Which program is greatest, Adobe Digicam Uncooked vs Lightroom? And which do you have to use in your pictures workflow?
On this article, I’m going to share a radical comparability of those two applications. I’ll focus on all the important thing options, from modifying capabilities and file varieties to digital asset administration and integration.
By the point you’re completed, you’ll know which program is best for you – and I’ll even clarify how one can successfully combine each applications into your modifying 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 kind, similar to a TIFF, JPEG, or perhaps a PSD – so that you could 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 modifying in Photoshop. But it surely quickly turned a everlasting fixture of the Photoshop surroundings (means again in 2003, when Adobe first launched Photoshop CS).
Since then, Digicam Uncooked has gone by loads of iterations. Immediately, it gives a whole bunch of modifying choices, together with primary publicity changes, primary shade changes, and focused (native) changes through 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 facility of a standalone editor.
What Is Lightroom?
Lightroom is a picture modifying and digital asset administration (DAM) program provided by Adobe.
Not like Adobe Digicam Uncooked, Lightroom is break up into a number of modules, every with a chosen operate. For example, you get a picture library (for importing and organizing photographs), a Develop module (for making edits), a Print module (for making ready photographs for print), and extra.
Lightroom was initially labeled “Photoshop Lightroom,” with the objective of high-volume picture processing that simply wasn’t attainable in Photoshop. Word that Lightroom’s builders took the (already present) Adobe Digicam Uncooked and caught it into Lightroom’s Develop module – so the modifying options in each applications are functionally similar, with the identical sliders, the identical adjustment instruments, and as of the newest main replace, an identical modifying structure.
In different phrases:
On the subject of modifying, ACR and Lightroom are primarily the identical program.
That stated, there are some essential variations, particularly in the case of workflow and digital asset administration (and I focus on these in depth beneath).
The Benefit of Nondestructive RAW Modifying
Each Digicam Uncooked and Lightroom are nondestructive RAW editors, which implies they alter RAW recordsdata with out overwriting the unique picture.
So in case you enhance the publicity in ACR or Lightroom, you’re not really brightening the unique pixels; as a substitute, you’re writing the adjustments to a picture catalog (Lightroom) or to a sidecar file (ACR).
The unique RAW picture all the time stays untouched.
Why is that this essential?
It means which you can make as many adjustments as you wish to your recordsdata, but you’ll by no means destroy the unique. All the things is reversible. In case your tastes change otherwise you make a mistake, you may all the time reset the edits and begin over.
Additionally, ACR and Lightroom (together with Lightroom Basic, Lightroom, and Lightroom Cell) all acknowledge each other’s catalogs and sidecar recordsdata – so you may 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 may import any Lightroom presets into ACR and vice versa.
What Are the Benefits of Lightroom?
As I defined above, Lightroom and ACR supply similar modifying packages.
However Lightroom gives a stage of performance on prime of its modifying:
Digital asset administration.
In Lightroom, you may import recordsdata of every kind (together with each RAWs and JPEGs), then you may manage them into completely different collections, give them key phrases, scores, flags, and far, way more. And after organizing, you may transfer into the Develop module to make edits, then again into the Library module for additional group, and so forth.
It is a big deal. It’s a method to preserve your complete photographic workflow – from group to modifying to exporting – in a single place, and that is invaluable for newbies, fans, and professionals. Plus, Lightroom isn’t simply a digital asset administration program, it’s the digital asset administration program, one which outperforms many of the different choices available on the market 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 photographs into folders or collections or anything. (You possibly can add a star score, nevertheless it’s not particularly helpful until you utilize Adobe Bridge, mentioned beneath.)
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 pc – as a substitute of sending your RAW file plus the entire Lightroom catalog, you may simply ship the RAW file and the sidecar file (which is conveniently situated proper subsequent to the unique RAW).
(You can make Lightroom do that, nevertheless it takes some setup, plus it takes up further space for storing.)
And two:
Adobe Digicam Uncooked is made for Photoshop, so it’s extremely simple to start out in ACR, do some modifying in Photoshop, after which (through Adobe’s Digicam Uncooked filter) make further adjustments in Digicam Uncooked.
Sure, Lightroom does supply Photoshop integration. But it surely’s not almost as handy because the ACR-Photoshop workflow, so for individuals who plan to spend a number 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 could actually act because the DAM companion to ACR’s modifying.
For photographers preferring to not use Lightroom, Adobe Bridge is a lifesaver. You possibly can manage photographs in Bridge, then do RAW conversions and primary edits in Adobe Digicam Uncooked earlier than making main changes in Photoshop.
Plus, Adobe Bridge is a picture organizing program that’s utterly free.
How you can 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 possibly can mix ACR and Lightroom by a useful little workflow:
First, you import and manage your photographs in Lightroom.
Then, you can also make primary changes within the Lightroom Develop module.
When you’re able to do higher-level changes, you may right-click on a picture and choose Edit In > Open as Sensible Object in Photoshop.
Your file will open in Photoshop. You can also make any Photoshop changes you want. And you may 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 glorious applications. The secret’s to find out which one works for you.
When you spend most of your time in Photoshop, ACR (plus Bridge) is perhaps the higher alternative. However in case you want Lightroom’s modifying and group capabilities, you may all the time work successfully with Lightroom and Photoshop – and, if you want it, the Digicam Uncooked filter!
