Camera Raw is an Adobe PhotoShop plug-in allowing convertion of raw files into editable image formats. It opens up automatically at an attempt to open a raw file through PS open menu. It also usually gains primary control over raw files opened out of a file manager.

Camera support and destination formats

Adobe Camera Raw in its latest version (3.0) can work with almost the whole range of cameras. Canon, Nicon, Olympus, and Panasonic – almost all models in the line are supported with 1 or 2 exceptions. Pentax, Fuji, Sony, Konika Minolta, Kodak, Leica, Contax, Creo Leaf, Epson, Sigma, and even Mamiya are in the list with about halves of their lines. The complete list of camera models is in the table. Each new version of Adobe Camera Raw adds new cameras to the list, both new and old models.

The format is chosen in the Save dialogue box opened upon pressing the Save button. Adobe Camera Raw also lets you choose a destination directory, and file name designation method here.

As you see in the screenshot, the resulted filename can be compiled out of up to 4 blocks. The name of a series of files may be given by the common theme or by date for example with successive numbers to each file. If you choose to number your images, Adobe Camera Raw allows beginning numbering from any point suitable for you and your naming policy.

Tools

Being a Photoshop plug-in already, Adobe Camera Raw is not an “I want to be a photo editor” program at all. Its tool set, therefore, has only those options needed for editing a raw image. All the rest is given to CS.

The set of tools has all the basics needed for raw converting such as White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Brightness, Contrast and Saturation adjustments, Sharpness correction and Noise reduction etc.

I’ll only comment on those options that are rare among other converters or even unique for Adobe Camera Raw.

The Lens tab is the third in the row of tool tabs, coming after Adjust (color adjustments) and Detail (Sharpness/Noise reduction) tabs. There are two blocks, both rare among raw converters.

Chromatic aberration tools remove color fringes that can appear in some images in areas away from the center of the image as a result of he failure of the lens to focus different frequencies (colors) to the same spot. 

Cyan fringe

Cyan fringe removed

Before

After

The Curves tab is not overburdened either. All you have is the Curve diagram with Input and Output text boxes and a choice of three presets. ACR Curves dialog is very much like PhotoShop Curves but it does not allow working in separate channels even though you can pick color samples. All you have is RGB curve which you can change either manually or using a preset to adjust the image. As for me I use Medium Contrast preset most of the time and almost never change the curve myself. May be that comes from the fact that I’m more used to working with separate channels in YMCK mode.

	Linear Curve
	Medium Contrast Curve
	Strong Contrast Curve