Midjourney simply dropped V7, and the thrill round it’s loud. Sooner rendering, higher immediate understanding, fewer bizarre arms — the standard guarantees, however turned as much as eleven. In case you’ve been utilizing V6.1, you may be questioning: is that this really a leap ahead, or simply one other iteration wrapped in advertising sparkle?
In line with Midjourney, V7 isn’t simply an replace — it’s a rework of how the mannequin interprets prompts, textures, and even your private aesthetic preferences. Sounds nice on paper. However let’s face it, we’ve heard related issues earlier than.
So I made a decision to place it to the take a look at. Identical prompts, side-by-side comparisons, throughout totally different classes like portraits, landscapes, product photographs, and extra.
Right here’s what I discovered once I let V7 go head-to-head with its predecessor.
What’s Midjourney?
Midjourney is an AI picture technology platform that transforms textual content prompts into gorgeous visible artwork. In contrast to primary picture mills, it focuses on creating inventive, imaginative visuals with exceptional consideration to element and aesthetic high quality. Merely describe what you need, and Midjourney creates it into actuality inside seconds.
With over 15 million customers producing greater than a billion photos, it’s secure to say that Midjourney has modified how we strategy AI artwork. If you wish to see the way it advanced as much as V6, this text ought to cowl the whole lot.
What’s New With Midjourney?
In line with Midjourney, V7 is not simply one other replace — it is a full transformation that elevates AI picture technology to extraordinary new heights. Right here’s an outline of their guarantees with this mannequin:
V7 ought to be capable of present improved understanding of textual content prompts and create photos with gorgeous coherence throughout particulars. If we’re taking the whole lot they’re saying at face worth, our bodies and arms (that long-time AI artwork problem) ought to now seem naturally proportioned, textures ought to look sensible, and objects ought to present logical relationships inside scenes.
A lot of “shoulds,” I do know.
V7 additionally introduces “Draft Mode” — a function that generates photos at 10x the velocity at half the fee. The brand new voice mode helps you to verbalize ideas whereas watching photos materialize beneath your phrases like “liquid goals.” Once you create one thing promising, merely hit “improve” or “range” to render it in full high quality.
It additionally makes activates personalization by default. With only a 5-minute setup course of, Midjourney begins studying your aesthetic preferences, deciphering your prompts by the lens of what you discover stunning. This personalization may be toggled on or off anytime, providing you with final management over your inventive course of.
So, does it ship?
Midjourney V7 vs. V6.1: Identical Prompts In contrast
Portrait
Immediate: a lady operating a marathon, sensible, cinematic, photograph, motion shot
The distinction is night time and day right here. The V6.1 picture screams “I am AI-generated” from a mile away. It is obtained that exaggerated movement blur that V6.1 generally slaps on something labeled as “motion.” You already know the look — that just about cartoonish try at dynamism that by no means fairly lands proper.
The V7 model, although? The realism is cranked as much as eleven — barely gritty, with the form of imperfections you’d count on from an precise sports activities photographer catching somebody mid-run.
Panorama
Immediate: 1993 Polaroid, skilled panorama pictures, a ravishing seashore at sundown from a excessive vantage level
The seashore Polaroid comparability is not fairly as dramatic, however it reveals one thing essential about V7’s evolution. Each fashions delivered stable, sensible photos with that basic Polaroid vibe.
The V6.1 model was already spectacular, capturing most components convincingly — besides these waves. In case you’ve spent any time at precise seashores, you’d instantly discover how synthetic the water motion appears to be like.
V7’s enchancment right here is refined however significant. The wave patterns and water textures look considerably extra pure, with the form of random chaos that actual ocean waves have. It is not a jaw-dropping improve, however it exhibits that Midjourney’s builders have been fine-tuning their understanding of pure components.
Every little thing else — the sand texture, lighting, and that particular Polaroid coloration profile — stays equally robust in each variations.
Movie Stills
Immediate: movie nonetheless, 90s film directed by david lynch, golden hour, a sinister lady in a white gown is seen from afar as a person walks right into a forest, horror
The older mannequin really outperformed the newer one on this comparability. After I specified a David Lynch-inspired horror scene within the forest, V6.1 delivered precisely what I wished. There’s an unsettling high quality to the picture that captures that signature Lynch eeriness. The lighting, the composition, the facial expressions — all of it works collectively to create that pit-in-your-stomach feeling that nice horror delivers.
