On1 Photo Raw is a comprehensive photo processing tool designed for photographers. It includes content management, image development and editing, along with a range of AI-driven tools, including noise reduction and deblurring. The latest update improves the performance of these tools.
The great thing I found about On1 Photo Raw is that it is suitable for all levels of users. Stunning results are available with just one click, and more precise adjustments are available for those who want to delve into image development and editing.
I was sent a copy of the latest release to test, and I ran the image through it on a couple of computers: one was a high-performance PC and the other was an older Windows 10 laptop. , Slower. So far, I’ve been very impressed with its performance.
Remarkable function
Manage assets quickly
On1 Photo Raw’s interface has changed over the years, becoming more intuitive with each improvement. Likewise, its functional range and operating speed are also improved. Historical stability issues have been fixed, and assuming a computer meets the minimum requirements, it should be extremely fast.
In fact, after a recommendation from another OM System ambassador, I recently came up with the idea of purchasing Photo Mechanic because its speed in sorting large numbers of images is faster than Lightroom. Indeed, Photo Mechanic is much faster than Lightroom. However, I find that On1’s catalog is now just as fast as Photo Mechanic’s so I continue. Furthermore, it has the added advantage of including raw development and photo editing tools.
Adding folders to the catalog and searching for images within the catalog is instant. Switching between modules is also instant. No need to wait for conversions between Lightroom and Photoshop or other plugins.
One thing confused me when I first used the search function on On1: the small, unlabeled drop-down box in the upper right, away from the other search functions. To me, it would make more sense if this tool was placed on the left with the other search tools and labeled. So, like me, if you find you’re not getting the search results you expect, that’s the place to look.
Raw file development and editing
At first glance, the Development module feels familiar; it is similar to most other raw development tools. However, like other programs, you need to learn how to control the sliders because they don’t work the same way as Lightroom, Capture One, or PhotoLab. You can get great raw development results with On1 Photo Raw, just like you can with those programs, but you have to learn how to control it. Some people say they cannot get such good results, but that is definitely due to user error as some excellent photographers are getting outstanding results from it.
The Edit module includes Develop, Local, Effects, Sky, and Portrait tabs, all of which work with layered adjustments. The AI mask is quite good. Like all programs, it can sometimes stumble when covering the trees in the sky. However, that can soon be fixed by applying Perfect Brush, which is great at finding edges.
De-noise and de-blur
AI noise reduction was introduced well before Adobe and is superior in the way it previews adjustments, the speed at which it applies, its non-destructiveness, and the results. Furthermore, it comes with an AI-based blur algorithm that you won’t find in Lightroom or Photoshop.
These denoising and blurring functions have received a significant performance boost in the latest update. There are also other great noise reduction programs, but these often mean having to switch between programs or squinting to see small previews of the noise reduction feature before applying it. ; On1 version is available immediately and the preview is full screen size.
Noise and deblurring adjustments are applied immediately without the long wait required in Lightroom. As I mentioned, they are also non-destructive and can be readjusted multiple times after the first application. Furthermore, you’re not limited to camera raw files; you can adjust DNG, TIFF and JPEG multiple times.
When running some quick tests on high ISO images I found the results were even better than previous versions, on par with other high quality programs.
Brilliant AI
The previous one-click adjustment tool was a bit fiddly to use with raw files from my OM-1, although it worked better with other cameras’ raw files. This version seems to yield greatly improved results. (The update also includes support for OM-1 Mark II raw files.)
Interestingly, like other adjustments, Brilliance AI can be applied to different areas of the image and can now automatically mask the foreground, sky, foliage, plants, water, animals , architecture, and other areas of the photo that the software detects are present. I found this worked well in most cases, but again, differentiating between the tree branch mass and the sky is an area that needs more work.
Keywords AI
A useful feature that also seems to have been improved is automatic keyword suggestion using AI. It’s not always perfect, but it only fails when I ask it to tag unusual images, identifying things that aren’t in the photo. For example, it incorrectly suggests that a minimalist photo of a distant cape and a photo of an island contain mountains. That said, most of the time it’s true. Furthermore, you don’t have to choose unwanted keywords if you don’t want to use them. Plus, this tool is much faster than entering all the keywords you might want to apply.
AI also brings up related keywords that you may not have considered before. It also identifies people of various ethnicities, something other shows have struggled with, sometimes to obnoxious results.
That, along with improved search capabilities, makes this a powerful cataloging tool. I found searching classified folders gave immediate results.
