Nostr notes by Mark G Adams (Unofficial)

CalibRaw Review – CalibRaw 1.4 Released With A Solid Update We ...

2026-10-31T11:12:05Z

CalibRaw Review – CalibRaw 1.4 Released With A Solid Update

We see the release of CalibRaw 1.4, packed with useful features, but more importantly, working on what was already there to ensure the best possible experience. CalibRaw has focused on getting things right, along with a handful of great new features.
New And Improved In CalibRaw 1.4
The Basics
The first thing of note is that the following sliders have had complete re-writes and now work much more accurately and perform better.
Temperature
Clarity
Texture
Dehaze
Vibrance
Language Additions
CalibRaw now supports English, German, French, Japanese, Polish, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Hindi and posh English.
Also
This release adds basic transform with guided perspective, simple negatives support, a reworked library with folders, sorting and filtering, and watermarks on export.
LUT Support
CalibRaw now supports LUTs!
Chromatic Aberration
There has been a slider added to target chromatic aberrations in your images.
Other Improvements
Crop and object mask edits can be undone.
Faster preview and lower memory use on Android, plus a tablet layout.
Better dehaze, blacks, vibrance and highlights.
Improved temperature and tint, white balance sync and paste, and X-Trans demosaicing.
Keyboard shortcut for clipping, and Space to select in the library.
All metadata is kept on export.
Fixes
Lens matching and lens correction.
DNG and TIFF files, including TIFF thumbnails.
HDR merge timeout.
Out-of-gamut colours.
Preview quality.
Conclusion
CalibRaw is really concentrating on getting things right, creating a robust raw editing experience. Although still in its early stages, you can see from the YouTube review(s) [Part 1 followed by Part 2 shortly] that CalibRaw just works, and works as it should.
In my testing, there have been no issues, and everything from intensive masking, to managing colour has been fast and accurate.
You can download CalibRaw from the official website here
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/31/calibraw-review-calibraw-1-4-released-with-a-solid-update/

#calibraw #review #photography #mark #adams #website #english #claritytexture #languageadditions #supportcalibraw

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A Nature, Landscape And Wildlife Walk It was time for some ...

2026-10-30T04:14:12Z

A Nature, Landscape And Wildlife Walk

It was time for some shutter therapy, and luckily enough I managed to get out for a few hours in the autumn sun. Armed with my Nikon Z6ii and 16-80mm and 150-500mm I was after a taste of autumn, and I came away very happy.
It was just nice to get out and about, it has been a while because of various reasons. I thought I would edit in the amazing RapidRaw, as it is genuinely an awesome raw editor. I’ve tried to capture the day as much as possible for you to take the journey with me.
This first section of images are from the Nikon Z6ii and the Tamron 150-500mm.
Here is a distant landscape image taken using the Nikon Z6ii and the Tamron 150-500mm.
And finally, here are the images taken with the Nikon Z6ii and the Tamron 16-30mm.
I always like to play with the light in my edited images. So many photographers, especially wildlife and bird photographers leave their images very flat. It is important to mould the light as your camera does not always capture what you actually see.
Using RapidRaw I used the new “Relight” feature in a few of the images. It is not as good as the version found in Luminar Neo, but it is still great. On the majority of the images though, I moulded the light using masking, as it just gives more 3D pop.
If you like what you see, don’t forget to like, comment and subscribe!
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/29/a-nature-landscape-and-wildlife-walk/

#photography #nikon #mark #adams #film #website #nikonrecipes #using #latest #visit

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Gull In Flight Did you know there are no such things as ...

2026-10-27T22:51:35Z

Gull In Flight

Did you know there are no such things as “seagulls”, or so I have been told every time that I say that word. I was out in the middle of nowhere, having being in a bit of a slump lately because the weather has been bad, and I’ve just not been feeling it, so I went out with the Z6ii and the Tamron Z150-500mm lens in search of something… anything. And all I came home with was this (and a distant aeroplane and flower.
The image is a straight from camera image, I couldn’t even be bothered to edit it, but it was just a gull on a blue sky in flight anyway. It is still a nice shot, and shows that the Z6ii is still amazing at capturing fast flying birds and objects.
Sorry for the lack of photographs lately too, as I said, the weather has been awful, so a lot of missed oppurtunities!
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page ismy Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/27/gull-in-flight/

#photography #flight #mark #gull #adams #film #website #southwales #latest #visit

#rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

RapidRAW 1.6.7 – A Major Update There has been a major update ...

2026-10-25T18:17:23Z

RapidRAW 1.6.7 – A Major Update

There has been a major update of RapidRAW, and we are now on RapidRAW version 1.6.7. This update concentrates on improving RapidRaw’s core performance in colour management and various AI tools. It is a welcome upgrade to the software.
What Is RapidRAW 1.6.7?
RapidRAW 1.6.7 is a major release of the open-source, lightweight, GPU-accelerated non-destructive RAW photo editor. Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android under the GPL license, this update moves RapidRAW further from a quick viewer into a fully featured Lightroom alternative.
1. Deep Immich Integration
RapidRAW 1.6.7 brings native integration for self-hosted Immich photo libraries:
Direct Library Browsing: Navigate Immich albums, timelines, and RAW stacks directly inside the RapidRAW interface without pre-downloading catalog files.
Two-Way Background Sync: Metadata, star ratings, and adjustments automatically sync to the Immich server in the background every few seconds. If offline, edits queue locally and push when connectivity is restored.
Direct Export to Immich: Export edited photos straight to an Immich album, where they are automatically stacked alongside the original file.
Secure Token Storage: API keys are stored securely using platform native keychains (Windows Credential Manager, macOS Keychain, Secret Service, or Android Keystore).
2. Overhauled AI Denoise & Background Job Queue
Non-Destructive GPU AI Denoise: The legacy modal interface that exported intermediate TIFF files has been completely removed. AI Denoise now processes GPU-accelerated adjustments directly within the editing pipeline.
Batch Copy & Paste: Denoise settings can now be copied and pasted across multiple photos.
Global Background Job Queue: Heavy background processes (AI Denoise, export, thumbnail generation) are consolidated into a centralized UI Job Queue.
Classic Denoise (AI-Free Mode): For users running without AI acceleration, the Details panel features a fast, non-destructive BM3D-based Classic Denoise algorithm.
3. Color Accuracy & Engine Improvements
Dual-Illuminant Color Profiles: RapidRAW 1.6.7 supports dual-illuminant camera color calibration matching the DNG standard. White balance automatically interpolates between daylight and tungsten profiles to eliminate magenta/purple color casts in artificial lighting.
Gamut Compression: Highly saturated colors that exceed sRGB or target color space bounds are compressed smoothly rather than hard-clipped, preventing color banding and artifacting in neon signs or stage lighting.
On-Demand AI Models: AI model downloads (for sky/subject masks and denoise) now download dynamically upon first use rather than requiring large upfront bundle downloads.
4. Enhanced Editing Tools & Workflow
Flexible Compare Modes: Toggle side-by-side, split left/right, and split top/bottom before/after views by right-clicking the compare icon or pressing B.
Non-Destructive Film Negative Conversion: The film negative tool is integrated directly into the Details panel. Non-destructively tweak RGB channel balance, print exposure, and print grade, or convert film negatives in batches via the context menu.
Expanded Batch Adjustments: Lens Blur, Atmospheric Fog, 3D Relight, and AI Denoise are integrated into the global Copy/Paste dialog.
Improved AI Sky & Foreground Segmentation: Fine structures such as hair, power lines, and tree foliage are separated with higher edge fidelity.
5. Performance & Memory Optimizations
Lower Memory Footprint: Reduced RAM consumption across the preview pipeline, adjustment layers, AI masks, and the main user interface.
Decoded Image Reuse: Decoding cached image buffers prevents duplicate decoding steps when using the Culling View, Collage Tool, and Tethering modes.
Key Summary Overview
FeatureRapidRAW 1.6.7 ImplementationCloud / Self-HostedNative Immich sync, album management, and direct exportNoise ReductionNon-destructive GPU AI Denoise + BM3D Classic Denoise (AI-free)Color HandlingDual-illuminant DNG color profile blending & Gamut CompressionRetouching & Effects3D Relight, Atmospheric Fog, Lens Blur (Bokeh), Non-destructive NegativesInterface / ViewSide-by-side, vertical split, and horizontal split B/A modes; Culling ViewLicense & OSFree, open-source (GPL); Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Conclusion
More than any other, Version 1.6.7 of RapidRAW has improved RapidRaw in a way that will directly affect users. Although from the outside it does not look like there are many new features, it is the underlaying improvements that really make a difference.
Download The Latest Version Of RapidRAW Here
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page ismy Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/25/rapidraw-1-6-7-a-major-update/

