Black Sand Basin, Yellowstone National Park

Hardware and Software Reviews

Alien Skin Exposure 3

A week or so back I received a note from Alien Skin to say that a version of Exposure 3 had been released for Lightroom, and asked if I would be interested in giving it a try. Now, I have to say from the outset that I've never been into filter effects when taking photographs and am even less so when editing them in Photoshop or Lightroom. Nevertheless, the information provided on their website looked interesting, so I downloaded a copy and gave it a whirl.

X-rite Photo ColorChecker Passport

X-rite Photo recently updated their ColorChecker Passport plug-in for compatibility with Adobe Lightroom 3. If you feel that the camera calibration profiles supplied by Adobe with Lightroom and Camera Raw aren't quite measuring up to your requirements then it might be worthwhile in investing in the ColorChecker Passport. Everything you need to create and manage your own camera profiles is supplied with the kit.

Adobe Lightroom 3 - Final

Lightroom 3 has been a long time in oven, but it's finally baked and ready for serving. Has the wait been worth it? Well, if you've already been working with either of the two public betas you'll already be familiar with most of the features added since version 2 shipped in late July 2008. For those who haven't, the following is as good a place as any to start learning.

Adobe Lightroom 3 Public Beta 2

So, here we are in late March 2010 and Adobe has opened the second public beta for Photoshop Lightroom 3. Has it addressed all of the feature requests submitted following the release of beta 1? Probably not, but the first beta was downloaded by over 350,00 photographers, so Adobe can still expect a fair amount interest in this latest beta.

Adobe Lightroom 3 Public Beta 1

On 9th January 2006 Adobe announced a public beta of a new software application that was eventually to become the mainstay photo management and editing application of many digital photographers. That application was Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Now move forward to 21st October 2009 and Adobe have announced the third Lightroom public beta. The intention this time round is provide photographers with early access to new features and technology so that Adobe have adequate time to respond to feedback.

Adobe Lightroom 2 - Final

When Adobe released the public beta of Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 back in early April 2008 it was with the express intention of providing the user community with an opportunity to try out many of the new features. Obviously, there was an expectation that the users would provide feedback on the new features and other aspects of the Lightroom workflow. So, here we are some 4 months later and the final release version is available, the question on everyone lips is - has the public beta delivered on it's objectives?

Adobe Lightroom 2 Public Beta

Wednesday April 2nd 2008 and Adobe slipped a Public Beta of  Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 onto their servers. During the days leading up to release there had been a few hints that something 'new' and 'improved' was coming, but no substantive information on what or when.

Adobe Lightroom 1.3 Update

So, here we are at Lightroom version 1.3 and the question most users will be asking is - what's new? On the surface very little, but just like an iceberg there's lots beneath the surface.

Adobe Lightroom 1.1 Update

Lightroom 1.0 made its public debut in mid February 2007. At the time, I along with around 40 other photographers and fellow Lightroom alpha testers (Michael Reichmann, Jeff Schewe and Seth Resnick) were on a photo shoot to Antarctica, so we missed all the fun and games of the official launch day. Anyway, time marches and Lightroom 1.1 is now with us, maybe we'll have another party.

Adobe Lightroom Public Beta 4

The last big date for Adobe Lightroom was back in July when Beta 3 finally made its way into the hands of the masses of  Windows users. There wasn't a lot of fanfare at the time, however, things promise to be different for Beta 4, especially with the opportunity presented by the worlds biggest photographic show - Photokina.

Adobe Lightroom Public Beta for Windows

For close on 6 months Windows folk have been asking when Adobe Lightroom would be available for them to "play" with. Well, I have good news - Lightroom for Windows is finally here. The question is - was it worth the wait?

Adobe Lightroom Public Beta 3

So, here we are some 5 months after Lightroom Beta 1 was released to the public and the long awaited Beta 3 has finally arrived. I've been privileged to use Beta 3 in one form or another over this past few months, so I'm very pleased to be one of the first to summarise the more significant changes.

Adobe Lightroom Public Beta 1

Out of the shadows and into the light - Adobe Lightroom shows its face to what should have been the unsuspecting world of digital photography. The formal announcement was due during Macworld San Francisco. However, the news broke on an Apple rumour site on Friday 6 January. Anyway, enough said about what should have been.

Pixel Genius PhotoKit SHARPENER

So you think you know all there is to know about sharpening digital images? Well think again because the horrible truth is that many of us haven't got the first clue as to how, when or even where to sharpen our images. PhotoKit SHARPENER a brainchild of Pixel Genius LLC provides new thinking on the best time and method for sharpening your digital images.

