Midjourney V7: Testing the Latest Update and New Features

The Midjourney V7 update is here. It brings changes that might seem confusing at first. Let's look closely at what's new and how the features work. We also tested how Midjourney V7 creates images and changes styles compared to another tool.

New Features in Midjourney V7

The user profile area has changed. The Personalize area is still there and works as before. A lightning symbol has replaced the older Draft Mode setting.

Draft Mode (Lightning Icon)

The lightning icon activates the new Draft Mode. Turning it on makes images faster. However, the image quality is a little lower in this mode. The icon lights up red when Draft Mode is active.

Conversational Mode

Conversational Mode lets you make changes to your images after they are created. For example, you could ask it to change the color of an object in a picture you just made. You can use typing or voice commands if you have a microphone.

Using Draft and Conversational Modes Together

This is an important point based on testing. If you plan to refine an image using the Conversational Mode, you must have *both* Draft Mode (the lightning icon) and Conversational Mode turned on. Just activating Draft Mode alone does not allow you to go back and refine the image later. This applies whether you type your commands or speak them. It's a bit tricky but necessary for refining images created in V7.

The Enhance Feature

The Enhance feature is now integrated directly into the images you create. We tested this feature alongside the existing Very Subtle and Very Strong options. It was not completely clear why "Enhance" is a separate option if its results seem similar to "Very Subtle". This addition might add confusion for users trying to understand the different modification options.

Creating images and managing refinements can take time, especially when experimenting with new features. Automate parts of your workflow and manage tests more easily with the Midjourney Automation Suite from TitanXT. It helps streamline your process.

Midjourney V7 vs. Other Image Generators

We set up a test to compare Midjourney V7 with the ChatGPT Image Generator. We used the exact same prompts in both tools. First, we compared general image creation, then we tested how well each tool could change the style of an image.

Image Consistency Test

In the consistency test, ChatGPT produced images that were very consistent. Images meant to be part of the same story or sequence matched well in style, color, and details over time. Midjourney results were much more random. Images created with the same prompt could vary wildly, sometimes looking like realistic photos, sometimes like drawings. They did not always fit together logically, especially when trying to show a sequence of events.

[LI]For example, in a scene showing a general on a ship, ChatGPT created images that looked like sequential shots and even used the same ship shape. Midjourney's images were more like individual, disconnected pictures.[/LI]

[LI]Another example showed a character holding a cigarette in ChatGPT, adding a consistent, humorous detail missing in Midjourney's less coherent sequence.[/LI]

Style Transfer (Retexture) Test

We tested how well each tool could change an existing image into a different style using a simple prompt like "change this image to style xxx". This is sometimes called "retexture".

ChatGPT Results: ChatGPT performed very well at style transfer. It could easily change an image into styles like a Simpsons comic, a South Park illustration, Pop Art, or a Lego figure. It even successfully applied a completely unique drawing style from a specific region it suggested.

Midjourney Results: Based on our tests, the retexture function in Midjourney V7 did not work correctly. The results were far from the requested style. Images often looked blurry, smudged, or were changed in ways that did not match the intended artistic style at all. Despite some hype, this function did not perform well in testing.

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Final Thoughts on Midjourney V7's Current State

Midjourney V7 introduces new ways to create and refine images with Draft Mode and Conversational Mode, though the requirement to use both together for refinement isn't immediately clear. The new Enhance option also adds potential confusion.

Based on our testing, Midjourney's general image consistency is less predictable compared to some other simple tools. Most importantly, the "retexture" or style transfer function did not work as expected in our tests, producing arbitrary results rather than replicating the desired style.

Midjourney is always releasing updates. We will keep watching to see how V7 evolves with future improvements.

Don't spend hours manually testing every setting and iteration. Use the Midjourney Automation Suite to explore Midjourney features faster and compare results efficiently across different styles and prompts.

Midjourney V7 brings new features, but some aspects, like using the new modes and the style transfer function, might be confusing or not work as expected right now based on our early tests. Understanding these changes helps users get the most out of the latest update.