V7’s try is technically competent however misses the emotional mark. It is too clear, too completely composed to be genuinely unsettling. The characters look posed somewhat than caught in a second of dread. It is the distinction between an precise horror film and a high-budget TV present attempting to do horror — all the weather are there, however the soul of it’s lacking.
Product Pictures
Immediate: business pictures, a hydroflask, centered, comfortable lighting, waves of water crashing into the product
V6.1 already did a good job right here, making a commercial-worthy picture of the water bottle with splashing water within the background. The splash impact was considerably exaggerated — a bit too excellent and dynamic in comparison with how water really behaves — however total, it was convincing sufficient for many advertising functions.
V7’s model exhibits small enhancements within the realism of the water physics, however truthfully, the distinction is not dramatic. What’s attention-grabbing is that the lighting really took a step backward. V7’s try has barely darker lighting that does not showcase the product as successfully.
Illustrations
Immediate: broad shot, comedian e-book illustration of a supervillain that may management ice, clear line artwork painted by Ilya Kuvshinov, Ed Brubaker, Apollonia Saintclair, Jack Kirby, Brian Michael Bendis
V6.1 completely nailed the basic comedian e-book aesthetic — restricted coloration palette dominated by blacks and blues, dramatic contrasts, and a genuinely menacing character design. It is precisely what you’d count on from a 90s/2000s comedian villain, full with that sinister design that claims “I am about to freeze this whole metropolis.”
V7’s interpretation feels prefer it’s attempting too arduous to be inventive somewhat than genuine to the supply materials. It is extra surreal, extra “post-modern” in its strategy, one thing you’d see in a 2010s reimagining somewhat than a basic comedian. The technical high quality is there, however it’s just like the mannequin determined to place its personal spin on issues somewhat than ship what was really requested.
That is a type of instances the place the “improved” mannequin really strikes additional away from what many customers may need.
Digital Artwork
Immediate: a person in a pink pastel shirt surrounded by flowers of various selection and colours, digital artwork, Brewstercolor
The V6.1 model is strictly what you’d count on — vibrant, eye-catching, and literal. It is the form of picture that grabs your consideration instantly with its daring colours and simple interpretation of the immediate. There’s nothing improper with it — in actual fact, it is fairly stunning in its personal proper.
However V7’s strategy demonstrates a extra refined understanding of inventive subtlety. It makes use of a extra muted coloration palette however employs it with higher intentionality. The composition feels extra considerate, much less apparent. It is the distinction between artwork that shouts in your consideration and artwork that invitations you to look nearer..
Textual content Technology
Immediate: a surrealist road signal that claims “THE BUCK STOPS HERE, BUDDY”
Let’s be actual — neither V6.1 nor V7 has found out textual content technology, and it is truthfully form of hilarious. Each variations utterly botched the straightforward request to create an indication saying “The buck stops right here, buddy.” What we obtained as a substitute was a jumbled mess of almost-words that look convincing from a distance however collapse utterly if you really attempt to learn them.
The Backside Line
Midjourney V7 is a combined bag. On paper, it guarantees smarter generations, quicker speeds, and extra inventive management — and in sure use instances, you do see these enhancements. However if you really put it up towards V6.1, the outcomes aren’t persistently higher. Generally they’re simply totally different. And sometimes, they’re worse.
In some prompts, V7 leans so arduous into aesthetics that it misses the transient totally. It feels just like the mannequin is attempting to impress somewhat than interpret — prioritizing fashion over substance, which is often okay, besides when the “new fashion” is similar as earlier than.
Positive, the personalization function is attention-grabbing, however fashion isn’t the whole lot. If the mannequin can’t persistently ship correct photos, these bells and whistles don’t imply a lot.
On the finish of the day, V7 isn’t the clear improve Midjourney desires you to consider it’s. It’s a step ahead in some areas, a sidestep in others, and a stumble in just a few. Value exploring? Sure. However don’t count on it to exchange your go-to workflow simply but.
