ON1 Photo RAW 2018 announced: Includes updated UI, new HDR module, pano stitching & much more
posted Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 2:00 PM EDT
ON1 has taken the wraps off their new version of Photo RAW, ON1 Photo RAW 2018, which comes with an updated more modern user interface, new HDR module, new panorama feature and more.
ON1 Photo RAW's original release was the culmination of a complete re-tooling of all of ON1's code from the ground up. The new non-destructive RAW editor hit the ground running and the team has been dedicated to improving their software with features that photographers have demanded. This is not marketing speak. ON1 has a unique ON1 Photo RAW Project which allows users to share and vote on ideas and this list is where the ON1 team gets their inspiration for new versions of the software. Ultimately, they are customer-driven and it shows.
In a live demo today, which can be seen below with DVR functionality, the ON1 team showed off some of the new features, including the HDR module, which worked quickly and allowed for a lot of user control. A new panorama feature was shown off as well and it impressed.
A smaller feature but one which may well be huge for many users are new "versions." If you have edited an image and think, "I'd like to try something different," that's what versions is for. It creates a virtual copy, but not another file, that allows you to edit a single file into multiple different images with their own metadata.
For selective editing, masks are very important. ON1 Photo RAW 2018 includes new masking technology including luminosity masking, which is one of my favorite ways to make fast, precise selections. Additional masking improvements include new density and opacity adjustments as well as the ability to blur masks. Similarly, you can also now make masks based on color range.
In addition to other performance improvements and bug fixes, there is also new camera support for the Nikon D850, Olympus E-M10 III and Panasonic G85 cameras plus support for a wide array of lenses.
You won't have to wait long to get your hands on ON1 Photo RAW 2018 as a beta will be available to download this Friday. The full release will be available by the end of this month for $120. Previous owners of ON1 software can purchase it for $80.