X-rite Photos Eye-One Display 2

A review of  X-rite Photos's Eye-One Display 2 monitor profiling solution.

PictoColor iCorrect EditLab 4.0 Plug-in and Stand-Alone Application

iCorrect EditLab 4.0 is an extremely powerful and easy-to-use color correction Plug-in for use with Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and Photoshop LE. For those not wanting or needing a full image editing application such as Photoshop it is EditLab 4.0 is also available as a Stand-Alone application.

ColorByte Software ImagePrint

ColorByte ImagePrint virtual RIP offers an alternative to the Epson print driver. Such is the quality of output from the Photo 2100 when using ImagePrint that I now find myself only using the Epson driver for text output or when attempting to answer a query raised by other users. This review also includes a number of screen shots designed to graphically compare the grayscale behaviour of the Epson driver and ImagePrint.

Review of Epson Stylus PHOTO 2100

The Epson Stylus PHOTO 2100 is the BEST desktop inkjet printer ever produced by Epson. Overall the print quality is light years better than the Photo 2000P ever achieved and in my opinion much better than models such as the cheaper Photo 1280/90. However, it is not without some faults and good as it is the Photo 2100 is not necessarily the best choice for everyone.

User Review of PictoColor inCamera Professional Plug-in

A comprehensive user review of PictoColor inCamera Professional Plug-in digital camera and scanner profiling software.

Feature Review of LaserSoft SilverFast 6

A comprehensive review of the new features to be found in the latest version of SilverFast. New features include: Dust and Scratch Removal, Grain and Noise Reduction, Selective Color to Grey Conversion and a host of others. The review has been updated to include some material on LaserSoft DCPro which includes such features as: raw image conversion for a wide range of digital cameras, red eye correction and the Virtual Light Table.

Review of Epson Photo Stylus 1290S

An updated version of my comprehensive Epson Photo Stylus 1290 review that discusses the features and potential qualities of Epson's 1290S Photo Printer, a must read for Amateur Photographers looking for a printer capable of high quality printing. North Americans will know this printer as the Photo Stylus 1280 so don't get too excited.

Review of MonacoEZcolor 2.5

A comprehensive user review of Monaco Systems latest version of EZcolor. This ICC profiling application is designed to profile scanners, printers and monitors. With the introduction of MonacoOPTIX (reviewed elsewhere on this site) MonacoSystems have taken the opportunity to address the issue of calibrating LCD displays.

Review of MonacoOPTIX

A review of MonacoOPTIX display calibration system. MonacoOPTIX comprises all the software/hardware components required for fast and accurate calibration of LCD and CRT type displays.

Review of Apple 23-inch Cinema HD Display

This review of the Apple 23-inch LCD display heads up Apples range and produces images of stunning quality. However, at approximately £3000 it brings into question my sanity!

Review of Monaco Systems EZcolor 2.2

A user review of Monaco Systems latest version of EZcolor. This ICC profiling application is designed to profile scanners, printers and monitors. Version 2.2 is primarily aimed at users of Mac OS X, although the supplied disk also contains version 2.1 for Windows and Mac OS9.

Eye-One Color System

A review of GretagMacbeth Eye-One color management system. The Eye-One system comprises three alternative software/hardware configurations to suite user needs. Eye-One Monitor allows for monitor (CRT and LCD) calibration, whilst Eye-One Pro with Eye-One Match enables the users to profile all kinds of input and output devices.

User Review of PictoColor inCamera Professional

A comprehensive user review of PictoColor inCamera Professional digital camera profiling software. Over recent months I've been fortunate to compare a number of products in this category. This latest review discusses a product that is more than just another profiling package.

User Review of Polaroid SprintScan 120

The long awaited review of the Polaroid SprintScan 120 film scanner. The review comprises my thoughts on performance and image quality.

Review of Cone Editions Piezography BW

A comprehensive review discussing the features and potential qualities of the Piezography BW printing system. A must read for Professional and Amateur Photographers  looking for a method for high quality black and white inkjet printing.

Review of PhotoCal and Spyder Colorimeter

A review of ColorVision's monitor calibration and profiling tools, including the NEW Spyder Colorimeter.

Review of Epson Photo Stylus 1270 Printer

A comprehensive review discussing the features and potential qualities of Epson's 1270 Photo Printer, a must read for Professional and Amateur Photographers  looking for a printer capable of high quality printing.

Review of Epson Photo Stylus 2000P Printer

A short review discussing the features and potential qualities of the Epson 2000 Photo Printer, a must read for Professional Photographers and Graphic Artists looking for a printer capable of true archival printing.