Adobe have just release a public beta version of Camera Raw 8.4.  A host of new features have been added, and Adobe are keen to read your thoughts on same.

Even though Camera Raw 8.4 is compatible with Photoshop CS6 and CC the new features are only available to users of the latter. Bug fixes are available to both sets of users.

Camera Raw 8.4 – Before and After Previews

The following preview preferences, which are accessed from the Preview Menu have been added:

• The Preview checkbox in earlier versions of ACR has been replaced by three buttons in the bottom-right of the ACR main dialog. From left to right, they are:

1. Mode: Click this button to cycle through left/right and top/bottom side-by-side and split-view modes. Click-and-hold this button to bring up a popup menu for directly choosing Preview modes and accessing the Preview Preferences. Keyboard shortcut: Press Q to cycle through the Preview modes.
2. Swap: Click this button to swap Before/After settings. Keyboard shortcut: Press P to swap Before/After settings for the primary selected image only; press Shift-P to swap Before/After settings for all selected images.
3. Copy: Click this button to copy the After settings to the Before settings. This is useful for establishing a temporary “checkpoint” for your image editing session. Keyboard shortcut: Press Option-P to copy After settings to the Before settings for the primary selected image only. Press Shift-Option-P to copy After settings to the Before settings for all selected images.

• The After preview image always reflects the current slider and tool settings (White Balance, Exposure, etc.).
• The standard single-image view always shows the After state.
• In the side-by-side and split-view modes, the Before settings are always shown on the left or top, and the After settings are always shown on the right or bottom.
• The Preview Preferences dialog supports customizing the Preview modes used for cycling and some drawing options.
• When using any tool other than Zoom and Pan (hand) in a side-by-side or split-view, changes are only allowed on the After view. Using the Crop tool will put you back into the standard single-image mode.
• Zooming and panning on one view will automatically zoom and pan the other.

Pet Eye Correction

• The Red Eye tool can now correct bright pupils in animals. Select ‘Pet Eye’ from the new drop down menu in the Red Eye tool to locate and fix pet eyes.

Local Correction Changes

• Added a mechanism to quickly reset all local correction sliders (Temperature, Exposure, etc.) to zero: right-click on a local adjustment pin and choose “Reset Local Correction Settings” from the context menu. Another way is to click on a local adjustment pin, and then choose “Reset Local Correction Settings” from the flyout menu.
• Added “Fill Image” to context menu for Radial Filter. Right-click on a radial filter adjustment pin and choose “Fill Image” from the context menu to resize the radial filter to cover the image area. (Shortcut: double-click inside the ellipse overlay for a radial filter adjustment to accomplish the same task.)

Other Features

• Added context menu to Histogram pane. The context menu can be used to enable Lab color readouts, even when the Workflow Options are set to another color space (such as Adobe RGB). The context menu and also be used to toggle the shadow, highlight, and gamut clipping warnings.
• Added “Check All” and “Check None” buttons to Synchronize, New Preset, Save Settings, and Copy/Paste (Bridge) dialog boxes. These are shortcuts for checking all/none of the check boxes.
• Added keyboard shortcut: When using the Crop Tool or Straighten Tool, press the X key to flip the crop aspect ratio (landscape to portrait, portrait to landscape).
• Added explanatory note to Lens Correction “Profile” panel to indicate when built-in (metadata-based) lens profiles are automatically applied to the image.

Disclosure: As an Adobe Community Professional I receive a free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.