#majorupdate #denoise #rapidraw #immich #jobqueue #background #color #classicdenoise #export #deepimmich

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RAWmakase – A New And Exciting Raw Developer Compatible With ...

2026-10-22T20:30:07Z

RAWmakase – A New And Exciting Raw Developer Compatible With Lightroom

Today we look at yet another raw editor. After being impressed with the amazing ArtCraft, RapidRaw and CalibRaw raw editors, it is time to look at software that takes a slightly different approach and keeps the familiar feel of Adobe’s Lightroom, but as it is in early development, we can see it adding features that just might surprise us.
Library View
What Is RAWmakase
RAWmakase is an ambitious, open-source contender targeting the non-destructive RAW editing space. While it is undeniably in its early stages of development with noticeable rough edges and subject to rapid change, its core architecture, performance, and thoughtful design philosophy show immense promise.
An Overview And More!
Written in Rust, RAWmakase is a free, MIT-licensed, GPU-accelerated RAW image processor available across Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its primary goal is to provide a smooth, fast, local-first alternative to Adobe Lightroom Classic, Capture One, and ON1 Photo RAW.
The name—a blend of “RAW” and the Japanese culinary term omakase (“I’ll leave it up to you”)—hints at its aim: to curate an intuitive, hassle-free editing experience without trapping users behind expensive monthly software subscriptions.
Highlights: Where It Delivers
Lightroom Parity & Import: RAWmakase reads Lightroom Classic catalogues (.lrcat) without modifying original files. It carries over star ratings, colour labels, keywords, and compatible develop settings. It also imports XMP presets and DCP/XMP camera profiles out of the box.
Performance & Architecture: Built with Rust, performance is snappy. It utilizes Vulkan on Linux and Metal on macOS for GPU-accelerated previews and image processing, backed by LibRaw engine support for broad camera compatibility.
First-Class Linux Support: Native builds (.deb, .rpm, Arch packages, and AppImages) make RAWmakase a standout candidate for Linux users who have long lacked a modern, Lightroom-like workflow.
Scriptability & Power Features: In addition to standard Develop panels (Tone, White Balance, HSL, Curves, Detail, Masking), RAWmakase includes a full command-line interface (CLI) for batch rendering and inspection, alongside built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server support for external automation.
Develop View
Why It’s Clear It’s in Early Development
While the groundwork is solid, RAWmakase carries all the markers of early-stage software:
Evolving Rendering Engine: Pre-1.0 release notes explicitly warn that colour science and rendering models are actively shifting between versions. Edits made today may look slightly different in future releases.
Missing Features & Limitations: Advanced capabilities—such as HDR editing (PQ/HLG), full HDR display pipelines, and broad export pipeline optimizations—are still work-in-progress or incomplete.
Limited Backwards Compatibility: Until a stable 1.0 release, catalogue file structures and sidecar formats are subject to changes. While original photo files remain completely safe (edits are strictly non-destructive), exported work should be saved separately to preserve final renders.
Conclusion
RAWmakase is not yet ready to completely replace a production Lightroom workflow for professional commercial studios today. However, as an open-source project, its trajectory is impressive. Its fast Rust codebase, sensible UI layout, native cross-platform support, and seamless import paths make it one of the most exciting photo editing projects to watch.
If you are a photographer looking for subscription-free, local-first editing—or a Linux user seeking a modern RAW workflow—RAWmakase is well worth installing to test drive and support as it matures.
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/22/rawmakase-a-new-and-exciting-raw-developer-compatible-with-lightroom/

#raw #lightroomclassic #rawmakase #adobelightroom #linux #deliverslightroom #earlydevelopment #photoraw #features #support

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7Artisans 85mm F/1.8 Review I’ve been lucky enough to be using ...

