On1 Photo Raw is a comprehensive image processing tool designed for photographers. It includes asset management, image development, and editing, plus a host of AI-driven tools, including noise reduction and deblurring. The latest update improves the performance of these tools.
The great thing I’ve found about On1 Photo Raw is that it suits every level of user. Superb results are available with single clicks, and more precise adjustments are available for those who like to delve deeply into image development and editing.
I was sent a copy of the latest release to test and I’ve been running images through it on a couple of computers: one a high-performance PC and the other an older, slower Windows 10 laptop. So far, I have been impressed with how well it works.
Notable Functions
Speedy Asset Management
The interface of On1 Photo Raw has changed over the years, becoming more intuitive with each improvement. Similarly, its range of functions and the speed at which it operates have improved too. Historical stability issues were fixed and, assuming a computer meets the minimum requirements, then it’s super-fast.
In fact, after a recommendation from another OM System ambassador, I recently toyed with the idea of buying Photo Mechanic because of its speed over Lightroom at sorting large numbers of images. Indeed, Photo Mechanic is much faster than Lightroom. However, I found that On1’s catalog is now just as fast as Photo Mechanic, so I stuck with that. Furthermore, it has the added advantage of including raw development and photo editing tools too.
Adding a folder to the catalog and searching the cataloged images is instant. Switching between the modules is immediate too. There’s no wait as there is transferring between Lightroom and Photoshop or other plugins.
There was one thing that befuddled me when first using the search function on On1: the tiny, unlabelled dropdown box situated on the top right, away from the other search functions. It would have made more sense to me for this to have been situated to the left with the other search tools, and for it to be labeled. So, if, like me, you find you are not getting the search results you anticipated, that’s where to look.
Developing Raw Files and Editing
At first glance, the Develop module has a familiar feel; it’s similar to most other raw development tools. However, like other programs, you need to learn how to control the sliders because they don’t behave the same as Lightroom, Capture One, or PhotoLab. You can get excellent raw development results with On1 Photo Raw, as you can with those programs, but you must learn to drive it. Some say they cannot get as good results, but that must be down to user error because some superb photographers are getting outstanding results from it.
The Edit module comprises Develop, Local, Effects, Sky, and Portrait tabs, which all work with layered adjustments. The AI masking is pretty good. Like all programs, it could occasionally stumble when masking treelines against the sky. Nevertheless, that can soon be fixed by applying the Perfect Brush, which is fabulous at finding edges.
Denoising and Deblurring
The AI noise reduction was introduced well ahead of Adobe’s and is superior in how it previews the adjustment, the speed at which it applies it, its non-destructiveness, and the results. Furthermore, it is integrated with an AI-based deblurring algorithm you don’t find in Lightroom or Photoshop.
These denoise and deblurring functions had significant performance boosts in the latest update. There are other excellent noise reduction programs out there, but these often mean jumping between programs or squinting to see tiny previews of the noise reduction before it is applied; the On1 version is immediate and the preview is full-screen sized.
The noise and deblurring adjustments are applied immediately without that painful wait seen in Lightroom. As I mentioned, they are non-destructive too and can be readjusted over and again after their initial application. What is more, you are not limited to the camera’s raw files; you can repeatedly adjust DNGs, TIFFs, and JPEGs.
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.
Brilliance AI
The one-click adjustment tool was previously a bit hit-or-miss with the raw files from my OM-1, although it worked better with other cameras’ raw files. This version seems to give hugely improved results. (The update also includes support for the OM-1 Mark II raw files.)
Pleasingly, like other adjustments, Brilliance AI can be applied to different regions of the image, and it’s now possible to automatically mask foreground, sky, foliage, flora, water, animals, architecture, and other areas of the photo that the software detects are present. I found this worked well in most circumstances, but again differentiating between a mass of twigs and the sky was the one area that needed extra work.
AI Keywording
One useful feature that also seems to have been improved is the automatic suggestion of keywords using AI. It’s not always perfect but it only failed when I asked it to tag unusual images, identifying things that were not in the picture. For example, it incorrectly suggested that a minimalist photo of a distant headland and a picture of an island contained mountains. Saying that, most of the time it was spot on. Moreover, you don’t have to select unwanted keywords if you don’t want to use them. Also, the tool is much faster than typing in all the keywords you may want to apply.
The AI comes up with relevant keywords you might not have previously considered, too. It also identified people from a wide range of ethnicities, which other programs have struggled with, sometimes giving obnoxious results.
