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09/18/2007 07:46:18 PM · #1 |
Last week ACD released the latest version of their RAW editing/conversion and workflow software, ACDSee Pro2. So I downloaded a trial yesterday and have been putting it through its paces. I've also been trying out Nikon Capture NX and Adobe Lightroom, but ACDSee seems much faster at doing things, especially loading and converting RAW (NEF) files.
So far I'm impressed. It's got some very nice cataloging and tagging functions. I've got over 5,000 photos on this PC and the search functions return results instantly. The cataloging process was pretty fast as well. There are some nice ways to search for images, including by date ('event'), aperture, tags, photographer, shutter speed, camera model, file type etc.
While the editing functions don't quite match Photoshop (e.g. there are no layers or masks) they make up for it with ease-of-use and accessibility. Plus the functions are targeted at photo editing, so you'll find things like 'color cast removal' and 'red eye' as well as 'sharpen' and 'resize' (which gives the choice of a number of resize algorithms). Both the resize and crop functions are geared up for print output as they allow constraints to the common photo ratios. Something I found very useful.
And one function which is desperately missing from Capture NX is the clone/heal brush. By including this in ACDSee it means it's possible to fix/enhance most photos without going near Photoshop. The Noise Removal feature was pretty good as well (not sure how it compares to Neat Image, but again this means one less piece of software to buy)
It handles a multitude of file formats. So even if you don't shoot RAW it's still worth a look as most of the editing functions can be applied to JPG.
Okay, it wasn't all perfect. It crashed once on me when I was clicking around the 'category' selector window a bit too much. And I managed to get some strange blue pixels appearing when I pushed the 'despeckle' function to the extreme. But nothing serious. Also, the method they use for keywording is a bit clunky.
Any other ACDSee users out there with any experience of this software?
ACDSee Pro 2 $129.99. 30-day trial download also available at that link. |
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09/18/2007 09:04:30 PM · #2 |
I visited a local photographer friend a couple of weeks ago and saw the beta in action. I love, love, love how fast it can display Canon's raw files. My guess is, they are showing the embedded jpeg to be so fast, but still, it makes file handling a breeze.
I just wish they would update ACDSee 9 ... which is the photo "manager" version of the software. I don't need a new editor or a new raw processor. Their "pro" version completely misses my needs. All I need out of ACDSee is the "speed" that they are known for, in things like displaying, moving, resizing, renaming, etc. I have other tools to do the other work.
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09/19/2007 04:27:29 PM · #3 |
I've spent another day playing with ACDSee Pro 2 and I'm liking it more and more. I was pixel-peeping some of the results against Photoshop. One of the algorithms they use for upsizing (ClearIQZ) is an easy match for PS Bicubic Smoother. Sharpening and noise removal is excellent too.
There's only one small thing that Capture NX has that I think would be a really nice addition to ACDSee, add that's the Color Control Points (these allow localised exposure/colour adjustments without needing to create a layer mask) In fact, they would be a lovely addition to any photo editing software.
So, between Lightroom, Capture NX and ACDSee Pro 2, I'm still preferring ACDSee.
I just thought I'd give this a small bump for anyone in the process of considering RAW workflow software, or photo editing software in general. I'm going to make a bold statement and say for photo editing and ease-of-use ACDSee really gives Photoshop a run for its money.
Damn, I should be on commission for this. :) |
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09/19/2007 04:37:34 PM · #4 |
I use ACDSee Pro. I like it a lot, plenty of easy features that really help with my workflow especially after a wedding. I did encounter 1 problem which is really confusing.
I bought this when i was running XP. Recently I bought a new HP w/ Vista. It installed fine and everything looked great. the device reader will not read any of my RAW files from my camera. It reads all the jpgs just fine. I end up going to "my computer" "Canon Rebel XT", and copying the files to a folder on the desktop adn then moving it to the appropriate folder in ACDSee. Once they are in ACDSee, they show up just fine. Any thoughts on this? |
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09/19/2007 04:58:53 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by Jmnuggy:
the device reader will not read any of my RAW files from my camera. |
Did you upgrade to the latest version yet? - I can't give you a better answer than that, as I've only been trying the software for a couple of days. I normally use a card reader to get the images onto my PC as I find it's faster and more convenient than plugging the camera in. |
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09/19/2007 05:26:08 PM · #6 |
| The pro product looks good! I'm considering buying the ACDSee 9 Photo Manager. Not to hijack the thread, but I'd also be interesting in knowing if anyone has used this lesser product. Thanks. |
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