2026-10-20T11:56:42Z

7Artisans 85mm F/1.8 Review

I’ve been lucky enough to be using the 7Artisans 85mm F/1.8 lens recently, and here is my review of this lens. You’ll read about the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s certainly a lens that can fulfil every portrait photographers needs, but it does have a flaw (but it’s not its amazing image quality!
Overview
The 7Artisans AF 85mm f/1.8 for Nikon Z mount stands out as one of the most compelling budget prime lenses available for full-frame mirrorless shooters. Released as part of 7Artisans’ push into full-frame autofocus glass, this short telephoto offers incredible value for portraiture, street details, and low-light work without requiring a steep investment.
Here is a detailed breakdown of how the 7Artisans AF 85mm f/1.8 performs on Nikon Z camera bodies.
Key Specifications
Focal Length: 85mm (Short Telephoto / Portrait)
Aperture Range: f/1.8 – f/16
Aperture Blades: 11 (rounded)
Optical Construction: 10 elements in 7 groups
Focusing Motor: STM Stepping Motor (Internal Focus)
Filter Thread: 62mm
Weight: Approx. 450g / 15.8 oz
Mount: All-metal Nikon Z mount with USB-C port for firmware updates
Controls: AF/MF Switch, Aperture Control Ring, Customizable Function (Fn) Button
Build Quality & Handling
For a sub-£300 lens, the physical construction is remarkably solid. 7Artisans opted for a metal barrel and an all-metal bayonet mount, giving it a reassuring weight and tactile feel in the hand.
Physical Controls: The lens features an AF/MF toggle switch, a customizable Fn button, and a dedicated aperture control ring (with an “A” setting for camera-controlled exposure).
Ergonomics: The manual focus ring is well-damped, requiring a deliberate turn. The aperture ring on the other hand, while it feels quite damped, does have a mind of its own and can move fairly easily.
Omissions: To keep costs down, the lens does not feature full weather-sealing gaskets around the mount or barrel, so caution is advised when shooting in inclement weather.
Autofocus Performance
The internal focusing mechanism is driven by an STM stepping motor. On modern Nikon Z bodies, performance is very reliable:
AF-S & Tracking: Single autofocus is swift, quiet, and accurate. Nikon’s Eye-AF / Face Detection locks on reliably during portrait sessions.
Video & Action: Focus pulls in video are smooth without jarring steps. While tracking fast-moving continuous action can occasionally show slight hesitation, it performs admirably for standard portraiture and event work.
Gallery
Image Quality & Optics
1. Sharpness
Centre Resolution: Centre sharpness wide-open at f/1.8 is outstanding. Fine details like eyelashes, iris textures, and hair stand out crisp and clear.
Edges & Corners: Outer edges are slightly softer wide-open compared to the centre, but stopping down to f/2.8 – f/5.6 sharpens the frame across the field, making it well-suited for stopped-down landscapes or group shots.
2. Bokeh & Rendering
Equipped with an 11-blade rounded diaphragm, the lens produces soft, smooth background blur. Out-of-focus highlight highlights (“bokeh balls”) remain pleasingly round even when stopped down slightly, with clean background separation that flatters facial features.
3. Optical Artifacts
Chromatic Aberration: Axial longitudinal CA (purple/green fringing on high-contrast edges) is well-managed for an f/1.8 optic in this price tier.
Vignetting & Distortion: There is minor, natural vignetting at f/1.8 that clears up quickly by f/2.8. Distortion is minimal and easily corrected in post-processing or via standard profile corrections.
Conclusion
The 7Artisans AF 85mm f/1.8 (Z Mount) punches well above its weight class. While official first-party optics (like the Nikkor Z 85mm f/1.8 S) offer edge-to-edge optical perfection and full weather sealing, they cost significantly more.
I’ve found that for everyday use, including street photography and portrait work, the lens autofocus hits focus every-time, regardless of it is attached to my older Nikon Z6ii or my newer Nikon ZF. The image quality is actually very impressive, and no matter what you use this lens for, you will be more than happy with the results.
There is one problem though. The aperture ring has a mind of its own. If you are not locked down on a tripod, the aperture ring WILL move and you will not be at the aperture you thought you were at. It would have been nice to have a clicked aperture, or a stiffer dial. If you are moving around with this lens attached, you have to look at the aperture setting before you take your photos.
Overall, the 7Artisans 85mm F/1.8 lens is a great addition to every camera bag, especially if you intend to take portraits. Don’t be fooled by it’s low price, it bats well above its weight. I also own the TTArtisan 85mm F/1.8 Neo, a £99 lens which has no dials, is plastic and feels very different to this 7Artisans lens. Should you consider the 7Artisans over the TTArtisans lens? I will do a side-by-side of both lenses in the future, if you are rarely going to use the 85mm focal length, then just go for the one that you can afford.
You can buy 7Artisans lenses from here
*** I was sent this lens for review by 7Artisans, however they have no say in what I have said or what my opinions are. The lens was in heavy use before review to get a fair feel for the written review.
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/20/7artisans-85mm-f-1-8-review/

#nikon #review #aperturecontrol #mount #controlring #imagequality #steppingmotor #stmstepping #shorttelephoto #focus

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RapidRaw 1.6.6 Released! It’s A Huge Update! RapidRaw 1.6.6 has ...

2026-10-18T23:12:13Z

RapidRaw 1.6.6 Released! It’s A Huge Update!

RapidRaw 1.6.6 has been released, and it is an amazing, and huge update! Bringing features that we have hoped for and a lot more. Here you can find the latest video from the release and a look at the new features in more detail.
New Features
Spatial Effects & 2.5D Relighting: Control light in real time! This looks like it could be one of the most useful features yet in RapidRaw.
Volumetric & Ground Fog: This one is really useful and from the initial test works really well!
Non-Destructive AI Denoise: Cleaning up high-ISO noise no longer requires generating massive duplicate files, as AI Denoise is now built directly into the main editing pipeline. Previously, running the denoiser meant triggering a context menu action that produced an enormous standalone TIFF file with compressed dynamic range. Now, it operates as a native, non-destructive tool inside the Details panel, preserving the full dynamic range of your original image with zero quality loss. Dedicated sliders for reduction strength and fine detail recovery give you complete control over texture without locking you in.
Auto Straighten: A much needed feature added at last!
Custom Center Point for Vignette & Centré: And another must have feature added!
Individual Tool Visibility Controls: Comparing before-and-after edits is now much more precise with granular tool visibility controls. Instead of turning an entire category of edits on or off all at once, each individual tool, and sub-section now has its own dedicated toggle. This lets you quickly isolate and evaluate specific adjustments, like checking the effect of just your grain, sharpening, or color grading, without disabling the rest of your grade or losing your slider settings.
RAW Baseline Exposure & Highlight Preservation Compensation: This update introduces intelligent baseline exposure handling and camera highlight-preservation compensation to deliver more balanced, true-to-scene exposures for RAW files right out of the box. Users can now apply a configurable baseline exposure bias (defaulting to +0.7 EV, similar to darktable’s scene-referred workflow, alongside embedded DNG baseline tags) and automatically restore exposure intentionally held back by in-camera highlight protection features, such as Fujifilm DR200/DR400, Canon Highlight Tone Priority & Auto Lighting Optimizer, Nikon Active D-Lighting, Olympus Gradation, and Pentax D-Range expansion. Both options can be fine-tuned in Preferences, integrate seamlessly across previews, auto-adjustments, and exports, and are tracked per-image so previously edited photos remain completely unaffected.
Core Improvements
Export DPI Controls: Added customizable DPI resolution settings in the export dialog for print-ready file preparation.
Standardized Metadata Writing: Keywords, ratings, and color labels are now embedded as standard XMP metadata if enabled, alongside improved RAW EXIF handling.
Android Touch Multi-Selection: Added a touch multi-selection mode to easily manage, rate, and batch edit photo selections on Android.
Batch Renaming Tokens: Added support for the {original_filename_number} token in the batch rename tool to easily preserve in-camera frame sequence numbering.
Updated Lens Database: Integrated the latest Lensfun definitions to expand automated lens correction support across newly released lenses.
Cleaner Sidecar Storage: Refined sidecar creation logic to avoid writing out default-only .rrdata files, keeping your image directories clutter-free.
Staged Preview Caching: Implemented staged preview cache updates to reduce lag and flicker during rapid slider adjustments.
Stability & Bug Fixes: Resolved various issues and refined overall application performance.
Conclusion
As you would have seen from the video, these features really excited me! Stay tuned for videos looking at each feature individually, as they are epic!
Download the latest update from the official site here
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page ismy Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/18/rapidraw-1-6-6-released-its-a-huge-update/

#hugeupdate #released #features #rapidraw #tool #baselineexposure #visibilitycontrols #raw #highlight #added

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“Facts” About Professional Photographers That You’ve Got ...

