5 image models benched on a 12GB laptop: Nano Banana 2.1 scores 46/54

KWS_Studio · reddit · 2026-11-08

To pick keyframe models for an AI filmmaking course, the author ran 5 cinematic prompts with the same seed through Z-Image Turbo, Krea 2 Turbo, FLUX.2 klein 4B/9B (local, RTX 4080 Laptop 12GB, ComfyUI) plus hosted Nano Banana 2.1 via API, scoring skin, light, composition, and prompt adherence out of 54.

Scores: Nano Banana 2.1 (hosted) 46; Z-Image Turbo 42 (11s); Krea 2 Turbo 41 (11.5s); FLUX.2 klein 4B 40 (19s); FLUX.2 klein 9B 40 (35s).

Takeaways:

Every model failed the low-angle + Rembrandt prompt; describing the visible effect works better than naming the technique.
"f/8" is ignored; "sharp edge to edge" works.
Hosted Nano Banana 2.1 clearly wins on the macro old-photo insert; local models struggle with photographic content.

Caveats: subjective scoring; Krea 2/FLUX 9B returned squares needing crops; Qwen-Image-2512 excluded for black outputs; Krea 2's community license allows free commercial use under $1M annual revenue.

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5 image models benched on a 12GB laptop: Nano Banana 2.1 scores 46/54

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