Machine learning style advisor
There’s also a Style Advisor in On1 Photo Raw. It analyzes and learns from your adjustments and how you want your photos to look. It then uses what it learned to apply your style to other images. If the AI hasn’t seen enough of your adjustments to learn your style, On1 team styles will be included and you can try those out.
It’s nice that On1 doesn’t use your image data to adjust for others, instead it relies on employees’ own photos and publicly available datasets.
Pixel paste, sky swap and other things I don’t use
There are some features that the On1 Photo Raw sports that I didn’t use. Paste pixels into layers, such as logo, text, and signature as one. However, I appreciate that there are a lot of people who do this. Additionally, along with the ability to start with a blank canvas, creating layouts popular with digital scrapbook enthusiasts makes On1 Photo Raw 2024 a viable alternative to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
Another tool that has been updated is another tool that I don’t use, although many people do. That is Sky Swap AI.
Likewise, I don’t need a phone/tablet app that syncs through On1 cloud storage. I tried it and it works well, On1’s cloud is more affordable than Adobe’s. But I’m old-fashioned and just upload my images to my PC and work from there.
Everything in the update
On1 Photo RAW 2024.3 claims seamless integration with On1 NoNoise AI 2024 with advanced noise reduction and blurring features. Additionally, the update includes performance improvements, claiming batch export speeds are twice as fast.
The On1 Photo RAW 2024.1 update also brings a color wheel to enhance color balance filters. The property inspector has also been improved, helping to save screen space by rolling it up or nesting it with other controls.
You can now adjust the shooting date and time and have the option to sync across multiple cameras.
The update includes performance improvements, smoother transitions from Edit to Browse, new camera and lens support, and bug fixes.
Powerful AI enhancements, improved speed and performance, and a streamlined user interface for more efficient editing. Game-changing new technology, Brilliance AI, intelligently enhances images by combining color and tone adjustments with scene recognition. It automatically enhances elements like sky, water, and foliage, enhancing your images. Enhanced user interface ensures a seamless transition between photo management and editing, with AI-recommended presets, 100+ new presets, automatically applied noise reduction, and portrait photo editing content, and many other features. This is the biggest, fastest and best ON1 Photo RAW release yet.
What I like and what could be improved
What I like about ON1 Photo Raw 2024
- It has a wide range of cataloging, development and editing tools in one program.
- Catalog, search, and switch between modules incredibly quickly,
- Instant application of denoising and blurring tools with full-screen preview.
- The results of image editing and raw development are very satisfying and improved.
- Dual screen support.
- Great image resizing and portrait enhancement tool.
- Affordable pricing with perpetual license and subscription options.
- Outstanding live user support.
- Full collection of high quality instructional videos on the ON1 website
What can be improved next time?
- It sometimes struggles with automatically masking skies with complex outlines, although this can be fixed using the Perfect Brush.
- The default value of denoising and deblurring is set to 100%, which is too much.
- While comprehensive, I feel the user interface in the Browse module could still be improved and made more intuitive.
- Tethering is only available for certain Canon and Nikon cameras, other brands are not currently supported.
In short
The latest, albeit small, update to On1 Photo Raw has brought further improvements to what is growing into a formidable all-in-one image processing program. On1 has competition and this program has unique selling points and a level of performance that puts it far above the rest. It’s a different approach to editing that’s focused on photographers and doesn’t use a lot of tools we’d never use.
The things I’d like to see improved are minor niggles, and I could make the same complaints about other software. For example, it’s shocking that most software only supports Canon and Nikon connectivity, thus missing out on a large portion of the market.
There’s more to this program than I can fit into a relatively short review, but it’s worth pondering if you’re considering changing your image processing for any reason. What.
I have a lot of software on my computer, and with the exception of one program that disappointed me, all of them deliver outstanding results. Therefore, functional range, speed and cost all become key deciding factors and On1 sets the bar very high among them.
Pricing
ON1 Photo RAW 2024 30-day trial by clicking here. The trial is fully functional and has no watermarks.
Prices are currently discounted.
ON1 Photo RAW MAX 2024 with add-on capabilities starts at $129.99 for upgrade or $149.99 for new customers
Photo RAW 2024 for standalone use only costs $69.99 for an upgrade or $84.99 for new customers.
Photo RAW MAX 2024 is also available in the ON1 Everything Subscription. That includes all ON1 editing apps and plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, Affinity, Corel PSP and Apple Photos as well as ON1 Cloud Sync storage, plus all future software titles. Subscriptions start at $7.50 per month. You can purchase the software by clicking or tapping here.