2026-10-18T15:52:42Z

“Facts” About Professional Photographers That You’ve Got Wrong

If you hang around the internet, YouTube or cameras clubs long enough, you’ll hear various “facts” thrown at you by photographers who think they understand professional photographers. The simple fact is, most of these are misconceptions or flat out lies.
While there are situations and certain types of photography that require a certain discipline (such as studio work and high end portrait work), this accounts for a tiny percentage of professional photography situations.
Here are a few of the things we hear which need to be addressed.
Things You’ve Probably Got Wrong
“They always shoot in manual mode”
Probably the biggest misconception is that professional photographers shoot in full manual mode. While indeed manual will be used in certain situations (such as in a studio, long exposures and things that can only be done with controlled exposure), professional photographers will generally use whichever mode is needed for the task at hand.
Generally speaking and after years of working with others in various situations (as well as reading others blogs etc) you’ll find professional photographers using Aperture Priority mode. It just works, and when you’re shooting any kind of work, the last thing you want to do is think about your settings when its all about your subjects and compositions.
“They only shoot in raw”
Another huge misconception, probably influenced by those pretend YouTube photographers that you see giving bad advice for many things. As with manual vs a priority mode, many professional photographers will shoot in both raw and jpeg.
There are of course huge advantages to shooting both jpeg and raw that I’ve discussed both here and here (and here is a useful look at how you should really look at raw vs jpeg). When you’re at an event (such as a wedding or social event) you can quickly offload photos straight to a printer without the need to edit. Also for things such as sporting events, press photographers etc they don’t need to edit and will get the photos off too the relevant departments as soon as possible.
Plus of course, some professional photographers just like to use jpeg. As simple as that. Especially those who shoot in black and white or those with cameras known for their colour recipes.
“Photographers are rich”
This is one of those things you hear often. I’m sure, like in any job, there are those in areas where you can live a comfortable life. While for others, it pays the bills and can be quite seasonal depending on what they are shooting.
“Professionals only use the best gear”
No, no, no! You obviously don’t know professional photographers. Hang around the scene long enough and you’ll see that not as many many pros as you think actually have the latest and the greatest cameras.
Over the last 10 years, cameras have come to a point where they are all really good at their jobs. A camera is a tool and so it’s treated like one, and many of us need the feel and familiarity of a camera.
My 6 year old Nikon Z6ii might be a dinosaur to many gear-head amateurs, but in the professional world it is often the newest camera around!
“Professionals get it right in camera”
I honestly believe that everyone doing photography strives to “get it right in camera”. Everyone wants to protect as much information on the sensor as possible.
However, there are people who think they get it right so that they don’t have to edit. While a tiny minority may use images straight from camera, there is no question that the vast majority of pros will edit their images, be it a raw file or a jpeg. The camera rarely sees exactly that we see.
“If they’re professional they wouldn’t have made that mistake”
Hey, believe it or not pros are humans too. They’ve left they’re lens cap on, they’ve forgotten to change their settings, they’ve forgotten gear… You get the picture.
Conclusion
I think many of us blame the upturn in misconceptions on the advent of YouTube Photographers. Of course, among them all there are genuinely great photographers, but that are so many (especially the popular ones) who simply only do photography for YouTube. YouTube is their job, so they need to make content, and click-bate headlines sells views!
The same can be said about certain bloggers who parade around giving advice which is hardly ever based on their own experience. Take what they say with a punch of salt.
Being a working photographer is really tough work. You REALLY need to love the job, REALLY need to know the job and you REALLY need to always counteract the endless misconceptions that you hear being thrown around.
It’s far too often we hear bad, or grossly inaccurate advice on software, cameras, techniques and other photography related content.
Enjoy your photography. Go out and take images your way.
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/18/facts-about-professional-photographers-that-youve-got-wrong/

#gotwrong #professionalphotographers #probablygot #facts #things

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CalibRaw 1.3 Review – The Features That Make It An Attractive ...

2026-10-17T10:08:51Z

CalibRaw 1.3 Review – The Features That Make It An Attractive Option

It’s been with great interest that I’ve been following various pieces of AI developed photo editing software. I initially downloaded an earlier version of Calbraw to run as a side-by-side comparison with the formidable RapidRaw (plus I made an early review here with a lot of information), however Calibraw does some interesting things that RapidRaw has failed to implement even though it (RR) is further down the development cycle.
What Is CalibRaw?
CalibRaw is a free, open-source RAW photo editor and workflow application designed as an alternative to subscription-based software like Adobe Lightroom.
Key features of the application include:
Familiar Interface & Tools: It replicates standard parametric editing layouts, offering complete control over exposure, tone curves, HSL colour mixers, colour grading, and lens corrections.
Local AI Capabilities: It includes intelligent masking (such as automatic sky and subject selection) and object removal tools that run entirely on local hardware without uploading files to external cloud servers.
Workflow Management: It supports non-destructive editing, batch processing, custom preset creation, and a comprehensive library system to sort and filter image assets.
Cross-Platform Support: Built as a fast, GPU-accelerated application available across platforms including Windows, Linux, and Android.
What Stands Out That Makes It An Attractive Option?
CalibRaw is not perfect, and it has some design choices that often make it feel quite messy compared to other software. That said, what it does, it does really well. Here is a list of features that set it apart from RapidRaw, and many other pieces of free photo editing software.
• Camera Profiles – It may sound simple, but many photo editors don’t get this right. With CalibRaw I can actually choose the in-camera profile I used with my camera, or choose between any of the other profiles. Plus I can set it to the Adobe profile, which can be very handy with standardising image colours throughout a batch edit.
• Manual Lens Correction – With so many lenses missing from the databases that these programs use, I’m really glad to see a manual lens correction option that works amazingly well. It’s simple and effective, and works better than even some paid software.
• General Responsiveness – Sliders work in real time, and everything runs smoothly. Furthermore, it feels like every single slider does something. In certain other editing software programs it often feels like the sliders do not have enough “ooomph” behind them.
• Ease Of Use – Generally CalibRaw is very easy to use it you’re coming from other software. Most things are where they should be, and with the new addition of tutorials, it’s easier than ever to get things right.
• Incredible Masking – The masking in CalibRaw stands out from other software. It is fast and extremely accurate, plus there are some nice options such as “free draw” which simply add to the functionality.
Conclusion
CalibRaw is one piece of software that I will be watching eagerly. In fact it’s taken me by surprise a bit. I have set RapidRaw as the benchmark of what I compare similar software too, and in many areas CalibRaw is doing things better or at least implementing things that are solely missing from RapidRaw.
I think if the interface is cleaned and tidied, and the “add” feature disappears and the features are added with the options in the main editing panel, and the masking is simplified then CalibRaw could become a genuine top-tier piece of software that can genuinely stand next to other packages and be the number one choice for many people.
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/17/calibraw-1-3-review-the-features-that-make-it-an-attractive-option/

