ON1 Photo RAW 2024 launched last November, quickly followed by version 2024.1 in December and 2024.3 a couple of months ago. In typical fashion, ON1 has released a significant overhaul about half a year later, bringing version 2024.5 to photographers later this month.
Before diving into the latest update, it is worth quickly recapping what ON1 has added to its flagship RAW photo editor and asset management application since Photo RAW 2024 landed last autumn.
Version 2024.1 added new color balance tools to enable photographers to independently adjust the color hue and saturation of shadows, midtones, and highlights. The update also added straightforward metadata editing to make organizing images captured with different cameras easier, plus new camera and lens support and bug fixes.
Photo RAW 2024.3 incorporated ON1’s impressive new AI-powered NoNoise 2024 noise reduction technology into PhotoRAW 2024. It also added Tack Sharp, new sharpening technology, and improved export performance.
Now, onto Photo RAW 2024.5. The update brings significant performance improvements and expanded precision masking tools.
“We strive to improve performance with every release. Usually, we can eke out a boost here and there which positively impacts your workflow. However, this update is the big one. It is the most pervasive performance boost we’ve had. You will feel it almost everywhere in Edit. Opening photos is faster, brushing is faster, and zooming is faster. If you work with many layers and filters, you will feel the difference,” says Dan Harachler, VP of product.
Photo RAW 2024.5’s “new and improved” Super Select AI allows users to quickly select an object in their image by clicking on it. The underlying AI technology identifies the object and creates an accurate mask, allowing for precise local adjustments. For example, if a photographer wants to adjust a person’s hair or clothing, they click on the area they want to tweak and start making adjustments.
Similar to the Super Select AI, Quick Mask AI enables point-and-click editing for masks, which simplifies blending layers and filters. Essentially, Super Select AI eschews the need for complex layers, while Quick Mask AI makes creating masks easier. Both features rely heavily upon intelligent selection tools.
As for performance, Photo RAW 2024.5 promises the most significant and most expansive boosts yet. ON1 promises that “almost everything” to do with editing images feels faster. Specifically, opening RAW files is about twice as fast, as is opening ON1’s proprietary .ONPhotos files (HDR, panoramas, layered files). Zooming, panning, and brushing are now significantly smoother, especially with multi-layered photos. These gains are due to refinements concerning how ON1 Photo RAW utilizes a computer’s GPU and memory.
Photo RAW 2024.5 also includes the typical bug fixes and expanded camera and lens support included in all updates. Photo RAW 2024.5 is available as a free update for all Photo RAW 2024 users. For new users, it is available with a 50% special offer discount, bringing the price down from $100 to $50. Complete purchasing information, including the ability to download a free trial, is available on ON1’s website.
Image credits: ON1