I too thought it was amazing at first, and when Luminar 4 came out I pre-ordered. I downloaded the free version of one of their previous versions, I think V3. I'm afraid of having less control than with Luminar 4 but I'll give it a try. The 'AI' in Luminar AI's name makes me apprehensive since wildlife subjects are a lot more complex and varied than landscapes, people or cities. My least used application - I got it for free from Skylum because I had won Luminar 4 in a photo contest but already owned a license. stacking BIFs with slow and fast shutter speeds to show detail and flight path. Aurora HDR is for HDR but as a wildlife photographer I use it for creating composites - e.g.

It has an intuitive masking tool and you can use the Compare tool to try 4 effects side-by-side. Topaz Sharpen AI as needed for sharpening AND noise reduction.They also have stuff like sky replacement or whatever but I consider that unethical (for my photography).

The ability to separately control contrast and colour balance for highlights, shadows and midtones. Especially for adjusting colours - each colour can be controlled separately, and you can get just the right colours for golden hour shots, foliage, and even make the bokeh smoother by changing the hue and luminosity of particular colours. Luminar 4 is my most-used application for PP.

I do not find noise reduction intuitive and think that it removes some detail unless carefully controlled. Now PL5 can do a bunch of other things I guess, but I have never been able to make sense of it. I find the defishing to be especially helpful. Click to expand.I own Luminar 4, Aurora HDR, Topaz Sharpen AI and DXO PL5.

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