#attractiveoption #calibraw #review #make #lenscorrection #manuallens #adobelightroom #familiarinterface #masking #use

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Why The Cheapest Full Frame Cameras Easily Outperform Flagship ...

2026-10-16T13:42:56Z

Why The Cheapest Full Frame Cameras Easily Outperform Flagship Micro-Four-Thirds Cameras In 2026

In photography technology, few debates spark as much heat as the comparison between system formats. On one side stands Micro Four Thirds (MFT), led by marvels of engineering like the OM System OM-1 Mark II or Panasonic Lumix G9 II. These flagships are packed with blazingly fast computational features, class-leading handheld image stabilization, and rugged build quality. On the other side sit budget entry-level full-frame mirrorless cameras—models like the Canon EOS RP, Nikon Z5ii, or entry-level full-frame bodies.
Let’s Just End This Debate Now
I have already written an in-depth look at one such camera, and having seen it being used and excelling in every situation, it’s time to clear a few things up.
On paper, a high-end MFT flagship outspecs an entry-level full-frame body in burst rates, custom software tricks, and video frame rates. Yet, when evaluating raw optical output, tone rendering, light gathering, and autofocus physics, an unyielding truth remains: even the cheapest modern full-frame camera will consistently outperform flagship MFT cameras in performance (both image and technical merits).
This is not a matter of brand bias or computational wizardry; it is a fundamental consequence of basic physics and sensor hardware geometry.
Surface Area: The Laws of Light Gathering
To understand why a sensor’s physical dimensions dictate image performance, one must look at the surface area:
Full-Frame (35mm): 36mm x 24mm approx 864mm^2
Micro Four Thirds: 17.3mm x 13mm approx 225mm^2
A full-frame sensor features nearly four times (3.84x) the physical surface area of a Micro Four Thirds sensor.
When exposure settings—aperture, shutter speed, and ambient luminance—are identical, light hits both sensors at the exact same density per square millimetre. However, because the full-frame sensor spans nearly quadruple the total area, it collects roughly four times as many total photons across the entire image field. It gives far superior image quality on a per-pixel basis.
No software algorithm or stacked-sensor design in an MFT body can manufacture photons that were never captured. More captured light translates directly to cleaner data, smoother tonal gradations, and richer colour depth.
Low-Light Noise Performance & The High-ISO Gap
Shot noise (quantum fluctuation in photon arrivals) is the primary driver of digital noise in low light. Because a full-frame sensor gathers almost four times as much total light, its signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is dramatically higher.
In real-world shooting:
A baseline full-frame sensor exhibits roughly a 2-stop noise advantage over an MFT sensor of equivalent generation.
Shooting at ISO 6400 on a budget full-frame body yields image noise characteristics roughly equivalent to shooting at ISO 1600 on a flagship MFT body. That is hard fact that shows in results.
While flagship MFT cameras utilize stacked CMOS architectures to read sensor data rapidly, stacking improves readout speed, not light collection efficiency. An entry-level full-frame sensor at high ISO retains cleaner shadow detail, far less chroma noise, and superior colour accuracy when the ambient light drops. All this means, when you crop in to a bird, the pixel density advantage that many like to claim, is lost due to detail lost with noise.
Dynamic Range and Tonal Latitude
Dynamic range is directly constrained by a pixel site’s full-well capacity—the maximum electrical charge a photodiode can store before saturating:
Because full-frame sensors have significantly larger physical real estate to spread out pixels, their individual photodiodes are substantially larger than those on a 20MP MFT sensor.
Highlight Retention: Larger photosites can hold significantly more light before clipping highlights.
Shadow Recovery: Pulling shadow detail in post-processing on a full-frame RAW file exposes clean shadow details with minimal colour shift. In contrast, aggressively lifting shadow data from an MFT file quickly introduces heavy noise patterns and colour degradation.
Even entry-level full-frame cameras comfortably deliver 13.5 to 14.5 stops of dynamic range at base ISO, whereas top-tier MFT sensors cap out around 12 to 12.5 stops (or require multi-exposure computational tricks that fail with subject motion).
Autofocusing Capabilities: Low-Light Phase Detection & Photodiode Area
Autofocus (AF) performance in modern mirrorless systems relies heavily on On-Sensor Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF). PDAF works by dividing individual photodiodes or pixel clusters into left-and-right looking pairs, measuring the phase discrepancy between incoming light waves to calculate precise focus distance.
While flagship MFT cameras boast impressive AI-based subject recognition algorithms (tracking birds, trains, or fast subjects at high burst rates), the underlying physical sensor dictates how reliably an AF system can acquire and lock focus when conditions turn challenging.
Photodiode Surface Area and Low-Light Sensitivity: Because Phase Detection AF pixels are integrated directly into the imaging sensor, their physical size determines how much optical energy they receive. On a full-frame sensor, the larger phase-detection pixels allow the system to calculate phase differences in dark environments where MFT sensors struggle. In low light (indoor venues, dawn/dusk, dimly lit interiors), a budget full-frame AF system reliably acquires focus down to -4.0 to -6.5 EV, whereas smaller MFT pixels suffer increased noise, leading to focus hunting or dropping subject tracking much earlier. This is the difference between capturing a bird or animal for example, or completely missing it.
Depth of Field & Focus Precision Margin: The shallower depth of field on full-frame sensors provides phase-detection algorithms with clearer, sharper phase-disparity signals. When a subject moves slightly out of focus on full frame, the phase offset is distinct and unambiguous, allowing the processor to calculate exact drive distances quickly. On MFT, a naturally deeper depth of field creates a flatter contrast plane across phase pixels, which can cause AF algorithms to miscalculate fine focus increments, occasionally resulting in micro-focus misses on wider lenses.
Depth of Field Equivalence and Lens Physics
Depth of field (DoF) and background separation are directly tied to physical focal length and aperture diameter. Due to the 2.0x crop factor of MFT:
To evaluate equivalent optical behaviours across formats:
Full-Frame Standard Lens (50mm f/1.8):
* Field of View: 50mm baseline
* Depth of Field / Separation: Baseline 50mm f/1.8 optical separation
Micro Four Thirds Standard Lens (25mm f/1.8):
* Field of View: 50mm equivalent Depth of Field / Separation:
* Equivalent to 50mm f/3.6 on full frame (2 stops less background separation)
Extremely fast f/0.95 lenses for MFT are often heavy, manually focused, expensive, and softer wide-open. A cheap budget full-frame 50mm f/1.8 prime effortlessly produces softer, smoother background blur (bokeh) with better edge-to-edge optical sharpness than flagship MFT setups trying to emulate the same look.
Conclusion
There are many who constantly try to deny these facts, and working photographers and those who understand cameras have a constant battle to try and stop the wave of misinformation from these “photographers” (usually keen amateurs who never back up their claims with quality images).
Using like-for-like focal lengths, shooting side-by-side, often the only real difference can be in burst rates. However, if you’ve ever been in the field working with professional photographers, they don’t tend to always machine-gun shots, even if their cameras are capable of 30+ frames per-second. With the superior autofocusing of entry level full frame cameras, you are guaranteed a much higher hit-rate and keepers. A dedicated wildlife shooter knows how to read birds and animals, knows when you pull the trigger and knows learns this information over time. Having 100 photos and most of them are not pin-sharp totally defeats the object.
All things equal, if you want the best quality for any type of photography, light gathering matters (for all the things discussed above!). The quality if the light your camera receives is the difference between having a great image and having a world class image.
The sad thing is, the people who continue to push this narrative that Micro Four Thirds cameras are in anyway “better” than full frame (by constantly clutching at straws) are simply after online clicks. Facts are facts. When you capture something on a full frame camera, be it a game of rugby, a wedding, a bird in a tree or a bee flying among flowers, the end result will usually be better on full frame, and significantly so if there is less than perfect light.
All that is said and done, of course micro four thirds cameras are amazing in 2026, and of course they are used by amateurs and many professional photographers, and I love using the OM1 Mk II (it’s one of my favourite cameras to use these days for wildlife). But when I look at the image, and edit the images, in many scenarios it’s clear that it’s a micro four thirds sensor.
As I have said time and time again, at the end of the day, just get out and shoot. If you are an amateur who only shares to social media or your website, it really does not matter what camera you use to get that perfect shot!
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/16/why-the-cheapest-full-frame-cameras-easily-outperform-flagship-micro-four-thirds-cameras-in-2026/

