Who Would Want These Luminar Neo Extensions Anyway?

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

📌 Take your images from blah to WOW with just 3 tools 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWe0k3ZjirGUm6M My Luminar Neo Course: www.digitalphotomentor.com/luminar-neo-course/

[@NJM1948]

I haven't taken the plunge purely because I don't need the whole set. I have the Topaz products and annual upgrade package already so won't be duplicating those. I would get Focus Stacking and Background Removal and your news that they can be purchased separately when all of the extensions are released is great news.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

That makes sense. Happy to help

[@PhenMr]

The low light is awesome i need that

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Low light? You mean Denoise?

[@jordanfreedman2254]

Originally, I was only going to get "Noiseless" to see how it worked on Milky Way photos. Then while looking, I saw the value of "Sharpen" for freediving shots. Then I looked at the ease of photo stacking and HDR for my landscape and architecture... you see where I am going lol! It is on sale, so decided to get the full package with Magic Light for my city shots included. I may never use Background replacement, but who knows? $99 on sale for all 7? If I just used 4, I'd be getting a huge deal for the tools... and I can guarantee I'll use 6 of the 7 if they all work well. Thanks so much for your walkthrough!

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Good choice!

[@raylynch8419]

Hi Darlene, Thank you for another great video about Luminar Neo. Honestly, I have to say, if it wasn't for you, I would be completely lost regarding all the bits and pieces that seem to make up Neo. As I have said before, to me it seems that Skylum release new stuff in a most unplanned, jumbled, confusing fashion and for me, it becomes a major exercise just keeping up with their various offerings - let alone how to find them in Neo and how to actually use them. I still hold the view that Skylum is a weird company and the way the produce their products is equally weird. Darlene, without you to provide these updates and explanations, I would have given up on Neo months ago. The people at Skylum should give you a medal for helping keep us users informed, and explaining what is going on 👍

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Lol thanks for that Ray

[@rebeccamoore4177]

I came to Neo after AI and never owned the topaz products so for me when this all happened I felt like it was a choice between buying topaz and having to switch back and forth when editing or hope for the best with the extensions and have an all in one solution. So I did buy the extensions blindly. But I am optimistic that they will continue to improve the weaknesses in Neo and the extensions so that my dream will come true. 🌈🧚🏻🦄

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

I agree I'm optimistic too

[@colinmelhuish1254]

Thanks for the run through. A great quick guide. You answered one question I was going to pursue and thats why I cannot see HDR extension etc, Not available through a plug in. So I guess can drop an image straight in . Thanks for all your informative videos which I am working my way through.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

You're welcome. Yes if you use Neo as a plug-in HDR, focus stacking and Upscale won't be visible. If you want to use HDR merge open the stand alone version of Neo and add the bracketed images. Once it's merged you can take that new image back to LR by importing it there. Bit of a work around

[@johns7988]

Thanks Darlene, this is an excellent summary of the whole extensions situation. Very helpful.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

You're welcome

[@marcrjacobs]

Hi Darlene; I have purchased all of the extensions through 2023, but as of 11/10/2023 @ 7:35am CST, I only have HDR Merge and Noiseless AI. All the others just say "Preordered". In the meantime I use the Topaz utilites for all this. It will be nice having them all in Neo.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Check for updates on Neo itself. You need to install the newest version then the extensions should show as being available to install

[@marcrjacobs]

@@DigitalPhotoMentor Thanks, just got the update and extensions... starting to play with them now. So far so good. Still not at Topaz levels, but wait till Neo has been doing it as long as Topaz. It will be awesome.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@marcrjacobs I agree with that assessment. These tools are brand new and given a bit of time I fully expect them to at least equal Topaz

[@michaelhale416]

I have the lifetime version of Luminar Neo and have purchased the extension package. Really looking forward to the focus stacking, and upscaling extensions. I have been dabbling in close-up/macro photography, especially with the winter months upon us here in Edmonton. For the upscale, I hope to digitize a lot of our old negatives and slides. Thanks for the introduction to these extensions. Cheers.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Check for updates to Neo. Install that then all the extensions should be available for you to install

[@beerandgasolinemagazine5581]

Lifetime actually means like a year or two...maybe three if you're lucky. They'll discontinue Neo by just calling it something else and then they'll sell you a lifetime license all over again.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@beerandgasolinemagazine5581 Well that's not correct because if you buy it you own it forever. They don't take it away. That's what lifetime license means. It doesn't mean you get infinite upgrades forever for free. Nobody does that.

