ACDSee Pro 2.0 raw converter released
ACD Systems has released version 2.0 of its ACDSee Pro software, bringing support for Windows Vista and Adobe's Digital Negative (DNG) software to the software for importing, naming, viewing, editing, labeling, displaying and archiving image files.
The company released ACDSee Pro 2.0 Tuesday at a price of $130. The software runs only on Windows.
ACDSee Pro is geared for quick review and "development" of raw files, the higher-quality images taken directly from camera image sensors without in-camera processing. Raw processing features include recovery of details lost in underexposed or overexposed areas, conversion to black and white, and batch editing. After photographers have labeled images with metadata such as keywords and titles, that metadata can be saved either to XMP Sidecar files or embedded in DNG files.
The software supports a wide variety of raw formats from major camera makers.
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank. 
- How long will it be around?
- by afterhours September 12, 2007 6:58 PM PDT
- I'd be hard-pressed to buy any ACDsee product. When they
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- a different situation
- by Marc Sabatella September 14, 2007 8:58 AM PDT
- While I don't think anyone can predict the future, I can observe there is a significant difference here. For whatever reason - I don't work for ACD, and do not pretend to speak for them - ACD apparently decided that continued support for Canvas on Mac was not in their long term best interests. Presumably, they felt it made more sense to focus their efforts on their core products, which have always been the ACDSee line for PC. Whether or not one agrees with this decision, I assume one can see how such a decision regarding a product could in some cases possibly make sense, depending on the numbers. But it is hard to imagine a similar situation ever existing with respect to the ACDSee product line on PC. Discontinuing support for that product would mean the end of the company.
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Processing -
(3 Comments)purchased Canvas, a cross-platform illustration and CAD
package, they had arguably the best drafting and drawing tool
for either Macintosh or PC. Well, they let that poor thing die.
Mac users were strung along for more than a year before they
knew their products' fate. Windows users may or may not see
updates. We hope that ACDsee will have some legs with their
product line, but this users' experience has me shying away
from them. I'll have to stick with Adobe or Apple products for
digital media asset management.
To use an analogy, I'd say that discontinuing support for Canvas on Mac is akin to cutting off one's arm to escape a bear trap: a difficult decision to be sure, but one has to assume it would nly be made if it were felt it was the only way to ensure one's own survival. Discontinuing support for ACDSee on PC, on the other hand, would be like cutting off one's own *head*.
Anyhow, I've been one of the (public) beta testers for ACDSee Pro 2 for the last several months, and one of the moderators of their forums. This doesn't give me any special insight into the workings of the company, but it has given considerable experience with the Pro 2 product. I can honestly say I think Pro 2 is very competitive against Lightroom and programs of that ilk, and is definitely worth checking out, especially given how much cheaper ACDSee is.