of two) along with something similar to the "volumetrics" filter from frischluft for adding lovely light rays... None of this is exactly ground breaking tech so I'm sure they could do it.

[mantra]

Originally Posted by Stroker

http://www.dofpro.com/overview.htm

Originally Posted by plugsnpixels

I have that listed here under a slightly different name.

nice thanks
but it doesn't mask ,does it?

[plugsnpixels]

Demos are available if you wish to try it. But it's from 2009 so may not be actively developed anymore.