The Complete Adobe Suite For Free – ArtCraft Review We are ...

2026-10-16T05:58:06Z

The Complete Adobe Suite For Free – ArtCraft Review

We are seeing an influx of AI built photography apps at the moment, and if they are all as good as RapidRaw, then we are in for a treat in the future. Taking things one step further, ArtCraft is an open-source, subscription-free alternative to the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, built natively in Rust. A whole package that totally replaces the applications of Adobes packages. Early results are looking very promising too!
Developed as a set of seven fast, lightweight tools, the suite aims to replicate Adobe’s core workflow without reliance on cloud lock-ins or monthly fees.
The ArtCraft Suite Of Programs
* LightCraft: A local non-destructive RAW developer and photo manager designed to rival Lightroom, featuring 8-band color mixing and intelligent sky/subject masking.
* PhotoCraft: A Photoshop equivalent built for high performance, supporting layer styles, adjustment layers, and complex PSD/PSB file round-tripping.
* VectorCraft & DesignCraft: Vector illustration and page-layout tools providing speed for complex geometry, gradient meshes, and CMYK print workflows.
* FilmCraft & EffectCraft: NLE video editing and motion graphics tools equipped with multi-track timelines, native video codecs (ProRes, HEVC), and 3D visual effect layers.
* PdfCraft: An open-source PDF workbench for organizing, splitting, and securing documents.
Potential Possibilities
* True Cross-Platform Freedom: Built natively in pure Rust without resource-heavy web wrappers, ArtCraft delivers high performance, low memory usage, and native execution across macOS, Windows, Linux, and WebAssembly in browsers.
* No Cloud Lock-In & Native Interoperability: It reads and writes standard Adobe formats (PSD, PSB, AI, SVG, PDF) via local workflows, giving creatives full ownership of their files and an escape from subscription lock-ins.
* Automation & AI Agent Integration: Features a CLI, JSON control channel, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) server integration, enabling AI agents and custom scripts to execute complex image processing, vector creation, and video editing locally.
Time Span Until Completion
* Current Status: The seven applications are currently in early alpha / active development, with functional desktop builds and web previews available for testing.
* Completion Horizon: Reaching full feature parity with mature Adobe apps will take time. While core tools are rapidly becoming usable for everyday tasks, a fully polished, enterprise-ready suite is expected within 1 to 2 years as community contributions scale up.
Earning Potential & Business Model
* Subscription Savings: The suite is completely free and open-source, offering immediate software cost savings for freelance creators, studios, and agencies.
* Monetization Strategy: Sustainable earnings rely on value-added services around the ecosystem—such as optional token-based visual AI tools, hosted team collaboration pipelines, specialized developer tooling, and enterprise support.
Conclusion
It is with great interest that I follow the development of this software. Sadly, I do not think it will just be my interest, but I can sense Adobe taking note of this software and trying to use their might to close it down. Unlike something like RapidRaw which is it’s own thing, ArtCraft is deliberately trying to recreate Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and other apps.
I have downloaded the current software, and I will be using it over time, I do not like reviewing things unless I have a full grasp of how they work (be it a camera, lens or software!). So I will give me views on it in use soon. I have watched numerous videos on YouTube and seen it in use, and there seems to be parts of the software that works well, and parts that do not. So I think it is only fair to hold off at the moment, and just admire what the developers are trying to achieve.
As always, you’ll hear it all here first, and I look forward to sharing my results with you.
Visit the official site here, download it and let me know what you think!
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/09/the-complete-adobe-suite-for-free-artcraft-review/

CalibRaw – An Impressive FREE Lightroom replacement Here is a ...

