Software


ON1 Photo RAW 2018–Get your free public Beta now!

October 10, 2017

By Theano Nikitas

Here’s a little Tuesday treat—the free public beta of ON1 Photo RAW 2018. The final version should be available by the end of the month but you can download the beta now to see what’s new with this ever-growing application.

Image courtesy of ON1.

If you’re not familiar with ON1 Photo RAW, it’s important to understand that it’s not just a RAW processor (although that’s one of its many strengths). Rather, ON1 Photo RAW 2018 is a well-rounded photo application that features a management system, photo development and plenty of effects (if and when you need them).

Image courtesy of ON1.

With the latest version, you’ll find a number of new functions and features including HDR processing that, according to ON1, is about 7 times faster than other HDR software when combining bracketed shots. A new pano stitching feature makes short work of merging (and aligning) images into a panorama photo. And there’s even an option that allows viewers to pan the photo when you post it on Facebook.

Image courtesy of ON1.

There are plenty of new masking tool additions as well, including mask Density and Feather sliders, and Blur and Chisel mask tools. The former allows you to selectively soften or feather a mask while the latter is a push/pull tool that helps remove halos. Also check out the color range masks and luminosity mask updates.

You’ll also save space on your hard drive by using Versions (virtual copies) and be able to selectively treat noisy images with a brush. There’s a free mobile app for viewing, sharing and syncing images.

Image courtesy of ON1.

And, for those of you shooting with the Nikon D850, ON1 Photo RAW 2018 supports it, as well as the Olympus EM-10 III, Panasonic DMC-G85 and many new lenses.

There’s lots more that’s new, so head over to ON1 to download the free public beta. When the final version is released (currently scheduled for end of October), previous owners of any ON1 app (or ON1 plug-in) can upgrade for $80. New users can pre-order the software for $120 (and will get some cool bonuses such as On1 courses). The app is cross-platform compatible and can be activated on up to 5 computers.