The Hidden Cost In Using AI Based Plug-Ins

As an example, this is from a Fujifilm X-T1 16mp file.  The original raw file is 33MB.  I then sent
it to Topaz Photo AI for sharpening only.  Photo AI converted it to a DNG file.  The resultant file is
now 93.7MB!  A 284% increase in files size! (click to enlarge)

I don’t know about you but I am very thankful for not only the editing software that is available to edit my image files, but also the AI based enhancing features and AI based plug-ins that supplement and improve my editing abilities.  I’m mainly talking about Lightroom’s Enhancement features, DXO’s PureRaw for noise reduction, elimination of distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations as well as differential sharpening and Topaz for Photo AI and Gigapixel AI, each of these I can use whenever an image needs tweaked more than my primary editing software can provide.

Each of these programs give me tools to improve my images in ways that were never before available.  I wish I had these kinds of tools years ago.  That said, I'm glad I very seldom if ever deleted any of my image files as I now often go back and 'fix' the ones which I wouldn't show due to some technical failure (usually on my part) using one of these tools so they now can be properly edited and 'corrected.'

However, there is at least one hidden sometimes unnoticed cost when using these features and plug-ins.  When I have used them for improving an image file, typically a raw file, the software will convert that raw file into a new DNG (digital negative) file, which is generic and retains most of the attributes of the original raw file for additional editing.  But...

Have you noticed how large the resultant DNG files are?  Take a look below at the results of a short experiment I conducted recently.  I wanted to see for myself how much larger the newly created DNG file is after I processed the original raw file in one of these supplemental editing software programs.  Also, none of the AI based processing involved upsizing the original raw file, only noise reduction.  The before and after files are the same pixel dimensions.

In my Lightroom Classic catalog, I retrieved a typical raw file from each of my four digital cameras and then processed that file in Lightroom Classic’s DeNoise feature as well as Topaz Photo AI’s noise reduction feature.  No other processing was done.  I then noted the size of the original raw file and the new size of the same file after the noise reduction was applied.  

Here is the results:

Fujifilm X-T5    40mp sensor (raw compressed)

Native RAF raw file              43.6MB

Adobe DeNoise DNG file     93.9MB

Topaz Photo AI DNG file     233.4MB

File size increase.                  215.3%—535.3%

OM Systems OM-1 Mark II   20mp sensor (raw, no compression setting available)

Native ORF raw file              21.3MB

Adobe DeNoise DNG file     56.0MB

Topaz Photo AI DNG file     118.8MB

File size increase.                  262.9%—557.7%

Nikon Zf     24mp sensor (raw compressed)

Native NEF raw file              33.4MB

Adobe DeNoise DNG file     67.6MB

Topaz Photo AI DNG file     143.1MB

File size increase.                  202.3%—428.4%

Nikon Z8      46mp sensor (raw compressed)

Native NEF raw file               63.2MB

Adobe DeNoise DNG file     108.7MB

Topaz Photo AI DNG file      266.6MB

File size increase.                  171.9%—421.8%

WOW!  I was shocked.  I knew the DNG files were larger but had not paid much attention to the file size increase before now.  

I won’t stop using these features and plug-ins but also I won’t develop the habit to run more  of my files through these programs than is necessary.  As in the past I’ll be judicious in which files get which treatment so I won’t fill up my hard drives unnecessarily causing me to buy larger hard drives prematurely.

So there you have it.  The hidden cost of using AI based plug-ins is file sizes up to 4 to 5 times larger than original files therefore using up to 4 to 5 times the hard drive space normally used for each file.  

I found this interesting and thought some of you may benefit from this little tidbit of information.  Just something to keep in the back of your mind when editing.

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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