Evaluation: Nano Banana by Google Ai

Nano Banana is an AI-powered picture era and modifying software constructed on Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.5 Flash Image mannequin.

Like ChatGPT and different AI instruments, Nano Banana is pushed by consumer prompts. It can recreate, composite, generate from reference pictures, flip stills into video clips, or create visuals from scratch (with some options restricted to Google AI Studio and Whisk).

But how do you employ it, and simply how highly effective is it?

This is a brief assessment from a ‘conventional’ photographer who not often makes use of Photoshop as of late, however who makes use of Lightroom every day. 

The tech

Nano Banana is accessible within the Google AI Studio and thru the Google Whisk platform, with barely totally different implementations in every, and it’s additionally out there within the Gemini iOS and Android apps, the place you should utilize voice prompts.

If you are utilizing it by way of Google AI Studio or the Gemini apps, it is a bit extra simple – you merely load a picture and enter your immediate.

Additionally, it is also now in Photoshop which is the place many photographers are prone to entry it by way of sooner or later – extra on that under.

In use

It’s very simple to make use of: load a picture, kind a immediate – change the angle, take away individuals, change the season, insert a spaceship, or generate one thing solely new.

Here’s an instance. I captured this picture in Lake Vyrnwy, Wales, UK.

I captured the unique picture on a Fuji X-T2, and after importing it to Nano Banana in Whisk. I prompted it so as to add a kayaker paddling in the direction of me, and make the colors extra heat as if shot earlier than sundown, with the solar behind the digicam.

 

After the primary end result I prompted it to make the picture even hotter and extra saturated – however it went a bit OTT for my style. I additionally made a brief video utilizing Veo 3 of the kayaker coming in the direction of me, which was surprisingly good.

For this picture captured in Livigno, Italy, throughout noon mild, I once more requested it to heat up the picture, and in addition place mild across the mountain bikers. It did a reasonably good job of lifting the shadows on this particular areas. 

You can see a few of my different pictures uploaded, and the prompts I used to create the ensuing pictures, under.

It’s simple to lose hours contained in the surreal world of Nano Banana. It’s extraordinarily succesful, modifying pictures and shifting views in methods common editors can’t, with technical methods I wouldn’t try in standard software program.

However, it is price noting that output is at present restricted to low decision (round 1080p), which may be upscaled in different apps, although I haven’t had a lot success.

The recordsdata sizes are larger, however they’re seemingly no totally different once you zoom in to 100%, and show lots of pixelation and a  lack of element. I have never tried this in Topaz but, as it could work somewhat higher. 

Another factor to remember is that when utilized in Google AI Studio or the Gemini apps, a Gemini emblem seems within the nook and – based on the phrases – can’t be eliminated (regardless that it removes my watermark with out asking).

Photoshop and Whisk outputs don’t embody the brand, however pictures edited in Whisk are routinely exported at 16:9. 

What about Photoshop?

A current replace is the addition of Gemini 2.5 Flash Image/Nano Banana (and Black Forest Labs’ FLUX.1) to Photoshop.

Fundamentally, the transfer acknowledges that totally different AI fashions excel at totally different duties.

As Adobe explains, customers would possibly flip to Google’s Gemini mannequin for creating stylised graphic particulars, whereas Black Forest Labs’ FLUX.1 is positioned as a software for producing components that want to look contextually correct and in correct perspective inside a scene. 

At the identical time, you even have Adobe’s Firefly, which the corporate says stays the choice for customers looking for ‘commercially protected, production-ready outcomes with lifelike high quality.’

The concept is that Photoshop customers would selected the suitable AI software for his or her modifying job, all with out leaving Photoshop. In use, you may have to experiment with the totally different fashions relying on the end result you are on the lookout for. 

To use it, you may have to import your picture into Photoshop after which choose the Rectangular Marque Tool to spotlight the components of the picture you’d prefer to make an AI-enhanced edit to. From there, you possibly can choose your ‘mannequin’, aka the AI software you want to make use of, after which add your immediate.

The outcomes

Capability ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Frighteningly highly effective. Once high-res output is native, this will likely be an actual concern for photographers.

App efficiency ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Generally quick and efficient, although it generally alters pictures in odd methods.

Output outcomes ★ ★ ★  1/2

Among the higher low-resolution AI turbines.

Value for cash ★ ★ ★  1/2 (for photographers)

A Nano Banana picture generated in Photoshop prices round 10 tokens and delivers a single end result. Through Google AI, you get extra variations for a similar value, however you’ll want to maneuver the file to a different editor for additional work.

There is a priority to that the pricing will improve fairly dramatically – it is rumoured to be no less than $19 US monthly for those who transcend round 5-10 generations, apparently.

The wrap-up

Nano Banana might be essentially the most versatile AI image-generation and manipulation software out there at present, and for content material creators and social-media producers, it has the potential to grow to be invaluable.

However, as a result of every little thing it generates is created from scratch moderately than derived from present pictures, the copyright implications of its use stay unclear.

For severe photographers, with possession questions and its give attention to full-image era, it’s in all probability much less compelling – for now.

Of course it is possible it is going to solely get higher from right here – thrilling for some, worrying for purists, however undeniably a game-changer.