BackdoorArts
Senior Member
I know the question of RAW processing pops up here a lot, and what program to use when doing it. This was today's Question of the Day from Tim Grey's eNewsletter and I thought it was pretty concise in outlining the differences between RAW processing in Photoshop Elements, Lightroom and Photoshop.
Reader Question: I currently process my RAW images using Elements 9. I very much like the option of the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom 4 and know that Lightroom also processes RAW images. A few questions pertaining to using both Elements and Lightroom when processing RAW images: 1) Does Lightroom have significantly more options and adjustments for working on a RAW image as compared to Elements? 2) Is there a benefit to processing all of the RAW images just in Lightroom if layers/masks is not needed? 3) What would your suggested workflow be for a RAW image if using both Lightroom 4 and Elements 9?
Tim Grey's Answer: Lightroom does indeed offer considerably more options for processing your RAW captures compared with Photoshop Elements. As I'm sure you're aware, Elements can be thought of in some was as a scaled-back version of Photoshop. That is especially evident when it comes to RAW processing. Specifically, while both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements utilize Adobe Camera Raw for RAW processing, the version of Adobe Camera Raw in Elements provides a very limited sub-set of the adjustment options found in the Photoshop version of Adobe Camera Raw.
The Lightroom Develop module actually offers exactly the same adjustment capabilities as Adobe Camera Raw found in Photoshop. That means Lightroom and Photoshop offer exactly the same RAW processing capabilities, which go far beyond what is available in Elements. Elements offers only the Basic, Detail, and Camera Calibration sections of adjustments, and there are no options for gradient adjustments or targeted adjustments with the adjustment brush. In Lightroom or Photoshop you'll also find the Tone Curve, color adjustments on a per-hue basis, Split Toning, Lens Corrections, Effects (which include vignetting and film grain effects), and options for refining colors in the Camera Calibration section. The result is considerably more control in the RAW conversion process.
As such, I would say there are most certainly some benefits to using Lightroom (or Photoshop via Adobe Camera Raw) to process RAW captures, compared to the use of Elements. And for situations where you need to take things further than what is possible in Lightroom (such as for image cleanup work), you can very easily send the image to the Elements Editor.
If you want to use both Lightroom and Elements together, I recommend first optimizing the image within the Develop module in Lightroom. Then select the photo and choose Photo > Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor. This will open the image in the Elements Editor, where you can continue applying any adjustemnts you like. When you're finished, choose File > Save, and then File > Close, and the image will show up in Lightroom, right next to the original RAW capture.
Reader Question: I currently process my RAW images using Elements 9. I very much like the option of the Adjustment Brush in Lightroom 4 and know that Lightroom also processes RAW images. A few questions pertaining to using both Elements and Lightroom when processing RAW images: 1) Does Lightroom have significantly more options and adjustments for working on a RAW image as compared to Elements? 2) Is there a benefit to processing all of the RAW images just in Lightroom if layers/masks is not needed? 3) What would your suggested workflow be for a RAW image if using both Lightroom 4 and Elements 9?
Tim Grey's Answer: Lightroom does indeed offer considerably more options for processing your RAW captures compared with Photoshop Elements. As I'm sure you're aware, Elements can be thought of in some was as a scaled-back version of Photoshop. That is especially evident when it comes to RAW processing. Specifically, while both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements utilize Adobe Camera Raw for RAW processing, the version of Adobe Camera Raw in Elements provides a very limited sub-set of the adjustment options found in the Photoshop version of Adobe Camera Raw.
The Lightroom Develop module actually offers exactly the same adjustment capabilities as Adobe Camera Raw found in Photoshop. That means Lightroom and Photoshop offer exactly the same RAW processing capabilities, which go far beyond what is available in Elements. Elements offers only the Basic, Detail, and Camera Calibration sections of adjustments, and there are no options for gradient adjustments or targeted adjustments with the adjustment brush. In Lightroom or Photoshop you'll also find the Tone Curve, color adjustments on a per-hue basis, Split Toning, Lens Corrections, Effects (which include vignetting and film grain effects), and options for refining colors in the Camera Calibration section. The result is considerably more control in the RAW conversion process.
As such, I would say there are most certainly some benefits to using Lightroom (or Photoshop via Adobe Camera Raw) to process RAW captures, compared to the use of Elements. And for situations where you need to take things further than what is possible in Lightroom (such as for image cleanup work), you can very easily send the image to the Elements Editor.
If you want to use both Lightroom and Elements together, I recommend first optimizing the image within the Develop module in Lightroom. Then select the photo and choose Photo > Edit In > Edit in Adobe Photoshop Elements Editor. This will open the image in the Elements Editor, where you can continue applying any adjustemnts you like. When you're finished, choose File > Save, and then File > Close, and the image will show up in Lightroom, right next to the original RAW capture.
Last edited:
