It’s something I’ve been contemplating for some time. Will the Latest Version of On1 Photo Raw 2022 persuade me to finally abandon Adobe? Please help me decide whether I should.
I’ve been on the verge of permanently swapping from Lightroom and Photoshop to On1 Photo Raw for a long time. I’ve used On1 alongside other software for many years, going right back to the early versions of Perfect Effects and Genuine Fractals. It’s come a long way since then and, for a lot of photographers, it has become a viable alternative to Lightroom and Photoshop. I need to decide if I am ready to completely change my way of working.
What is On1 Photo Raw 2022?
I think of each module is the lovechild of other software, inheriting the best aspects of each parent; Lightroom, Photoshop, Affinity, Topaz DeNoise, and the Nik Collection all rolled into one. It’s an asset management, raw development, and photo editing tool with extra bells, whistles, and drums. You can quickly and seamlessly jump between different modules in this single app, carrying out actions that would otherwise be spread over several programs.
Browse Module
The Browse module seems like the result of a fling between Adobe Lightroom and Bridge. You can use it like a file browser, or a catalog to access your folders and images. Pleasingly, when moving from Lightroom to On1, you can import the collections across into On1’s Albums. If you have a large catalog, then it’s a long process, but you can continue working as the changeover progresses.
With the Browse Module, you can either navigate through the file system, as you would with Adobe Bridge, or use the catalog to rate, tag, sort, and then find images as you would with Lightroom.
Edit
The Edit module comprises five features. Following on with the lovechild analogy, it inherited from the best bits of Lightroom and Serif Affinity, after they had a ménage à quatre with Nik and Photoshop:
Develop
The develop feature has raw adjustment sliders that are similar in looks to Lightroom or ACR, but have a far more accurate and gentle touch to them than Adobe’s offering. Most of the sliders are similar to Adobe’s, but with the addition of a midtones slider. If you are a Lightroom user, you can export all your adjustments from there into the develop module.
Effects
When anyone mentions filters in digital editing, I think of the horrible effects available on Instagram. In On1 Effects they are editing tools where you can add fully adjustable, blendable, and maskable layers, similar to Photoshop's adjustment layers with sensible starting points to work from. Some of these filters do a great job when you have learned how to use them. For example, Dynamic Contrast gives results like the Structure slider is Silver Efex Pro. Not all the filters are my cup of tea nor suited to my style of work – I don’t use textures nor add film grain, nor do I add borders to my photos – but some are tremendous and can add oomph to how your images look.
The Effects module, showing the filter layers on the right. Each can be opened, the adjustments changed, and blending modes applied. The layers can be masked too. Multiple images can also be layered.
Sky
Sky replacement is a new feature in the 2022 version. Again, I don’t replace skies. But some people do, so I put it through its paces using the free skies that are provided with the software. It came as no surprise that it worked, as On1 has had impressive masking tools for years. The only time it struggled was when I used a picture of a gray hoist against a gray sky, but this was easily fixed with On1’s Perfect Brush, which I find second to none at finding edges when masking.
A handy hint: Whether using On1 or any editing tool, do take care when changing skies. The replacement sky really needs to be shot at the same angle to the sun as the original photo. Also, the color of the sky needs to match the white balance of the land. Done badly, it looks awful.
While on the topic of masking, this new version brings with it a line mask tool, similar in functionality to Photoshops pen tool. On1 make some fantastic tutorial and support videos, and clicking here will take you to a good one showing how this feature works.
Portrait
The portrait section of On1 Photo Raw 2021 has always been a strong point of the On1 arsenal. It smoothens skin, removes blemishes, whitens and brightens eyes, changes lip color intensity, removes dark shadows beneath the eyes, and cleans teeth better than any toothpaste. You can also independently change the sizes of the eyes and slim down the face. Its automatic face detection makes the processing easy, and that works better than in previous versions. After running a selfie through it, I ended up almost good-looking, which is some achievement. However, I decided on using someone far better looking in the following screenshot.
A screenshot of On1's Portrait module. The adjustments are subtle and pleasing and, like in other modules, range from single click changes to advanced controls.
Local
You can apply layered adjustments to local areas of the image, applying masks to select the areas you want to adjust.
Other Features
New Time-lapse
Added to their panorama stitching, HDR making, focus stacking, and fractals-based image resizing features, On1 has added time-lapse to the software.
This was one of the features I was looking forward to. It had been my intention to go out and shoot one for this review, but I ended up in hospital, and then someone on my ward had Covid, so I now have been told to self-isolate for a fortnight. Sadly, I cannot leave the house.
However, I did stitch together a series of unrelated photos, and it produced an HD MP4 very quickly indeed. The new tool detects if the camera is jogged and can filter out misaligned frames. It also detects changes in exposure and can even them out automatically, making day to night videos possible.
If you download the free trial of On1 Photo Raw 2022, and create a time-lapse with it, it would be great to see the results. Post them in the comments.
NoNoise AI Integration
There is now full integration of On1’s NoNoise AI into On1 Photo Raw. I reviewed that software recently here.
Photoshop Plugins
A big change is that Photoshop plugins now work with On1, or will do very soon when DxO fixes a glitch that stops Nik Silver Efex Pro and Viveza from opening from it. This is a major contributing factor to me being very tempted to abandon Lightroom. I use Silver Efex Pro for my black and white conversions, so I will wait until DxO has fixed that.
Exporting
There is a great deal more flexibility in the export dialog box, including changes to the ability to rename the files in different ways. This is a big improvement over the previous versions.
Backup Up Data
On1 Photo Raw 2022 now includes a data backup facility, keeping your data safe should you have a system failure.
How to get On1 Photo Raw 2022
Those who subscribe with monthly payments will receive this update automatically. If you bought the perpetual (one-off payment) license of a previous version, you will need to buy an upgrade. The mid-year update will come free.
The price of the product is competitive, and nearly half the cost it was a decade ago. Furthermore, you can buy a perpetual license (a one-off fee that lasts forever); a lot of photographers still object to paying a subscription fee for software and so this is an attractive option.
The subscription is cheaper than the nearest equivalent Adobe Photography plan, but with the On1 subscription, you are also getting their NoNoise AI, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. The plan comes with 1 TB of storage that also syncs with the On1 Mobile app, and a host of extra presets.
On1 Photo Raw 2022 can be opened directly from Lightroom. However, in line with other Photoshop plugins, you now must buy the modules you want if you want to access them from Photoshop and other apps. A rundown of all that is new with On1 can be seen in this video.
Pricing options can be seen here.
What I Don’t and Do Like
At first sight, On1 can look like a one-click fix program. Indeed, it can work like that; it comes with lots of presets. That’s great for those taking their first steps into digital development and editing. However, it is in fact also a sophisticated and very capable program that more than holds its own against the competition. Furthermore, it makes the workflow fast.
I really like the speed of this software. Switching between modules is instantaneous. Consequently, the On1 process is much, much faster than with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Furthermore, the software is aimed solely at photographers, a lot of tools in Photoshop aren’t and can get in the way.
A few people faced glitches with previous versions of On1 Photo Raw. On occasions, the software ran slowly for me too, which was frustrating. But On1 staff told me they had done a lot of work to fix this, and so far, as I put it through its paces, it is running smoothly on my computer.
Raw development in On1
There have been a couple of folk moaning online about having to pay extra for the On1 modules to work as plugins for Photoshop. However, that is a policy in line with other plugin providers, and On1's cost less than both the Topaz bundle and the Nik Collection.
The subtle controls of the raw sliders seem more accurate than Lightroom. Additionally, that I can import my Lightroom adjustments into Photo Raw along with the collections, makes the process of permanently swapping over very tempting.
The other thing I like is the development results. I don’t like declaring the way photos look to be better or worse, but just different. The results from On1 are different from Lightroom, Affinity, and Capture One, which also have their own unique looks. As I mentioned in a previous article, being different is a good thing.
So should I take the plunge and swap? What do you think? I would be glad to hear your advice.
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Hi Rob, Sorry, I missed this comment earlier. It's not a workflow that I use. In On, I would probably go down the route of adding a cataloged folder, which is the file menu. Or, by creating an album for each drive. The pen drives would probably have to have unique names, which I guess you have anyway. I would suggest giving the free 14-day trial a go, to see how it works for you. The guys at On1 support are really helpful too, so it may be worth speaking to them.
i'm THIS close to ditching PS for PR2022. i use both and have for years along with NIK stuff and Photomatix. Silver FX Pro was IT for b/w. Photomatix was IT for normal looking HDR. the only thing keeping me from ditching PS subscription and moving to PR subscription (i need to save $) is that i've used PS's "content aware fill" successfully for years when removing people and things from my shot, like at Delicate Arch for example. i don't think PR has anything that can do that, or if it does, i don't know about it. the only other thing i really use a lot in PS in "selective color". for me, it just is the cat's meow. so, if anyone has any thoughts about those 2 critical tools for me, i'm all ears!
Sorry for the delay in replying. Selective coloring is available in On1 Photo Raw. On1 has a tool called the "Perfect Eraser", does that do what you are needing?
https://www.on1.com/videos/removing-objects-distractions-from-photos/
ON1 2022, IMO, remains where it was years ago in terms of speed and stability. It is still highly unstable and too slow to be a replacement for LR. There are still too many basic features missing. For example, what is one thing that anyone would do with images?
Crop! Can you even see the crop dimensions? No!
I could go on and on about the basic issues including the raw rendering and colours. For people who require managing and manipulating a large collection of images, ON1 is still some way off from there. No, you still cannot group or stack images. The sky replacement is essentially a dud and does not even come close to Luminar or PS.
I use it only on occasion as a plugin to LR, very similar to Luminar for some of the features which save some time and effort in particular cases.
On the other hand, I find it very handy for ad-hoc stuff...Far better than most others including Luminar. Hopefully, someday they will figure out and fix issues that have been around for years now...
Sorry that your system finds it unstable, mine doesn't, and my computer runs a relatively old, but still fast, AMD A-series processor.
Crop dimensions are at the top of the screen when you click the crop tool.
Thanks for commenting.
Just crop and see...There are no crop dimensions there. What you have in the snapshot is just the aspect ratio. This issue has been there for over a couple of years now...Happy it works for you and if it was even reasonably stable and functional, I would have dumped LR+PS long ago. On paper, the feature set ON1 has is all most photographers would need. There is also another major issue...If you use layers and composite, the file is saved in a proprietary and undocumented format. Make sure you save in a standard format if you do use layers...
The attached image shows the crop issue...Despite the crop, the image dimensions always display the full size of the original image.
Not really!! The one thing I like is going from Lr to ON1 PhotoRaw mainly because Lr has all the current camera/lens profiles that all the many even C1 does not have. I thick Adobe gets' specs from camera makers before a release of cameras/lenses as well as Creative Styles, I guess! Also I have tried in many programs to edit Milky Way's but the Radial tool in Lr is the best! First you need to use the Gradient tool on the sky to reduce saturation where you get a grey or black sky but increase whites/highlights for bright white stars also clarity helps, then the Radial tool you pin the center on pegasus' lower wing, it is magenta in color and a little temp to the right brings it back, but you do an opposite edit with all sliders than you would in a overall edit but but you invert and widen and lighten the entire way from end to end. It is just faster than any! But as far a PS, ON1 is so much easier like masking AI for getting your file of the moon only the resizing even. PS is like too much sugar for a dime and there is a difference between men and women ordering form a menu women are way faster and men if too much info to look at they are so slow, just no many toys!!! The first moon shot is a blend of a close shot of the moon and resized over the blown moon (every night the moon wobbles so a close up with any lens you can AI mask and resize really fast with ON1, MW images are real and no blending but sky glow will make for a blue sky not seen with a naked eye. All the extra effects are really great just by selecting like HDR or the bokeh blur etc....
Ah well...Good for you. We all have our different use cases. Overall, if it works for you, it is the best around :)
Super photos, Edwin. Glad you are enjoying it.
Nitin, I do agree with you that we each have our personal preferences and our choices of software are subjective.
Thanks for the article.
