Last updated on November 13th, 2022
In this ACDSee Photo Studio review, I’m going to provide a summary of the important topics about the digital asset manager and RAW processor developed by ACD Systems.
Looking for a better Lightroom alternative? Then take a look at ON1 Photo RAW or Exposure X.
What is ACDSee Photo Studio?
Other than having a bad name and reminding me of the rock band AC/DC, ACDSee Photo Studio is a standalone image management and photo editing software.
If you have thousands of images, then ACDSee Photo Studio can help organize and edit your photos.
And Here’s My ACDSee Photo Studio Review
First, I need to point out that I’m primarily using the ACDSee Photo Studio for Mac 7 version. I also have a Windows computer to test some parts of Photo Studio Ultimate.
However, there are different versions of ACDSee Photo Studio on Mac and Windows. You can compare the differences for Mac and Windows yourself. Pretty much I’m testing the top versions in both operating systems.
Importing Images
Importing images into ACDSee Photo Studio is straightforward. You choose your source folder/files and import them wherever you want on your computer. You also get to rename your files during the import process.
Image Management
In the Manage module, ACDSee Photo Studio allows photographers to assign the standard tags to images for improved sorting and searching.
Here are the tags that can be assigned:
- categories (e.g., food, people, places)
- numerical ratings
- color labels
- keywords
Photographers can add their IPTC information to their images such as contact, copyright notice, and usage rights.
There is also a map view of your photos. If you have GPS tracking (which I do with my Canon 6D) with your images, then you can view where the images were photographed. This is beneficial when you are in remote places with no location names. The map does need some improvement as I find it a bit slow.
Image Editing
As expected, Photo Studio has the standard image editing tools for adjusting light, color, detail, etc.
Photo Studio has a special tool called Light EQ that allows you to brighten and darken different levels of the tone graph. It helps correct tonal values throughout the tone map.
If you want a subtle color effect, then you can use LUT’s, split toning, or color grading to make the image more appealing.
ACDSee Photo Studio is non-destructive: it won’t alter the original image files. However, when you edit an image, you have to save the adjustments. So, make sure to activate autosave to speed up the workflow.
One downside is zooming and panning. I couldn’t figure out if there is a hand tool for zooming and panning on the fly. I could have sworn I saw one but was never able to activate even after reading the manuals.
Overall, ACDsee Photo Studio is able to render RAW files and create visually appealing photos.
Differences Between Mac Photo Studio 7 and Windows Photo Studio Ultimate
This might be the most important part. The Windows Photo Studio Ultimate vastly outperforms the Mac Photos Studio 7.
Here are some important things to know with Photo Studio between the operating systems.
The Mac version only allows you to import images from an external source (SD card, portable hard drive), whereas the Windows version allows you to also import from a local disk.
The Windows version converts the imported RAW file to DNG but doesn’t compress the file to save space. On the other hand, Mac keeps the same file type, .CR2 in my case.
Here are more important tools the Windows version has that is not available in the Mac version:
- soft proofing
- layers
- lens profiles
- auto chromatic aberration reduction
- healing brush tool
- facial recognition
- masking
- text
- various selection tools
The above list is not exhaustive. Furthermore, Windows Photo Studio Ultimate comes off more like a combination of Lightroom and Photoshop. Photo Studio for Mac 7 is like a poor man’s Lightroom. There are better alternatives to Lightroom.
Price
Mac Photo Studio costs $99.99 and Windows Photo Studio Ultimate costs $149.99
ACDSee also offers subscription or home plans where you can obtain multiple licenses plus cloud storage and video editing software.
Conclusion
Windows ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate is a great tool since it combines the advantages of Photoshop and Lightroom. It’s useful for beginners to professional. The software is great if you want to buy it outright and avoid the Adobe Creative Cloud membership.
Mac ACDSee Photo Studio 7 is not so good. In my opinion, it’s more suitable for occasional photographers that don’t do post-processing often. And at a retail price of $99.99, I would rather use Luminar 4. Read my Luminar 4 review for more information.
I’m going to continue to review ACDSee Photo Studio and make updates to this summary as needed.
FAQ’s
What is ACDSee Photo Studio?
ACDSee Photo Studio is a photography software developed by ACD Systems to help photographers organize and edit photos.
Can ACDSee Photo Studio replace Lightroom?
Yes, Photo Studio Ultimate can replace Lightroom for some photographers. But the Mac version of Photo Studio is limited in tools and can’t replace Lightroom. However, there are better alternatives to Lightroom.
Can ACDSee Photo Studio replace Photoshop?
The Windows version of ACDSee Photo Studio can replace Photoshop for some users. However, advanced users of Photoshop will need to stick with Photoshop.
Is ACDSee Photo Studio Any Good?
Yes, ACDSee Photo Studio is a good image management and photo editing software for beginners. Professional photographers should stick with Lightroom or Capture One since they are far more superior.
Acdsee photo studio is a great photo editor through which i can create my photo album with next level features and excellent result. Thank you so much
ACDSee for Mac is missing too many features, especially when compared to their Windows version, which I use. On my Mac I use Gimp. The Mac isn’t my primary computer, so free software is worth it. However, if I needed a decent editor on my Mac, I go with Affinity.
I use both, the Windows and Mac version. I might have missed something or didn’t figure out how to use it but the Mac version allows batch editing of Meta data by copying “date created” etc to IPTC, Exif… I can’t find that possibility in the Windows version.
Hi, a little disappointed that the Mac version lacks so many features. Could you recommend an app that works across iOS and Mac and is good at what it does. Other than Lightroom, which I can’t afford. Thanks.
Hi,
The best alternative to Lightroom is Capture One and you can buy the software outright, but it comes at a premium. Cheaper if you shoot with Sony, Fuji, or Nikon. You can use APERLUST for a 10% discount. However, Capture One doesn’t have a mobile app if that’s a dealbreaker. In that case, take a look at ON1 Photo RAW.
If you don’t care too much about image management, then Luminar AI might be the cheapest option. APERLUST should give you $10 off the regular price.
Thanks. But its the mobile (in my case iOS) app that’s the issue, I am afraid. I am looking for a consistent experience across Mac and iPad as I keep going back and forth between these two devices.
Thanks, Vincent. So, I am guessing ON1 RAW has both Mac and iPad apps? Will check it out, thanks!
I have ON1 RAW on my iPhone. And it looks like they have an iPad version as well.
Great thanks.