Articles tagged "software"

Photoshop is the gold standard in pro-level image editing, but not everybody needs its vast feature set – or its steep learning curve. Here are some alternatives. Read more

Really Nice Images announced RNI All Films 4.0, the latest version of its film simulation presets for Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. We took a few of the new film presets for a spin. Read more

Full Frame is a Mac-based image viewer, photo importer and metadata editor that centers around an incredibly clean and intuitive user interface. Just launched to the App Store, its potential to speed up one's workflow caught our attention. Read review

Most of us think of image compression as a necessary evil. It makes our files more manageable, but reduces the quality of our images and can undo the incremental benefits of buying more pixels and better lenses. But can better compression make file sizes even smaller without any extra image quality cost? Beamr, the company behind the JPEGmini application, thinks it's possible. Read more

One of the most talked about subjects for photographers using Macs to process and archive their photos is the loss of Apple Aperture and its replacement, simply known as Photos. This new software strongly resembles the iOS software of the same name and while it still offers some of the features from the enthusiast-grade Aperture, quite a few things are missing. Learn more about Photos - both what it offers and doesn't - in this opinion piece from senior writer Jeff Keller. Read more

Adobe has released the final version of Camera Raw 8.8 for Photoshop CC/CS6. Support for several additional Canon, Panasonic, and Fujifilm cameras have been added, as well as the Hasselblad Stellar II, Nikon D5500, and Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, among others. Read more

Fujifilm is to release a new version of its Raw File Converter EX at the end of the month, bringing the film simulation modes used in its X-series cameras to the Silkypix-based desktop software package. Initially the new feature will be available for files shot with X-T1, X-A2, X100T, X30 and XQ2 cameras, but the company has said that other models will be included in a further update at a later time. Read more

Today Olympus announced the release of its Olympus Capture software, which is designed to bring tethering to owners of the OM-D E-M1. The software, along with the new E-M1 firmware 2.0, was announced last week at Photokina, but today photographers can finally take advantage of the new feature set. Read more

Nikon has released version 1.0.0 of Capture NX-D, introduced in beta form earlier this year. Capture NX-D is the first version of Nikon's flagship Raw converter since previous developer Nik Software was bought by Google in 2012. The software features a new user interface, batch conversion and a non-destructive workflow that saves adjustments in sidecar files alongside the original image. Read more

onOne Software is offering its Perfect Effects 8 Premium Edition plugin for free for a limited time. It gives you hundreds of creative presets, fully customizable filters and ability to combine effects. Perfect Effects 8 works as a standalone application (Windows or Mac) or integrates with Adobe Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop. Go to the onOne Software site to get this fully licensed version - worth $99.95 - for free. Learn more

Alien Skin Software has announced the latest version of its flagship photography effects software. Exposure 6 now includes a 'Bokeh' focus and lens-simulation feature, an updated image processing engine for instant previews, enhanced user interface for quick workflow, and unlimited creative texture control. The analog film emulation and creative effects software integrates with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, and Aperture or can be launched as a stand-alone program. Learn more

Nikon has released a beta version of an update to its Capture NX software, a product which has been relatively stagnant in recent years. Capture NX-D is the first version of Nikon's Raw converter to be made since previous developer Nik Software was bought by Google in 2012. The software features a new user interface, batch conversion and a non-destructive workflow that saves adjustments in sidecar files alongside the original image. Find out how to try Capture NX-D for yourself.

Sigma has released updates for its SD1 and SD1 Merrill cameras - as well as for its Photo Pro software - to add support for the recently released 18-35 F1.8 DC HSM lens. On the camera side, the SD1 firmware update improves color in peripheral areas of the image when the aperture is wide open. As for software, Sigma's Photo Pro v5.5.3 is now optimized for Raw (X3F) images taken with the SD1 camera and 18-35 lens.

A quick review of the LightZone version 4.0 raw developer and photo editing software. LightZone 4.0 is Free software, available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

DxO Labs has announced availability of FilmPack 4, the fourth version of its film-simulation software. FilmPack 4 adds 65 'even more aesthetically-pleasing renderings'. Available in two editions, Essential and Expert, a single DxO FilmPack 4 license can be used as a plugin for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture, and DxO Optics Pro, and as a standalone application for Mac and Windows. Click through for the press release.

The Adobe Camera Raw 7.4 and Lightroom 4.4 release candidates include a much-anticipated re-working of raw support for Fujifilm X-Trans sensor cameras the X-Pro1, X-E1, X100S, and X20. Find out if these changes offer the quality improvements users have been waiting for.

Sigma has released version 5.5 of its Photo Pro raw processing software, which adds a monochrome processing mode for cameras with the 15x3MP Foveon sensor - i.e. the SD1, SD1 Merrill, DP1 Merrill, DP2 Merrill and DP3 Merrill. It's also now compatible with Windows 8. The software is available now from Sigma's website - click through for more details and download links. 

I am a happy owner of a Fujifilm X-E1. This camera has an innovation CMOS matrix X-Trans with a non-standart color filter array pattern. Now I am going to test support of several raw converters for the X-Trans raw to choose my new one.

There's no shortage of quality raw conversion options but there's little consensus as to which one is the best. We've put three of the most popular cross-platform choices through a comprehensive side-by-side comparison. Find out which one is right for you.

The latest version of Capture One brings support for Fujifilm's X-Trans sensors - something we noted other software struggled with, in our review of the X-Pro 1. Beta versions of v7.0.2 are reported to solve the problem. Do the results live up to the expectation?

As a database-driven app, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom requires you to import images before you can edit or organize them. Lightroom expert Martin evening explains the benefits of this approach.

DxO Labs has announced version 1.1 of its ViewPoint distortion correction software, promising more accurate tools and faster operation. Viewpoint is designed to correct keystone distortions (converging verticals and horizontals), and restore more natural proportions to objects towards the edge of the frame when using wide-angle lenses. It is available either as a stand-alone tool or as a plugin for Adobe PhotoShop (CS3 or newer) or Lightroom (version 3 or newer), and for both Mac and PC.

HDR software maker Unified Color Technologies has announced version 2 of its HDR Express high dynamic range merge and editing software for Windows and Mac. New features include Image Stacking that automatically groups bracketed exposures and a browser with thumbnail previews. Along with improved de-ghosting algorithms, the software also includes single-click presets and a new slideshow feature. Its native .BEF format can be opened in Adobe Photoshop and Apple Aperture via a plug-in for further editing. HDR Express 2 is available for an introductory price of $84.00 or $59 for current Unified Color users.

Pro photographer and Lightroom expert Martin Evening gives an overview of best practices when importing images into Lightroom 4. Learn how to make image management and organization more efficient and productive.

Eagle-eyed visitors will have already noticed we've made a few changes to the homepage and added a couple of new features (both of which are still very much at the beta stage). First (and most obvious) is the new menu bar, which we hope will make finding what you're looking for easier and more logical - and allows us the horizontal space we need for some exciting forthcoming features. We've also added a comprehensive selection of software to our database and introduced a completely new feature, the Link Database. More after the jump...

Corel has announced Service Pack 2 for PaintShop Pro X4, the company's photo editing solution. With this update Corel has added bug fixes, Raw file support for 18 additional cameras and improved support for PSD files. Click through for a link to the download and a full list of the newly supported cameras.