What features of Camera Raw does Elements 2019 make available?

[nevwg]

I use a Mac. I currently use CS6, and am considering either a subscription to CC or buying Elements 2019. For most of my images, my workflow is to use Bridge + Camera Raw and then save from Camera Raw to JPEG. I particularly need the functions graduated filter, adjustment brush, and lens corrections to be available in Camera Raw. Does Elements 2019 make these functions available -- I know that earlier versions of Elements didn't.

[MichelBParis · Accepted solution]

Adobe Camera Raw differences between Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements

The idea for Elements is to keep the best of the ACR converting functions, not the editing functions which can be better done in the Elements pixel editor. For instance, to save or print files, you 'Open' in the editor.

Graduated filters: It's convenient to do that in the conversion process, but you can do that with much more power in any pixel editor.

Adjustment brush: idem.

Lens corrections: the raw converter provides the adjustments linked with your camera/lens profile but not the manual adjustments for distortion. Those are taken care of in the editor with the lens correction filter. However, there is no purple fringe correction in the editor.

You can still use Bridge with Elements. If you have a recent camera the raw file of which is not supported in CS6, Bridge will use the limited ('trimmed') ACR version of Elements.

Edit:

Of course, you can download the trial version of Elements (free for 30 days).

Generally, Photoshop users choosing to downgrade to Elements are not particularly happy because they have to forget their old  editing routines and accept to make the most of combinations of existing features instead of using hundreds of available options and customization. Conversely, old Elements users who can perform the same quality of edits are reticent to upgrade to CC because of the steep learning curve and the 95% of additional features they will never use.

[nevwg]

Thanks for that. It looks as if I'll need to go the full upgrade to CC if I want to retain full Camera Raw functions via Bridge. Or change my Workflow...........

[99jon]

You could consider a photography plan with Lightroom & Photoshop. See my blog for details:

99jon tech: Compare Adobe Photography Plans

[nevwg]

Thanks 99jon: what I'm not certain about is how Lightroom stores images. I like to know where all my images are, and then I use Bridge to move through user (ie, me)-defined nested folders to find what I want. I store all my images on Dropbox (backed up to hard drives). I apply keywords within Bridge. Does Lightroom give full access to GPS and other EXIF data?

[99jon]

Lightroom is like a combination of Bridge and the full Camera Raw tools built into a single interface. It uses a catalog containing the camera raw settings, keywords, metadata and GPS info. The catalog is a relatively small file which is easily backed up, otherwise all you images are stored in your nested folders. I’m not familiar with dropbox but I guess you would need everything to be fully sync’d before editing as Lightroom also writes the settings to the catalog as you work. You may already have experience of such issues with Bridge. I’m talking of Lightroom Classic where there is no need to use the Adobe cloud. By contrast Lightroom CC stores everything in Adobe's cloud.

[nevwg]

Thanks: that's clear.

[nevwg]

I have now downloaded the trial version of Elements 2019, but Bridge CC 2018 is still telling me that Camera Raw editing is not enabled, requiring that "a qualifying product must be launched at least once" to enable the feature. Does that mean ACR won't work until Elements 2019 has been purchased? If so, then I can't really to the test I want.

[99jon]

Check the Help menu for updates. With PSE 2019 it should be possible to update to ACR 11.1

I'm not sure if it is enabled in the trial but worth checking.

[nevwg]

Actually, with a bit of Googling, I came across this, which is a pretty full explanation:

Activating the Camera RAW plugin of Adobe Bridge CC (free) by buying Photoshop Elements - anybody wh...

and from that, I think I'll need full PS if I want to use Bridge and ACR the way that I want to.

[99jon]

Yes it's a consumer package with elements of the pro software, hence the name.