We last looked at ON1 Photo RAW in Lightroom Magazine Issue 60 where we covered the Effects 2020
aspect of the program. They’ve just launched the new 2021 version with plenty of new features.
ON1 began as a set of plug-ins for Photoshop, and later Lightroom. While it now runs as a standalone
application, it’s still true to its roots and runs from within both programs. Not only that, it’ll run from
Photoshop Elements, Apple Photos, Affinity Photo, Corel PaintShop Pro, and soon from Capture One.ON1 PHOTO RAW 2021
Obviously as a standalone, ON1 is pitching Photo
RAW 2021 as a direct competitor to Lightroom. In
terms of what’s out there in this regard, it’s a really
robust solution offering a lot of the file-management
features missing in other competitors. Clearly, though,
we’re looking at it from the plug-in point of view. Our
interest is in saving time. Photoshop can do a lot of
the things that can be done inside ON1 Photo RAW,
so the question is always whether it’s more efficient.
With the new Photoshop 2021 Neural Filters, Adobe is
progressively going after areas traditionally filled by
plug-ins, while at the same time giving us a dedicated
Plugins menu.Photo RAW 2021 can be expanded for online use via
their subscription option. This allows cloud syncing, access
to the current version of Photo RAW, along with the Photo
RAW mobile app. Edits can sync between devices, with
the mobile app including a pro camera feature with full
manual control and RAW photo output for better editing
options later. Subscriptions start at $7.99/month.WHAT’S NEW IN PHOTO RAW 2021
The new features in Photo RAW 2021 cater to a variety
of photographers, from landscapes to portraits and
more. They also cover both photo editing and file-
management additions.SEAN MCCORMACK
MAXIMUM WORKFLOW