[@beerandgasolinemagazine5581]

@@DigitalPhotoMentor No, they don't take it away but what they do is just change the name of it in a year or two and call it a new product then they stop providing updates for the previous products. Look in your Luminar 4 folder and then looking in the Luminar Neo folder. Luminar 4 is still buggy, they just abandon it and then rebrand it at something else without fixing previous bugs.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@beerandgasolinemagazine5581 You've clearly made up your mind about it which is fine. I'm not here to convince anyone of anything. Choose what is right for you.

[@Larry-if9xb]

I bought the pro plan because to get the extensions because I need all the help I get.

[@RobCooper]

Lol. I hear ya

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Lol thanks for your candor and sense of humor

[@paulmeachen2306]

The countdown timer on their website now appears to have been reset for release at 7PM GMT - another three hours to wait!

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

They should be available now. Make sure to check for updates to Neo first. Then the extensions should show they are available to install

[@twopoolpeople]

Thank you for another "to the pont" video! I will never pre-order anything from Skylum again. I am a Windows user and their products seem to always be an afterthought for us. Features that were to be in the product are missing while they were included the it MAC version. The have a bad history with marketing products for Windows that haven't been either developed or ready. I was among the first to order NEO and just like all the other Luminar products for Windows users features that were sold "were to be coming in future updates" All this negative said, I like NEO but will only buy their finished, working products long after their release.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

That's a fair decision

[@bobcallahan2356]

I only have one choice in super sharp and no drop down box. The single choice I have is motion blur. Ideas?

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

The beta version I was given had all 3 but apparently only motion blur was shipped with version 1.5. So you aren't missing anything just wait for the next update

[@seanarmstrong8460]

I have the regular subscription. I’m still waiting to download these new extensions… getting a little impatient for focus stacking

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

It is available as of today. Check for updates to Neo and then check the extensions. It should be there now as well as the 3 other new ones

[@brendamilstein1062]

I will wait as I bought Neo when it was in its Beta stage and so already have Topaz denoise, sharpen & Gigapixel but would like background remove so let's hope they release plug-ins as individual items.... I don't like being hooked into subscriptions....

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Yes they will be available individually eventually

[@ThePNWRiderWA]

It would be interesting to see the major rival ( on1) compared with the plugins vs Topaz. No one seems to compare the upsizing tools bs enhance that Adobe has in LR and PS. I find it works very well for my older iPhone pics. Inside of PS one of the experimental or beta tools is jpeg artifact removal. If you do upsize the On1 tool leaves a lot of artifacts if it’s over expanded. The Adobe plugin does a great job of removing the artifacts and makes it very printable.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Thanks for your comment. I've reviewed On1 Raw in the past and I'm personally not a fan. I much prefer the Luminar interface and tools. As for LR and PS upscale, the point is that many people that use Luminar don't have or want PS. So it's an alternative

[@richardsasserath5494]

Thanks for all your videos. I purchased all the extensions and running Supersharp AI, I only get one choice, the “motion blur” option. There is no down arrow and there were no other choices. Do you have any idea why it’s like this?

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

I have seen others in groups reporting that too. I am not sure but I'd suggest reinstalling it and if that doesn't work contact skylum support

[@antoniobento7538]

Hi. Nice video. Does upscale uses AI or it's a resize like se have on affinity or PS ? Thanks

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

It uses AI, I'm not sure what or how Affinity does it

[@PistouandPastis]

I appreciate your video. So far these extensions are not exciting and need tons of work. I wish they would either admit they use their base for beta testing (which I would be fine with) or don't feel the need to rush products out without sufficient testing. In your focus stacking example, the plant in the left corner has a lot of artifacts and looks worse than having it blurry to my eye. I noticed weird artifacts with super sharp as well. It is a pity they discontinued Aurora HDR as it was leaps and bounds better than anything else. The hdr extension is ok but not as good as Aurora is at processing. I know they claim it is the same engine but it obviously isn't.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Not sure about artifacts in focus stacking. I haven't noticed that. As for HDR I find the extension really good. So to each their own. Make the choice that's right for you

[@PistouandPastis]

@@DigitalPhotoMentor Look at minute 3:29. There are several out of focus branches, especially the ones over the river including a ghost of one. Go back to minute 3:15 and there are no ghosts and no blur. Go to minute 3:20 and the branch over the river is blurry as expected but no ghosts. I think it is completely ok to say that the focus stacking needs work still. To say it is not there and not noticeable is not being truthful. Skylum needs this honest truthful review of their products to improve them.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@PistouandPastis Ah okay I wouldn't call those artifacts I call them ghosts. I agree the tool does need a Deghosting function. If I had to hazard a guess, Skylum has already likely been flooded with that request and I'd be really surprised if that's not added in the next update. Like that did with Chromatic aberration on the HDR merge. The people spoke, and they fixed it.

