Back In Focus for Mac

User Reviews

• They need better beta testers

  chucky3000January 16, 2012

  Pros

  Stable, doesn't crash. Renders previews in the background.

  Cons

  The interface is awful, the user documentation is minimal, the app runs slow, and the results are no better than Photoshop's sharpening tools. I spent a few hours (Most of it waiting for "processing") and I still didn't get results that were anything like advertised. I tried a variety of images, and just for kicks I blurred a black and white check pattern in photoshop just to see if the app could fix it. It did no better than adjusting a contrast slider. No easy way to a/b compare variations. Processor hog. Among the many other failings of this software, it dumps all these little 4k png files onto your HD. So far 65 little files just saved without explanation. Seriously?

  Summary

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• As useful as an ashtray on a motor cycle

  KATDEEVASeptember 8, 2011

  Pros

  The idea is good

  Cons

  Cursory tutorial, no manual or guide-book, non-intuitive layout, extremely slow processing with some algorithms, no guidance as to how to use the algorithms, useless with motion blur.

  Summary

  I downloaded this with high hopes, but after several hours with it gave up in frustration. The designers are up front that the software is intended solely for focus issues and not for motion blur, which is a pity, but that is OK. The software itself is practically unusable because of a combination of a lack of guidance as to how to use it, a highly non-intuitive layout, and, with some algorithms, extremely slow processing. If you want to use this software, at the very least have a book or newspaper handy to read while processing (I am not kidding!). Not all the algorithms are extremely slow, but, as there is no guidance as to what algorithms do what or how to use them, there is no choice but to experiment with them and that means that you will not be able to avoid the slow ones. I don't know exactly how slow some of them are because I cancelled their operation after 10mins of watching the "processing" icon (and I have a fairly fast computer with 10 gigs of ram). The interface is highly cryptic and requires too much trial and error for my taste. Apart from the lack of explanation of the functions of the algorithms, there is no explanation of the masking tools, the maximum brush size is much too small, and there is no magnification scale, merely a choice of a 25%, 50% or 100% which does not offer sufficient flexibility. It is a long time since I have encountered such a disappointing piece of software, and, at $100, the designers are dreaming. At the very best, it is donationware.

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