2026-10-16T05:15:05Z

CalibRaw – An Impressive FREE Lightroom replacement

Here is a comprehensive review of CalibRaw, detailing what it is, who it is designed for, what software it can replace, and the features it offers. It is an exciting new free editing package that might just be suitable for those looking for a Lightroom replacement. Available for Windows, Mac OS and Android, it looks like an interesting prospect!
What is CalibRaw?
CalibRaw is a free, open-source RAW photo editor and workflow application. Designed with a familiar, modern user interface, it provides standard parametric photo editing tools alongside localized AI processing for non-destructive digital photo development.
It is a small file, and on first load you will get a few settings that it will walk you through. It is all very quick and easy.
Who Is It For?
Budget-Conscious Photographers: Ideal for hobbyists, enthusiasts, and professionals looking to avoid ongoing Creative Cloud or software subscription fees.
Privacy-Focused Users: For photographers who prefer local processing over cloud-based AI engines; object removal and local AI adjustments run directly on your hardware without uploading photos to external servers.
Mobile & Cross-Platform Editors: Users looking for a unified experience across desktop and mobile devices (such as Android) with syncable or portable editing settings.
Open-Source Enthusiasts: Photographers who favour open-source software transparently hosted on platforms like GitHub.
What Can It Replace?
CalibRaw directly targets subscription-based parametric editors:
Adobe Lightroom (Develop & Library Modules): CalibRaw replicates the core layout, slider mechanisms, tone curves, and cataloging workflow of Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC.
Lightroom Mobile: Replaces the paid mobile tier on Android/iOS, unlocking preset management, tone adjustments, and masking without requiring a monthly plan.
Paid Standalone Editors: Functions as an accessible alternative to paid software such as Capture One or ON1 Photo RAW for core image editing and colour correction.
The Settings Panel
The Comprehensive Library View
What Features Does It Offer?
1. Essential Image Adjustments
Exposure & Tone: Full control over Light (Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, Blacks), Tone Curves, and HSL/Colour Mixers.
Colour Grading & Profiles: Built-in colour grading wheels and profile selection tools.
Lens Correction & FX: Vignetting, grain, effects, chromatic aberration control, and lens profile application.
2. Smart Masking & Local AI
Subject & Sky Selection: Automatic detection and masking powered by localized AI.
Generative/Object Removal: Localized AI object removal tool to clean up unwanted background elements without cloud uploads.
Denoise & Sharpness: AI-assisted or standard noise reduction routines for high-ISO shots.
3. Workflow & Organization
Non-Destructive Editing: Original RAW files remain untouched while editing metadata is saved side-by-side or in-database.
Preset Creation & Batch Edits: Save custom adjustment groups, colour profiles, and mask templates to apply across large image shoots.
Library Management: Sort and filter assets by capture date, filename, star ratings, flags, and file formats (RAW, JPEG, HEIC, PNG).
A Familiar Interface
Conclusion
2026 has been an amazing time for editing software releases. RapidRaw is leading the pack, while of course we have the recently reviewed ArtCraft Suite and many more free editing packages on the way. The time for paying for software could soon be over!
If you watch my video, you will see me experiencing CalibRaw for the very first time, and I was very impressed with it. Watch the video, as it will give you a really good sense of just where this software is at, and how it should mature into something really nice!
When reviewing software, I tend to only pick the packages that genuinely look like they will do will in the future. And I think that CalibRaw will be one of those programs, so bookmark this website and keep up with all things editing software.
Download CalibRaw here
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography.Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/11/calibraw-an-impressive-free-lightroom-replacement/

The RAW Revolution: Why Photo Editors Are Multiplying—and Why ...

2026-10-16T04:31:14Z

The RAW Revolution: Why Photo Editors Are Multiplying—and Why They All Look the Same

If you browse developer forums, photography blogs, or desktop app repositories, you may have noticed a striking trend: a sudden wave of new RAW image editors hitting the market. From standalone startups and lightweight indie apps to open-source hobby projects, the modern digital darkroom space is more crowded than it has been in decades. I’ve covered RapidRaw, CalibRaw and the ArtCraft Suite already on this website!
When It Rains It Pours!
However, alongside this sudden boom comes a distinct feeling of déjà vu. Many of these apps share nearly identical slider layouts, dark modern user interfaces, and feature sets—from AI-assisted subject masking to GPU-accelerated demosaicing.
I have decided that I am not going to review every single new raw editor that is released, and only concentrate on the ones that look like they could succeed in the future. I will continue to support RapidRaw on the website, as I feel that it genuinely offers more than almost all of the other new photo editors.
And so we ask ourselves, what is driving this sudden explosion of photographic tools, and why are so many of them ending up strikingly similar?
1. The Catalysts Behind the Surge
Subscription Fatigue and Market Discontent
For over a decade, Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop have maintained a dominant hold on creative workflows. However, mandatory monthly subscriptions have created a persistent, lucrative gap in the market. Independent developers and companies recognize a massive audience of photographers—from hobbyists to mid-tier professionals—actively seeking powerful, single-purchase or open-source software.
The Democratization of AI Models
Building an intelligent photo editor used to require millions of dollars in R&D to develop proprietary computer vision algorithms. Today, pre-trained AI models for tasks like subject segmentation, automatic sky detection, and noise reduction are widely accessible via open-source frameworks such as PyTorch or ONNX Runtime. Small engineering teams can now integrate sophisticated features—like automated background removal or face enhancement—in weeks rather than years.
Cross-Platform UI Frameworks
Modern desktop application development has evolved rapidly. Frameworks like Flutter, Rust/Tauri, Electron, and WebGPU allow developers to write a single codebase that delivers high-performance graphics across macOS, Windows, and Linux simultaneously. This low technical barrier enables small teams or solo developers to launch sleek, cross-platform apps at unprecedented speeds.
2. Why Are They All So Similar?
While the surge of new tools provides welcome choices, users often discover that beneath different logos, many RAW editors offer virtually identical experiences. This convergence happens for several distinct reasons.
Shared Open-Source Engine Foundations
Handling camera RAW formats such as Sony’s ARW, Canon’s CR3, or Nikon’s NEF requires decoding complex proprietary metadata and sensor data. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the vast majority of modern RAW editors rely on the exact same core open-source libraries. They typically utilize LibRaw for reading raw sensor files, OpenColorIO for precise color management, and ExifTool for metadata extraction. Because these software packages share the same base processing pipeline, their core capabilities and mathematical image outputs often mirror one another closely.
Industrial UI Convergence
The digital darkroom layout has reached a strict industrial standard. Photographers expect a central preview canvas, a histogram placed in the top-right corner, vertical slider panels for basic adjustments like exposure and contrast on the right, and a filmstrip or grid navigator running along the bottom. Diverging from this visual hierarchy creates friction for users accustomed to Lightroom or Capture One. As a result, developers stick strictly to established design norms to minimize the learning curve.
Off-the-Shelf AI Integrations
Many new editors utilize identical off-the-shelf AI models for features like noise reduction or smart masking. When multiple applications draw from the same underlying machine-learning models, their automated adjustments and selection behaviours naturally perform identically.
3. The Balance Sheet: Good for Users, Tough for Innovation
The Pros for Consumers
This influx brings genuine advantages to photographers. Plentiful non-subscription options mean creators can avoid recurring fees altogether. Modern GPU-driven architectures allow these apps to run exceptionally fast on current hardware. Furthermore, independent apps frequently emphasize local-first storage and privacy-focused editing without enforcing mandatory cloud sync.
The Challenges of Homogeneity
On the flip side, extreme market similarity creates unique challenges. Fewer truly unique paradigms or creative workflows are being introduced to the medium. Standout indie developers struggle to gain visibility in a crowded field of similar offerings, while far too many apps act merely as visual wrappers around identical underlying AI engines and image libraries.
Conclusion
The sudden influx of RAW photo editors signals a healthy disruption in the creative software landscape. While shared technology stacks and design conventions make these apps look and feel similar today, the intense competition will eventually force developers to differentiate, driving the next true wave of innovation in digital photography.
For me, as a working photographer and someone running many photographic communities, it is a genuinely exciting time in photography. When people now ask me what software they can use instead of Photoshop, or DXO, or Darktable etc, I can give them a list of programs that perform well, but each have slight differences that may suite that person well.
I’ll continue to follow the development of these packages, but I will only concentrate on certain ones as otherwise we will all be overwhelmed with the shear amount of releases. There is literally no reason to pay for software anymore, regardless if you are fresh to photography, a long time user or even a working professional.
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/12/the-raw-revolution-why-photo-editors-are-multiplying-and-why-they-all-look-the-same/