I currently use C1 after moving from LR6 many years ago, being one of those people that just doesn't click with the subscription thing. I do have to say that C1 is generally good at all it does, and the workflow suits my preferences. However, the DAM side of things is not so good (slow database performance, very slow at locating multiple images/folders to new locations, poor structural keyword support, and the filter tab regenerates every few days, all of which makes this side of things very clunky and slow), especially bad with my 85,000 images...
So, I am always on the lookout for something new. As it is, I have had ON1 software since the early days, when it was the 'Perfect Photo Suite' of plug-ins, and through to v2020 I have always found that the software was a little slow and clunky at times, and I do find the assortment of Local, Develop, Browse, Portrait tabs to not quite fit my own organisational model. However, the fact that the latest version 2022 now backs up the database lead me to think it might have some reasonable DAM features.
However, and please correct me if I am wrong, what I have found is that it will only show meta data or cached images/thumbnails etc if the drive containing the original images is attached/online. This, for me, just fails as a database, as I need the information in the image library database to be accessible without having all original image files available; say like when on a plane, or when on location. No pleasing me, hey... But, both LR and C1 allow both metadata manipulation and image adjustments for offline images, with original files only needed during any export operation.
Still, ON1 is getting better and better. Perhaps the next iteration will address all this. Wouldn't it be great if one day we could have the features of C1 raw editing flow, ON1's great array of adjustable filters and PhotoMechanic Plus's DAM features... all together... one day...
Hi Cass. Thanks for the comment. I think that is available, but only through the On1-360 subscription service, which I don't have. Swapping to a subscription platform seems to be the way of the world now. However, It's less than the Adobe Photographers Package.
https://www.on1.com/products/on1-360
Short answer No! Unless you like beating your head against a wall with a program that is slow, clunky, and stops responding at the slightest command. For example, just this morning, I simply clicked on a cataloged folder and my screen went gray and stopped responding for several minutes. I eventually had to kill the program and start over. This happens frequently, but 2023 is worse than previous versions. I could not even install the downloaded .exe file directly without help from ON1. Next, the installed .exe file would not run and I needed further assistance.
I thought the problem was my old PC so last year I had a new one built with over the top capability that far exceeds ON1 requirements and the program still will not work. I have run the program on four different PC's with the same crashing issues so the problem is crystal clear, yet ON1 will do nothing about it.
I have been trying to give ON1 my business since 2020. None of the versions 2020-2023 worked and each year I got a refund. I simply refuse to rent my software so Adobe is out until they change their business model. ON1 has potential but it is not ready for prime time. I have experienced crashing and sluggish issues since I started using it in 2020. Each year, ON1 puts out a new program with more bells and whistles, yet fails to fix basic performance issues that seem to snowball and get worse each year. I am only four days into my 2023 trial and the program is completely unusable so I uninstalled it and went back to 2022. Obviously, I will not be paying for the 2023 version, so ON1 has lost a customer. They do not care. I have told ON1 repeatedly that I would be willing to pay more for less features for a program that just works without hassle (like Lightroom).
I have contacted ON1 personnel and asked for help but they are not interested in customer service and after a couple back and forth emails, they always punt, acting like I am the problem. I contacted Stevie, Cody, and most recently a new name Whitney. Whitney was particularly condescending. She sarcastically thanked me for unloading my frustrations and told me that she was done with me (my tone and comments were similar to this posting, matter of fact but not disrespectful). This was the final straw for me. For a company with only 12 employees, that is trying to compete with Adobe, one would think customer service would be on the forefront. I would be open to trying ON1 one again in the future, but until they fix this bug riddled program it is off to Luminar or Capture One for me. Until then, I do not see how ON1 can survive with such an inferior product. It is a shame because this program has huge potential if managed properly.
Does anyone know of a good DAM program? I can process photos in Affinity so all I really need is a file manager.
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I am really disappointed in Ivor for giving your comment a down vote.
You put a lot of effort into writing a very informative comment, and it is clear that you have given ON1 a very fair chance to keep you as a customer. You have been extremely patient with them. And everything you said in your comment is respectful toward ON1 and their staff. I have no idea why Ivor would have downvoted what you had to share with us.
Ivor, you are better than this. I believe that your downvote deserves an explanation. Why the hate toward what Brian had to say?
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