The latest update to Camera Raw, was released to customers today (9 March). This update is primarily to provide new camera and lens support plus bug fixes. However, Camera Raw 13.2 also includes new features and enhancements. One of which will be of particular benefit to customers with images captured on low Mega Pixel cameras or require significant cropping.
New Features and Enhancements
- Enhance Super Resolution: doubles image resolution. It’s ideal for large displays and prints. It’s also the second feature in the ‘Enhance’ family, which makes use of Adobe’s Machine Learning technologies.
- Filter and Sort the Filmstrip: Added ability to filter and sort photos visible in the Filmstrip.
- Customise Edit panel: Hide, show and reorder Edit panel.
- Apple ProRaw Profile: Apple ProRaw photos appear closer to the in-camera look.
- Native support for Arm processors.
Enhance Super Resolution
Super Resolution relies on Machine Learning technologies developed by Adobe. In developing the algorithms, millions of existing images were analysed. The result is feature that allows you to double the size of existing raw images to a much higher quality than previous upscaling tools in Photoshop, Camera Raw or Lightroom. It’s particularly useful for upsizing raw images captured on older DSLRs that were limited to 12MP and lower. However, it’s equally useful for upsizing heavily cropped raw images from more recent DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras.
To use the ‘Enhance Super Resolution’ feature in Camera Raw you right-mouse-click on the image to open the context menu, then choose ‘Enhance’
The Enhance setting dialog will open. Next make sure that you have ‘Super Resolution’ checked. There is also a headless option, which is activated by holding down the Option/Alt key when right-mouse-clicking on ‘Enhance’. Also, note that Enhance Details is automatically applied.
Like ‘Enhanced Details’, Super Resolution uses the GPU in your computer to undertake millions of highly complex calculations for each image. More details on the ‘Super Resolution’ feature can be found in the blog post by Eric Chan
Apple ProRaw
Apple ProRAW combines the information of a standard RAW format along with iPhone image processing, which gives you more flexibility when editing the exposure, colour and white balance in your photo. Unfortunately, until this latest release of Camera Raw it wasn’t possible for Adobe applications to make full use of the format. However, Apple ProRaw images can now imported into Camera Raw using the ProRaw Profile, and will also appear closer to their in-camera look.
Apple M1 and Windows ARM support
Camera Raw 13.2 is natively compatible with Apple devices with M1 processors and Windows machines with ARM processors.
Disclosure: As an Adobe Community Professional I receive a free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.