That, coupled with improved searching capabilities, makes this a powerful cataloging tool. I found searching cataloged folders gave instantaneous results.
Machine Learning Style Advisor
There’s a Style Advisor included in On1 Photo Raw as well. It analyses and learns from your adjustments and how you want your photos to look. It then uses what it has learned to apply your style to other images. If the AI hasn’t yet seen enough of your adjustments to have learned your style, then the On1 team’s styles are included and you can try those.
It’s pleasing that On1 doesn’t use your image data for other people’s adjustments, instead, it relies on its own staff’s photos and publicly available datasets.
Pasting Pixels, Swapping Skies, and Other Things I Don’t Use
There are some features that On1 Photo Raw sports that I don’t use. Pasting pixels into layers, such as logos, text, and signatures is one. I appreciate that there are plenty of people who do this, though. Also, coupled with the ability to start with a blank canvas, creating layouts popular with those who are into digital scrapbooking makes On1 Photo Raw 2024 a viable alternative to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
Another tool that has been updated is something else I don’t use, though many do. That is Sky Swap AI.
Similarly, I don’t need the phone/tablet app that synchronizes through the On1 cloud storage. I’ve tried it and it works well, and On1’s cloud is more affordable than Adobe’s. But I am old-school and solely 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 its advanced noise reduction and deblurring features. Additionally, the update includes performance improvements, claiming batch export speeds up to twice as fast.
The On1 Photo RAW 2024.1 update also brings color wheels to enhance the color balance filter. The properties inspector is improved too, which saves screen space by rolling it up or nesting it with other controls.
You can now adjust the capture date and time, and there’s the option of syncing across multiple cameras.
The update includes improved performance, 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. The game-changing new technology, Brilliance AI, intelligently enhances photos by combining color and tone adjustments with scene recognition. It automatically enhances elements like the sky, water, and foliage, elevating your images. The enhanced user interface ensures a seamless transition between photo management and editing, with AI-recommended presets, over 100 new presets, auto-apply noise reduction, and portrait retouching, along with much more. It’s the biggest, fastest, and best ON1 Photo RAW release yet.
What I Liked and What Can Be Improved
What I Like About ON1 Photo Raw 2024
- It has a comprehensive array of cataloging, developing, and editing tools in one program.
- Extremely fast cataloging, searching, and switching between modules,
- The immediate application of denoise and deblurring tools with full-screen previews.
- Very pleasing and improved raw development and image editing results.
- Dual screen support.
- Superb portrait enhancement and image resizing tools.
- Affordability with a perpetual license and subscription options.
- Superior in-person user support.
- A comprehensive range of high-quality video tutorials on the ON1 website
What Could Be Improved Next Time
- It sometimes struggled with automatic masking of the sky with complex borders, although this was fixable using the Perfect Brush.
- Default values of denoise and deblurring are set to 100%, which is too much.
- Although comprehensive, I feel the user interface in the Browse module could still be improved and made more intuitive.
- Tethering is only available for some Canon and Nikon cameras, other brands are not currently supported.
In Conclusion
The latest, albeit minor, update to On1 Photo Raw has brought further improvements to what is growing to be a formidable all-in-one program for processing images. On1 has competition and this program has unique selling points and a level of performance that sets it above much of the rest. It’s a different approach to editing focused on photographers and not bulked out with lots of tools we never use.
The things I would like to see improved are minor niggles and I could equally aim the same complaints at other software. For example, it’s astounding that most software only supports Canon and Nikon tethering, thus missing out on a huge part of the market.
There is much more to this program than I can include in a relatively short review, but it is worth contemplating if you are considering changing your image processing for any reason.
I have an array of software on my computer, except for one program that I was hugely disappointed by, all produce outstanding results. Therefore, the range of functions, speed, and cost all become major deciding factors, and of those On1 sets a very high standard.
Pricing
A 30-day trial of ON1 Photo RAW 2024 by clicking here. The trial has full functionality and no watermarking.
Prices are currently discounted.
ON1 Photo RAW MAX 2024 with plugin capabilities is available from $129.99 for an upgrade or $149.99 for new customers
Photo RAW 2024 for standalone use only is $69.99 for an upgrade or $84.99 for new customers.
Photo RAW MAX 2024 is also available in the ON1 Everything Subscription Plans. That includes all the ON1 editing applications and plugins for Photoshop, Lightroom, Capture One, Affinity, Corel PSP, and Apple Photos, and ON1 Cloud Sync storage, plus all future software titles. Subscriptions start at $7.50 per month. You can buy the software by clicking or tapping here.