[@paulmeachen3886]

According to their website there will be four extensions released at 4PM (GMT) today. It's currently 2:15PM here in the U.K.- so 1hr 45 mins to go according to their live countdown. When exactly do you think focus stacking was released? Or have you jumped the gun?

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Focus stacking is one of the 4 that came out today. So you're right my wording on that one may be incorrect. But they should all be available now

[@KrunchyJD]

I have al the current extensions. However it would appear there are more extensions coming, but what are they, I havent seen them, or anything about them...

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

They haven't done any announcements recently. But we have a partner meeting next week and they said they will be revealing something so expect one soon

[@JoeB_BSc]

Hi, I signed up to get a Black Friday deal in my opinion. Unfortunately, I hadn't found your channel. so missed your discount; but my main reasons are that in my opinion: Photoshop costs more per annum, and when I used to subscribe to it, I found it too complex, to just pickup and work with, whereas these new extensions esp for blur and background removal are going to be great for the car and motorbike photos I take. Thank you for this excellent tutorial on these Luminar Neo extensions 2022. In the background removal, are you able to rotate the lighting to match eg the image shown so that they appear to be synchronised, please? Regards JB.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Good choice on getting it! I'm not sure what you mean by "rotate the lighting" - you can flip an image (side to side) but you cannot alter the lighting other than that.

[@JoeB_BSc]

@Digital Photo Mentor Hi, yes flipping the image is what I meant, eg, in your example, flipping the image would have made it approximately similar, then I opine: Dodge and Burn could have made the image alike perhaps.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@JoeB_BSc Which one? I did several examples.

[@jamesbartoschsr.9474]

I show that I have installed 8 extensions but only 3 show N,S & M. I cannot find them???

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Focus stacking, HDR, upscale, and panorama are in the catalog module. Background removal is in the layer

[@saulcalderon9777]

i tried to download those and my are still pending

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Check for updates to Neo itself first. You need the new version installed then the extensions will show as being ready to install

[@harrogatefan4976]

I bought Neo when it first came out i have one update HDR and now will have to pay for all the new extensions , no thank you some of the the extensions will cost more than the original Programme cost i thought if you bought the programme all extensions where free £229 for a year to much for a pensioner on a state pension

[@RobCooper]

I believe they're optional. In other words... if you want them and think you'll get use from them, buy them all or just wait and buy the ones you want. On the other hand, if you don't want thwm or need them, don't buy them. I buy a coffee feom my local coffee shop but I am not forced to buy a muffin for example. I don't want thw muffin, so while it's offered, I won't buy one.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Yes Rob is correct. They're optional and other software companies have the same model. On1 for example.

[@Lysander-Spooner]

All I have is "Motion Blur" in Supersharp. I do not have a pick list for other options. What is going on? MULTIPLE reports on the Skylum user forum. What IS going on is FALSE advertising by Skylum. They now ADMIT they only shipped Motion Blur in version 1.5!

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

First I heard of that. The beta test version i was given has all 3.

[@Lysander-Spooner]

@@DigitalPhotoMentor For some reason they did not release the entire tool. They said on the forum that it would be coming in a future update. Do you find the tool not working well for focus blur? That is they only reason not to release what they promised and what was in the beta. Have. you installed the release version? IF you do you will see what the did.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@Lysander-Spooner Yes I have now and I do see. Thanks for this. I'm not sure why they did that. I was not aware it would be shipped that way.

