Adobe updates its Photoshop Express mobile app with raw editing

by Felix Esser

posted Tuesday, July 15, 2014 at 4:38 PM EDT

 
 

When Adobe Photoshop Express was first announced, the idea of having a full-fledged photo editing suite on your smartphone or tablet sounded pretty awesome. However, the disappointment was huge when it turned out that Adobe Photoshop Express could initially do little more than most other photo editing apps.

In the meantime, the app has seen a number of updates, and the latest of which takes the version number to 3.4 on iOS devices brings a rather significant new functionality: raw file editing. In the past, editing raw data of your camera on your smartphone and tablet wasn't such a great idea as it often required more processing power than common mobile devices could offer.

However, with the advances in technology, today's devices are more than capable to edit even larger raw files. Which means that if you're a photographer on the go and don't want to schlepp your laptop with you all the time, a powerful tablet such as the latest iPad Air may be sufficient to do some preliminary editing, especially if you want your clients to be able to take a first look at the images without having to wait a day or longer.

Other new features included in Photoshop Express 3.4, which is available for both iOS and Android devices, include a blemish removal tool as well as fine-tuning of the intensity of the app's "Looks" filters. The Advanced Pack, which is available as an in-app purchase, also offers noise reduction tools and a new tool to reduce fog and haze in landscape pictures.

While the basic version of Photoshop Express is available for free, the Advanced Pack including noise reduction and the new defog tool sets you back US$5.48 -- which in the end isn't that much considering the functionality that the latest version of the app has to offer.

(via dpreview connect)