Midjourney V7 Has Arrived: Key Features and First Impressions

Midjourney V7 is finally here! After a significant wait since version 6, a lot has changed in the world of AI image generation. New models have appeared, and the community is eager to see what Midjourney's latest numbered release brings. Was the wait worth it? Let's take a look at V7, what's new, what might be missing, and what the future could hold.

A Look Back and the New Landscape

It's been over a year since Midjourney V6 first launched. While Midjourney released V6.1 in between, which became the main model, the space has rapidly evolved. Competitors like Stable Diffusion, Imagen, Black Forest Labs Flux, and OpenAI's new image model have entered or updated significantly. With all this competition, many people are watching V7 closely.

Getting Started with V7: Personalization

Before you start generating with V7, you need to set up a personalization profile. This involves rating 200 images based on which one you find more beautiful. You can skip images if needed. The key is to quickly decide what looks better without overthinking it. Once your profile is set up, you'll see a 'P' icon and can toggle personalization on or off. For initial testing, turning personalization off helps you see how the base model works.

First Image Tests: Simple Prompts

Testing with simple, one-word prompts gives us a basic understanding of the model. Using "toast" as a prompt, V7 shows what it can do. When personalization is added, the results can differ, sometimes in unexpected ways. For "beauty," we often see Midjourney's signature style emerge, featuring stylized portraits. Testing "surreal" at a 2:1 aspect ratio shows the model understands the concept, but it often defaults to familiar compositions, like subjects facing away from the camera. Even with simple prompts, the skin texture looks noticeably better than in previous versions.

Trying More Complex Prompts

Moving to more detailed prompts, like asking for a cinematic fantasy landscape with specific elements (castle, wizard, orb), helps test prompt coherence. V7 did well at including the requested items and offering variation in the wizard's appearance. For a really challenging test, using prompts generated by other AI systems like Gemini or ChatGPT showed impressive adherence. For example, a prompt asking for a person in medieval armor sitting on a rug on a space station was depicted accurately, although minor details like the armor style might vary slightly from the prompt's exact description. However, some tests revealed issues with faces in larger crowd scenes, which can sometimes appear distorted. It's important to remember this is an initial launch, and these issues may improve with updates.

Draft Mode: A New Feature

[P]A major new feature at launch is Draft mode. This allows for quick image generation based on simpler ideas. Draft mode is designed for rapid iteration and brainstorming. It's much faster than standard mode and costs less, about half the price. The trade-off for this speed and cost is lower image quality compared to standard generation. While the aesthetics and concepts are there, the fine details are reduced. This mode is currently most useful for exploring ideas quickly, especially since the V7 upscaler isn't available yet. Once upscaling for V7 arrives, Draft mode could become a very powerful tool for quickly blocking out concepts before generating higher-quality final images.

Managing numerous generations, especially when experimenting with different prompts and modes like Standard and Draft, can become time-consuming. If you're looking to automate your Midjourney workflow and make testing variations more efficient, consider exploring tools like the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT. It can help streamline your process and save you time.

Features Not Available at Launch

[P]Several anticipated features and familiar commands are not supported in V7 at launch. These include:

• Omni reference (an upgraded version of Cref for referencing images, logos, and objects).

• Remix mode.

• Multiprompt.

• The `--weird` command.

The absence of these features means some workflows from V6.1 are not currently possible in V7. Midjourney has indicated that weekly updates are planned, so these features might be added soon.[/P]

The Future: Updates and Video Plans

Midjourney has announced plans for weekly updates to V7 over at least the next month, aiming to integrate new features like Omni reference. They have also provided updates on their video generation plans, outlining three modes: text-to-video, image-to-video, and a 'vary' mode that expands on an initial image input. The potential ability to use personalization and style codes in text-to-video generation is an exciting prospect that could lead to unique video outputs.

Is Midjourney V7 the Best?

[P]With the rapid pace of development in AI image generation, it's hard to say any one tool is definitively the "best." Midjourney has a strong, recognizable style that many users appreciate. Its prompt adherence in V7 looks very good, even on challenging tests. However, some limitations exist, especially at launch, like the current lack of certain features and occasional issues. Midjourney's CEO has also stated they view the project increasingly as a research lab, suggesting a focus on pushing boundaries rather than solely competing to be the most feature-complete tool.

As you explore Midjourney V7 and its different modes and features, experimenting with many variations can be key to getting the results you want. Tools specifically designed for automating this process, like the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT, can help you generate and manage prompts more efficiently, allowing you to test more ideas in less time. Discover how automating your generations can enhance your creative workflow.

Conclusion

Midjourney V7 is a promising step forward with notable improvements in image quality, texture, and prompt understanding. The new Draft mode offers a fast way to explore ideas, even with its initial lower quality. While some familiar features are missing at launch, the promise of weekly updates is encouraging. V7 shows strong potential and continues Midjourney's path in the evolving AI image landscape. Whether it's the right tool for you depends on your specific needs and whether its style and feature set align with your goals. As always, the best way to know is to try it yourself and see what you create. Check out the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT to help take your Midjourney workflow to the next level.