20 Tips For Photographers Regardless Of How Long You Have Done ...

2026-10-16T03:32:38Z

20 Tips For Photographers Regardless Of How Long You Have Done Photography

Taking photographs is fun, or for some of us it is work as well. Over the years we learn things, develop techniques and realise that often we get things wrong. Even now, I can go into a shoot and realise I have forgotten to format an SD card, or charge the battery etc. These 20 tips should help you on your way.
20 Tip Top Tips
01. Be prepared the day before – Forget all the worry and charge all your batteries the day before a shoot, if there is one thing that you can’t recover from, it is not having enough battery power!
02. Format your SD cards once your batteries are charged – There’s nothing worse than being mid-shoot and a card fills up unexpectedly. Always check before you leave that your card is empty, no matter how large your cards capacity!
03. Make sure you make the most of your User Quick Settings – These allow you, to at the touch of a button set you camera settings to a default. It’s handy to make the first setting for general shots (perhaps base ISO, film type etc), another setting for fast objects, another for low light etc.
04. Make it routine to check your dials on your camera – So many people wonder why they are shooting black and white, or burst shooting etc. Set all your dials before you make a start. It is so easy to accidently turn your aperture ring, and it is something you may just not notice.
05. Make sure you have your electric horizon turned on! If you don’t have an electric horizon, use the focus points as guidelines – Straighter photos means less cropping!
06. Make sure you have your live Histogram turned on! – You can keep an eye on your highlights and shadows. Of course, you do not have to rely on it, but make sure you check it.
07. Use live Exposure & live White Balance in your EVF – See what you shoot before you shoot it. If you can see that the image is too dark, or the white balance looks wrong before you even press your shutter button, it will go a long way to helping you getting things right in camera.
08. Take shots with your mobile device of subjects or compositions you really like – Sometimes it helps to see the view through a bigger screen and take test shots quickly with your mobile.
09. Choose a focal length for the day (on a per subject basis if necessary) and stick to it – keep it consistent and your work will look better. Have a plan in mind, consistency with focal lengths just looks more professional
10. Take multiple shots from multiple angles – Use burst mode when possible, you can never take too many shots. Forget about those people who say it’s just “spray and pray”, when you are making money, or just want to ensure you get the shot of a lifetime, you can never take too many shots. You can be mindful and use a burst mode when it is needed.
11. Move around, use your feet not your lens to zoom where possible – Honestly, this advice should be taught to every photographer. You see so many of them standing in one spot and missing out on so many composition ideas!
12. Use your gut instincts – They are usually right, and those photos will usually be the best.
13. Don’t be afraid to try something new – If you have an idea, try it, it’s the only way you’ll learn. Maybe you’ve never used a certain filter, a tripod, a setting etc. Whatever it is, do not be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone.
14. Don’t be afraid to use any mode you want in your camera – If it means you get the shot because you flicked your switch to fully automatic, don’t worry about it because nobody knows or cares. Stop believing the bullshit that professional photographers always use manual mode, we don’t! Spend time with us an you’ll see we use what is needed, when it is needed.
15. Take a break – Make sure you have a snack and fluids and take a break. You’ll see things differently after that.
16. Don’t “chimp” – Looking consistently back at your photos means you’re missing an opportunity. By all means check your first shot of the day to check everything is working, but after that, try and concentrate on the photography.
17. Make sure you take your images off your card as soon as possible, then look through them – Get your photos backed up as soon as you can, just look over them, perhaps do some minor edits, then leave them for a short while. Your brain will have chance to digest what you’ve taken and you’ll have better ideas for post processing.
18. If you want an image to be proud of, think what it would look like on your wall – This one is most important. If you want to improve your photography, think how an image will look on a wall. Sometimes they can look great on a computer or phone screen, but picture them on a wall. People will request your work of they can picture it on their wall. Print out a few A4 images to try it out.
19. Move on – The lifespan of an image you think is awesome it’s just a few minutes or a few hours to a maybe a day on social media, longer on your website and infinitely longer when printed. Don’t dwell on your images if you don’t intend to print them.
20. Enjoy your photographing – If you’re happy photographing something, you’ll take better photos because you’re interested. If others are shooting landscape around you and you don’t care for that, photograph them, or do some macro.
Conclusion
As important as your gear is, your biggest friend (and your biggest enemy) is your state of mind. Preparation is key, having a plan and taking the time to just check your settings, surroundings and composition ideas.
Some people will always say, “stop listening to others advice and just go out and shoot!”. That sums them up nicely, they have no idea that for many people, photography is not an everyday thing, and lessons are learned. Hopefully the above tips will be useful.
If you have any tips, please feel free to share them below, and don’t forget to subscribe, like and look through the website!
ONECAMERAONELENS.COM – YOUR ONE STOP WEBSITE FOR UNBIASED AND ACCURATE PHOTOGRAPHY RELATED MATERIAL
My name is Mark G Adams and I run Photography By Mark G Adams. I am a professional photographer from South Wales, shooting weddings, events and portraits as well as running meets and workshops. For fun I like to shoot landscapes, wildlife and occasionally do street photography. Enjoy my website as I share my knowledge learned over decades of working and having fun in photography. Feel free to like, comment and subscribe!
You can find all the latest articles and blogs on my homepage here.
My main photography social media page is my Photography By Mark G Adams page.
Nikon Recipes for the Z system can be found here.
You can find a complete list of my gear here.
DOWNLOAD THE LATEST “ADVENTURES IN PHOTOGRAPHY” MAGAZINE FOR FREE HERE
Visit my YouTube channel, it is dedicated to photography!
Visit my Film Preservation Website “Our Life On Film” here and discover over 130 years of scanned 35mm, 110, medium format and more film scans from my family archives.

https://onecameraonelens.com/2026/10/14/20-tips-for-photographers-regardless-of-how-long-you-have-done-photography/