Which program is greatest, Adobe Digicam Uncooked vs Lightroom? And which do you have to use to your images workflow?
On this article, I’m going to share an intensive comparability of those two applications. I’ll talk about all the important thing options, from enhancing capabilities and file sorts to digital asset administration and integration.
By the point you’re achieved, you’ll know which program is best for you – and I’ll even clarify how one can successfully combine each applications into your enhancing workflow.
Let’s get began.
What Is Adobe Digicam Uncooked?
Adobe Digicam Uncooked (ACR) is a RAW file converter. It turns a RAW file right into a extra versatile file sort, resembling a TIFF, JPEG, or perhaps a PSD – as a way to simply preview, share, or edit your work.
ACR started as a Photoshop plugin, permitting photographers to open RAW recordsdata, convert them in Digicam Uncooked, then proceed with enhancing in Photoshop. However it quickly turned a everlasting fixture of the Photoshop surroundings (manner again in 2003, when Adobe first launched Photoshop CS).
Since then, Digicam Uncooked has gone by means of loads of iterations. In the present day, it affords lots of of enhancing choices, together with fundamental publicity changes, fundamental coloration changes, and focused (native) changes by way of brushes and filters. Whereas ACR can’t match the expansiveness and depth of Photoshop, and whereas it’s technically nonetheless a Photoshop plugin, it now packs the ability of a standalone editor.
What Is Lightroom?
Lightroom is a picture enhancing and digital asset administration (DAM) program provided by Adobe.
In contrast to Adobe Digicam Uncooked, Lightroom is cut up into a number of modules, every with a chosen operate. For example, you get a picture library (for importing and organizing photos), a Develop module (for making edits), a Print module (for making ready photos for print), and extra.
Lightroom was initially labeled “Photoshop Lightroom,” with the aim of high-volume picture processing that simply wasn’t potential in Photoshop. Word that Lightroom’s builders took the (already current) Adobe Digicam Uncooked and caught it into Lightroom’s Develop module – so the enhancing options in each applications are functionally an identical, with the identical sliders, the identical adjustment instruments, and as of the latest main replace, an analogous enhancing structure.
In different phrases:
In the case of enhancing, ACR and Lightroom are primarily the identical program.
That mentioned, there are some essential variations, particularly in the case of workflow and digital asset administration (and I talk about these in depth under).
The Benefit of Nondestructive RAW Enhancing
Each Digicam Uncooked and Lightroom are nondestructive RAW editors, which suggests they alter RAW recordsdata with out overwriting the unique picture.
So if you happen to enhance the publicity in ACR or Lightroom, you’re not really brightening the unique pixels; as an alternative, you’re writing the adjustments to a picture catalog (Lightroom) or to a sidecar file (ACR).
The unique RAW picture is at all times stays untouched.
Why is that this essential?
It means that you would be able to make as many adjustments as you need to your recordsdata, but you’ll by no means destroy the unique. Every thing is reversible. In case your tastes change otherwise you make a mistake, you’ll be able to at all times reset the edits and begin over.
Additionally, ACR and Lightroom (together with Lightroom Traditional, Lightroom, and Lightroom Cell) all acknowledge each other’s catalogs and sidecar recordsdata – so you’ll be able to edit in a single program, swap to a different, and head into a 3rd with full continuity.
And since ACR and Lightroom presets are the identical, you’ll be able to import any Lightroom presets into ACR and vice versa.
What Are the Benefits of Lightroom?
As I defined above, Lightroom and ACR provide an identical enhancing packages.
However Lightroom affords a degree of performance on prime of its enhancing:
Digital asset administration.
In Lightroom, you’ll be able to import recordsdata of every kind (together with each RAWs and JPEGs), then you’ll be able to manage them into totally different collections, give them key phrases, scores, flags, and far, rather more. And after organizing, you’ll be able to transfer into the Develop module to make edits, then again into the Library module for additional group, and so forth.
It is a large deal. It’s a solution to preserve your complete photographic workflow – from group to enhancing to exporting – in a single place, and that is invaluable for rookies, lovers, and professionals. Plus, Lightroom isn’t simply a digital asset administration program, it’s the digital asset administration program, one which outperforms a lot of the different choices in the marketplace and is utilized by loads of world-class professionals.
Examine this to Adobe Digicam Uncooked, which incorporates zero group capabilities. You click on to open a file, you edit the file in ACR, and also you reserve it, export it, or proceed on to Photoshop. There’s no organizing photos into folders or collections or anything. (You may add a star ranking, nevertheless it’s not particularly helpful except you utilize Adobe Bridge, mentioned under.)
What Are the Benefits of Adobe Digicam Uncooked?
As you’re now conscious, Adobe Digicam Uncooked is generally only a portion of Lightroom that converts recordsdata for Photoshop.
However this does include some advantages.
For one, ACR doesn’t use a catalog; picture edits are saved alongside the unique RAW file. This may be helpful if you wish to share RAW recordsdata with one other laptop – as an alternative of sending your RAW file plus the entire Lightroom catalog, you’ll be able to simply ship the RAW file and the sidecar file (which is conveniently positioned proper subsequent to the unique RAW).
(You can make Lightroom do that, nevertheless it takes some setup, plus it takes up extra cupboard space.)
And two:
Adobe Digicam Uncooked is made for Photoshop, so it’s extremely simple to start out in ACR, do some enhancing in Photoshop, after which (by way of Adobe’s Digicam Uncooked filter) make extra adjustments in Digicam Uncooked.
Sure, Lightroom does provide Photoshop integration. However it’s not practically as handy because the ACR-Photoshop workflow, so for many who plan to spend a lot of time in Photoshop, ACR is very interesting.
Digicam RAW + Bridge vs Lightroom
For these of you who like Adobe Digicam Uncooked however are pissed off by the shortage of DAM capabilities, there’s a answer:
Adobe Bridge.
Bridge was launched again in 2005, and it’s simply a picture organizer – so it will possibly act because the DAM companion to ACR’s enhancing.
For photographers preferring to not use Lightroom, Adobe Bridge is a lifesaver. You may manage photos in Bridge, then do RAW conversions and fundamental edits in Adobe Digicam Uncooked earlier than making main changes in Photoshop.
Plus, Adobe Bridge is a photograph organizing program that’s utterly free.
The right way to Use Lightroom and Digicam Uncooked Successfully
Adobe Bridge is nice – however what if you wish to stick to Lightroom for picture group, however you additionally need to have the ability to entry Adobe Digicam Uncooked? What do you do?
You may mix ACR and Lightroom by means of a helpful little workflow:
First, you import and manage your photos in Lightroom.
Then, you can also make fundamental changes within the Lightroom Develop module.
When you’re able to do higher-level changes, you’ll be able to right-click on a picture and choose Edit In > Open as Good Object in Photoshop.
Your file will open in Photoshop. You may make any Photoshop changes you want. And you’ll additionally use the Digicam Uncooked filter, which helps you to entry ACR inside the Photoshop interface.
Adobe Digicam Uncooked vs Lightroom: Conclusion
Adobe Digicam Uncooked and Lightroom are each wonderful applications. The bottom line is to find out which one works for you.
In case you spend most of your time in Photoshop, ACR (plus Bridge) may be the higher selection. However if you happen to choose Lightroom’s enhancing and group capabilities, you’ll be able to at all times work successfully with Lightroom and Photoshop – and, if you want it, the Digicam Uncooked filter!
