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.
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