[@Lysander-Spooner]

@@DigitalPhotoMentor If there is a problem with the extension they should not have released it until all functions worked. Even on their website it STILL mentions focus blur. That is not available and false advertising.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@Lysander-Spooner I understand, I've emailed my contact at Skylum to see what I can find out about this

[@felixthecat1882]

My version of Luminar Supersharp AI only has the 'motion blur' option 😾

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Yes apparently that's how it shipped. Now that I updated to 1.5 that's all I have too. The beta I was given had all 3

[@davidbarba4976]

Remember the good old days when you bought the newest version of Luminar and many of these improvements would have been updates to improve the users experience and kept you as a loyal customer for their next software version. Now they call them extensions at a hefty buy in or try to move you to a subscription based model, the very reason I left Lightroom. Very disappointing.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

You still have the option of buying Luminar Neo outright and the reason the extensions are extra is to keep the basic price of the program lower. So people who don't want or need the stuff the extensions do can pay less for the program. If you want more bells and whistles, then get the extensions. You can't buy LR outright

[@davidbarba4976]

I do own Neo and have used their products almost since the beginning. Just expressing I’m not excited about the new direction.

[@ddizon666]

i have purchase but dont show up my software account try to contact but luck talking to a robot

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Just email them [e-mail]

[@andrewhillphotosvideos2909]

I got the extentions because I thought they was free..

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

I'm confused. If you "got" them you'd have to have paid for them. If you didn't pay, you can't get them. HDR Merge was free if you owned Aurora HDR 2019. The rest are optional.

[@RobCooper]

Hey. Theres a cat in the video

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Yup lol

[@bnoticedproduction1615]

The problem with Skylum software is the deception. I have bought every form of every Skylum Offering for the last five years and NEO was a fraudulent roll out. The Extensions they now offer where part of the promised advertisement for the software early purchase. AI Background removal is now an extension but was the big hook originally. I use mainly Capture One 23 and will no long support Skylum Products.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

That's incorrect and I suggest you not use words like fraud unless you have legal means to back it up. That's slander otherwise

[@bnoticedproduction1615]

@@DigitalPhotoMentor Sure do, just watch the original advertisement. I used the word on purpose. The advertisement

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@bnoticedproduction1615 This? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6TWXolslNtlgpI - It clearly shows a portrait background being removed. Also, if you are holding them to a promise made in a 30 second ad a year ago, then I suggest you just make a different choice and use another software.

[@sfeigh]

I have these extensions with Luminar NEO. Unfortunately, Luminar NEO is completely useless on my computer. I had purchased NEO when it first became available. To say I was disappointed after really enjoying the work from Luminar 4 is an understatement. I found nothing good about the software at all. I hated to ask for the refund while the people who run Skylum were busy with war at their back door, but I had no choice. A short while ago I got the NEW UPDATE NEW UPDATE WITH LOTS OF STUFF AND FIXES. I then decided that I would "try again" and once again give NEO a go. I should have said no. The software is so sluggish and runs so slow, that it makes the old school Commodor 64 system seem like a speed demon. The Spinning Ball of Death stays so long that I have on more than one occasion been forced to manually shut down my iMac and restart just to get out of the LUMINAR NEO system. I have an Apple Mac running MacOS Monterey 12.6.2 with 857.82 GB on a 1.2 TB hard drive available, with a 3.3 GHz Quad-Core i7 and 16GB of memory. It runs in slow-motion. Then gets slower. I've not asked for a refund. Nor have i deleted it from my computer. Yet. But I have gone back to using Capture One to edit the raw and doing my overall editing with Luminar 4. Even with no updates, 4 offers much more than what was to be the Editing Software to end all editing software. NEO. It's just not ready for prime time.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Runs fine on my MacBook pro but I have 64gb of ram.

[@NN-wc7dl]

I have begun getting very tired of these super expensive not THAT important extensions from LN.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

Then your decision is easy. If you don't find them useful, don't buy them.

[@myfakeguuglaccount8307]

I'm still torn between outright purchase, or subscription. 🫤

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

The Pro plan subscription gives you a better price and you get any extensions that come out in 2023 as well. Buying them outright means you only get the 2022 ones. Does that help? If you do get the annual plan remember to use my code to get a discount: DPM-NEO

[@myfakeguuglaccount8307]

@@DigitalPhotoMentor I'll look into that and use your code if I go that route. Hadn't really thought about a Pro plan because I'm just an amateur learning what I can from gracious people like you.

[@DigitalPhotoMentor]

@@myfakeguuglaccount8307 you're most welcome. Hmm so perhaps the name is misleading with the word pro? I will give this feedback to Skylum thanks