I have started using the Raw capture mode when shooting with my new EOS 60D and I find that the Canon Photo Pro software is intuitive and works well. But a friend suggested that I should switch to Adobe Camera Raw modify and convert my Raw photos to TIFF “because it’s much better.” How can I buy that software? Do I need to buy Photoshop CS5 to get it, or is the Adobe Raw software available for other programs such as Photo Impressions?
—Jeanne R.
The evaluation as to whether Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is better depends on personal preference Jeanne, but there is no way to buy just ACR, and it cannot be added to other brands of software. It’s an integral part of certain Adobe products: Photoshop CS, Lightroom and Photoshop Elements. All are available for both Windows and Mac operating systems.
Professional photographers often use Adobe Camera Raw in Photoshop CS 5, and now CS6, for maximum versatility. CS6 has become my own favourite too but frankly, it is very expensive, making Adobe Lightroom 4—also with a versatile ACR—far more popular. © 2012 Peter K. Burian
Ask your friend to provide a demonstration of Adobe Camera Raw; you’ll soon know whether you might prefer this Raw-converter software. If you decide that you do want it, you would need to buy Photoshop CS6 ($700) or Lightroom 4 (a bargain at $150) to get the most sophisticated and versatile version of Adobe Camera Raw. If your budget is very tight, check out Photoshop Elements 10 instead ($120). The version of ACR with Elements does not include all of the high tech utilities for modifying a Raw photo but it does offer the essential tools.
Anyone who owns one of the pertinent Adobe programs mentioned above should ensure that it includes the latest version of Adobe Camera Raw to take advantage of extra features and compatibility with more cameras’ Raw file formats. It’s easy to download/install any update. Click on Help at the top of the ACR screen and then on Update. Do note however that older versions of Lightroom, Elements and Photoshop cannot be updated for compatibility with the newer cameras.
While Adobe Lightroom 4 and especially Photoshop CS 6 provide the widest range of functions with Adobe Camera Raw, you’ll find that ACR in Elements 10 (shown here) is adequately versatile for most purposes. © 2012 Peter K. Burian
Hint: If you’re not sure which of the Adobe programs you might prefer (for Adobe Camera Raw or for its other features) take advantage of the free trial for each of them. You can download Lightroom 4 or Adobe Photoshop CS6 or Elements 10 and it will work perfectly for 30 days.
The Adobe programs do vary in complexity and versatility as well as the method of operation. After using them for a few weeks, you’ll soon know which might be best for you. Although I prefer Photoshop CS, Lightroom is a lot more affordable and also more popular among photo enthusiasts. But anyone who is just getting started with image-editing software will want Elements because it includes many automatic tools in addition to more advanced utilities.
I have used camera raw in the past but have recently started using Corel’s new AfterShot Pro. It is currently version 1.0 so you know how uncertain that can be. I have never used Lightroom but it appears that AfterShot Pro does almost the same things that Lightroom does.
I really like it for making adjustments to RAW captures. It is very fast and is non destructive as the changes are kept in a sidecar file. It is supposed to be possible to produce several different version of the same capture by simply producing additional sidecar files. I have not tried this feature yet.
Being a version 1.0 it is a little rough around the edges. and some of the features do not seem to work the way I think they should work. I have also found the documentation to be on the light side. For example files may be tagged, something I like, but the only way I have as yet been able to tag the files is by manually typing the tags. The documentation says you can have a hierarchy of tags but I have not found out yet how to use this feature. I hope someone writes a missing manual for this software. I need it.
Despite the shortcomings at half the price of LightRoom, it is good value. The nice thing is you don’t have to worry about the large tiff files using up your drive space as AfterShot can batch process and export the photos to most of the popular file types At about $75 it is good value it is a good buy and it is usually available directly from Corel as a download or boxed version on a Special offer of less then $50. There is a full version 30 day free trail available. I recommend you give it a try you may never use an Adobe product again. Some people may know this program as Bibble. Corel also has an alternative to Photoshop called Paint Shop Pro This was formerly Jasc PaintShop Pro. While it may not do all the fancy stuff that Photoshop CS5 can do, most photographers do not need or use all those features anyway Much of Photoshop’s claim to fame is its abilities for Graphic Artists not photographers. Again the price is much more reasonable.
I’m surprised there was no mention of Apple’s Aperture program for handling RAW files. Its better priced, its faster at both downloading and browsing on import, and is far more intuitive than either ACR or Lightroom.