JRD3 Loc: Richmond, VA

Looking to purchase ON1 software. Have heard it can be used as standalone or that it can be a plug in to Lightroom. Biggest question is it’s ease of use. Thoughts appreciated.

Zaydewise Loc: Nashville TN

It can be used with LR or as a standalone. The standalone product is much cheaper than the plugin. I have been using ON1 for at least 6 years and find it much easier to use than Photoshop. There are a lot of folks on YouTube where you can learn the product such as Scott Davenport, Jim Nix, Free Will Photography (Chris Scott), Hudson Henry, Anthony Morganti to name a few. In addition, ON1 has great videos on its site and YouTube. The 2023 version is expected to be the best product ON1 has produced and may be the best product on the market.

Peteso Loc: Blacks Hills

I switched from Lightroom to ON1 about 4 or 5 years ago and never looked back. The initial learning curve is steep, but once you understand the structure of the program, the learning curve flattens out very quickly. There are various options for facilitating the initial learning process, but those details are beyond the scope of your questions. ON1 is more robust (i.e., flexible, options, features, etc.) than Lightroom and, at the same time, more intuitive (i.e., easier to use). ON1 has also been rapidly improving with upgrades, some of which have been quantum leaps. For example, the 2023 version (due for release this month) has some new features that are significant. I don’t use ON1 as a plug-in so I can’t speak to that from experience, but based on the company’s representations, it can be used as a plug-in. Overall, on a 1 to 10 scale, I would give ON1 an 8.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Anything is easy after you become accustomed to it. There are lots of tutorials online. I've used it a bit - not a problem. Once you buy it, they give you various monthly freebies.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

Basically I recommend ON1 as a good parametric raw processor. It's middle of the road priced with an above average feature set. Easy enough to learn and use.

No one product is going to have everything you want in the form you want it but I'd say if I had to use it ON1 would be able to handle most of my processing work adequately. Things I would miss that ON1 lacks:

1. I really like knowing what color things are in my photos by the numbers other than RGB component values. For example I know a clear blue sky in the ProPhoto color space has a Hue value of 228 to 230. I'd like to be able to sample and read that -- but ON1 won't do it.

2. I'd kick and spit and cuss for a long time trying to get used to not having the color uniformity option that I use almost daily that both Capture One and DXO PL5 provide.

3. I place a very high premium on my raw processor providing a 100% non-destructive and non-linearly re-editable raw workflow. ON1 gets close but misses the 100% mark and that would piss me off regularly.

4. I photograph a lot of architecture and really like especially PL5's keystone auto correction ability (extra cost) as well as the same in C1. ON1 in that regard is strictly manual and a bit sparse on features (no skew option).

Is there something that ON1 provides that I wish I had while working in C1 or PL5? No.

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

It's well worth the price for the provided features. I use it as a stand-alone so I can't address your plugin question.

Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room

I'm a user of Lightroom (CC and Classic), Luminar Neo and ON1 Photo RAW 2022. Possibly because I'm stupid with my money, or maybe because the products tend to play leapfrog with one another. I like them all, and find they each have points that make them a better choice than the others. But the only way I can find that sometimes, is to edit the same image with each. Other times, I know exactly what I'm looking to do (power line removal, sky replacement, etc.).

Bbarn Loc: Ohio

I currently use ON1, Adobe LrC, and DxO PureRAW. I've learned to use LrC and DxO to perform standard tasks fairly well. I've never felt as comfortable with ON1 and am unlikely to update it from v2022.5 for a variety of reasons. But the choice of tools to use is very personal and all can produce very good results. Highly recommend trial versions to help make a choice.

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

I've tried - and used - all the name brand processing software and some of the more obscure ones. A few months ago, I settled on ON1 as being the best - by quite a bit over some. It certainly is the easiest by far to learn and use. It is stand-alone, with no need for jumping back and forth between programs in order to achieve desired results. Workflow is logical, and very easy to use. If you do have any (rare) problems, customer support is quick to respond, and very helpful. Also, there are MANY very good videos on the ON1 website, and lots more on YouTube, covering everything.

The new version is due out in a few days. I've watched all the preview videos, and I'm really anticipating the new features, as well as the continued enhancement of existing ones. They will without any question put ON1 way ahead of anything else I have seen. Everyone should have a look at ON1 - there is a free trial.

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

If you are truly interested in buying ON1 PR 2023, make sure you visit the various YouTube videos. Not only for their content, but many also offer a discount code that can be applied to the purchase price. Most, like Morganti’s, are 20%.

hlpeterson

I use it as a plug-in with Lightroom. Easy to find, easy to use, good results. Got it on sale for $35.

Ysarex Loc: St. Louis

ON1 is a good choice compared with the other options available. We can tell you like it. But way ahead of anything you've seen? Maybe so but not way ahead of what I've seen. Like all of them it has it's strengths and weaknesses. I could sit here all day and show you ways in which ON1 comes up short compared with other editors. For example parametric editors are all as a group pretty poor at retouching tasks compared with raster editors. Even still there's a big difference in the capabilities of retouch tools between parametric editors. ON1 has a cloning retouch tool. Try using it and once finished tweak the position of the clone pick up point. You can't. Go back and paint in different opacity levels in the clone target area. You can't. Erase from the clone target area edge. You can't. Compared with the other parametric editors ON1's retouch tools rank with the poorer performing editors. That can be OK for someone who doesn't place a priority on those functions but it can be a deal breaker for someone who does.

ON1 is a good middle of the road option. It has very stiff competition from other excellent editors.

josquin1 Loc: Massachusetts

Have been using ON1 for 5 or 6 years and am very satisfied with it. I switched from Lightroom which I found complicated.

photoman43

if your workflow involves the use of two monitors, make sure ON 1 supports dual monitors. And make sure its definition of dual monitors meets your needs. This comment does not just apply to ON1, but to all RAW processors. You need to download a free trial version and see for yourself if it meets your needs, not just procesing, but workflow and others too like creating Jpegs and making prints.

Boone Loc: Groundhog Town USA

As a portrait photographer of many years I found ON1 several years ago while looking for a "Tethering Program" for my clients to see the photos as they were created. (My clients really like this feature a lot) At first this was my primary reason.
As I used ON1 more, and learned its basics, I loved the program!
I have used PS & PSE as well as LR for years. And I like them all. However, as I saw ON1 evolve, I no longer have or use PS or LR. I love PSE, and I keep it up to date. I also have Have Affinity which is a full blown Program in its self.

For me...I use ON1 as my primary editor for 90% of my workflow.

I highly recommend ON1 at all my presentations, and if you try it, I believe you will like it too!

Yes it has a learning curve, but they all do. Just take the time to learn the basics of ON1 (Which only takes a short time) and the rest is pretty easy. As others here have already said; "There is a TON OF VIDEOS ON YT".

I only speak for myself on this issue...but I would encourage you to try ON1 and make up your own mind!!!

Thanks,
Boone.






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