Luminar Neo vs Luminar 4: Which Software program is Higher for You?

Luminar is Skylum’s flagship picture modifying software program for Home windows and macOS. Luminar 4 was launched in November 2019.

The newest model is Luminar Neo, which was launched in February 2022 and has seen a number of function upgrades since. We evaluation Luminar Neo right here.

Luminar Neo and Luminar 4 have many overlapping options, most notably a choice of AI modifying instruments which have revolutionized digital picture modifying.

How is Luminar Neo Completely different to Luminar 4?

1. Luminar Neo has extra superior instruments than L4

Improve AI (previously AI Improve) analyzes your picture and makes a number of changes with a single slider.

This instrument was designed to function an AI-powered substitute for a lot of staples of picture modifying similar to shadows and highlights, distinction, and saturation. 

Sky AI (previously AI Sky Alternative). Skylum had been the pioneers of AI sky substitute again in 2019 — a revolutionary and time-saving instrument that has since been imitated by different picture modifying purposes. 

Face AI (previously AI Portrait Enhancer) detects facial particulars and provides a choice of instruments to spotlight and enhance the first options of an individual’s face.

Pores and skin AI (previously AI Pores and skin Enhancer) detects pores and skin and gives instruments to clean texture and scale back blemishes. 

Although these core options stay unchanged, Luminar Neo provides photographers many highly effective new options to create lovely edits in an intuitive and fast approach.

2. Luminar Neo has a Non-destructive workflow and Adjustment Historical past

Luminar Neo presents changes otherwise than Luminar 4, itemizing a historical past of all changes, which might be modified individually or eliminated.

You may as well add a number of changes with the identical instrument. 

To see a listing of changes which were utilized to a picture, click on the Edit tab, then click on on Edits on the right-hand aspect.

You may then click on the Fast Preview (eye) icon on every adjustment to toggle the impact on and off and see the way it impacts your edit. You may change every adjustment individually or take away an adjustment altogether. 

You may learn extra about utilizing the catalog in Luminar Neo right here.

3. Luminar Neo can take away mud spots and energy strains

It’s a truth of life as a photographer that altering lenses will ultimately result in specks of mud contained in the digicam physique.

These will seem in your photos as spots and are notably noticeable when capturing photos with a slender aperture, usually f/11 and better. 

Along with eradicating the mud manually with a brush, you should use Luminar Neo’s Erase instrument as a one-click answer that detects and removes these spots for you. 

Erase additionally has a button to take away energy strains and different overhead cables out of your picture — an enormous time-saver for panorama and actual property pictures.

4. Luminar Neo provides new portrait instruments

Along with Face AI and Pores and skin AI, Luminar Neo introduces two highly effective new instruments for portrait photographers.

Physique AI provides two sliders to form the torso and stomach in full-body portraits.

Portrait Bokeh AI routinely detects your topics in a portrait picture and applies a bokeh to the background. You keep management over the energy and depth of the impact (see above.)

5. Luminar NEO options AI Masking

Each instrument and Layer in Luminar Neo has a Masking tab, with which you’ll be able to apply the instrument or view the Layer selectively primarily based on a masks you outline.

Luminar Neo can routinely masks objects with a single click on. The AI engine can detect 9 sorts of objects and masks them with the press of a button:

• People
• Sky
• Flora
• Structure
• Mountains
• Synthetic floor
• Pure floor
• Water
• Transport

When you choose Masks AI within the Masking tab, Luminar Neo’s engine takes a second to evaluate your picture and return a listing of recognized objects. Click on on an object kind, and all objects of that kind shall be masked. You may then use the Brush instrument to refine the masks additional if you want.

6. Luminar Neo options Relight AI 

This instrument creates a depth map of your picture, permitting you to selectively lighten or darken the background and foreground. 

Portrait and low-light photographers will love this function, because it permits you to simulate a flash or foreground gentle supply the place one was not out there to seize the impact in-camera. The Depth slider offers you management of how far-off the impact is utilized. 

For even larger management over this impact, you’ll be able to mix Relight AI with a masks. 

7. Luminar Neo options Environment AI

One other instrument which depends in your picture’s depth map is Environment AI, which makes use of the depth map to simulate atmospheric situations — fog, mist, or haze — in your {photograph}. 

You may management the energy of the impact with the sliders:

Mode. Select from fog, layered fog, mist, or haze.

Quantity. Outline the depth of the impact.

Depth. Alter the place the impact is simulated in your picture. Rising this worth brings the impact nearer to the foreground.

Lightness. Alter how gentle the impact is relative to the encompassing scene.

For even larger management over the Environment AI impact, you’ll be able to mix this instrument with a masks. 

The way to Hold Luminar Neo updated

The Skylum group are nonetheless rolling out new options for Luminar Neo. To maintain your software program updated, first open Luminar Neo.

On macOS, go to Luminar Neo > Test For Updates. 

On Home windows, go to Assist > Test For Updates. 

If an replace is on the market, you’ll be able to select to obtain and set up the newest model.

As you’ll be able to see, Luminar Neo is superior to Luminar 4 in a number of methods. Faucet the button under to get it in the present day.