Plug ins are like add-on programs which work from within your regular software. They provide specialised effects or in-depth tools – or simply a an easier way of working – that aren’t part of mainstream photo-editing applications.
Read more: Plug-ins and external editors explained
ON1 Effects is a component of ON1 Photo RAW, which is itself a non-destructive editor, storing all your editing adjustments as metadata alongside your images. But if you choose to use the ON1 Effects plug-in alongside Lightroom instead, surely you lose that non-destructive capability? No!
Verdict: 4.5 stars ON1 Effects is both a standalone program, reviewed here, and a core component in ON1 Photo RAW 2026, ON1’s flagship photo editor. So why would you buy this one component and not the whole thing? Because, in my opinion, ON1 Effects is the best part of ON1 Photo RAW, and the standalone Effects version gives you all the same inspiring effects and powerful masking and adjustment tools but in an application you can slot into your existing Lightroom, Capture One or other workflow.
Verdict: 3.5 stars DxO FilmPack 8 sets out to replicate the look of classic analog films and processes with true scientific and historical accuracy. Does it succeed? Yes, but while its renderings are faithful and evocative, the absence of local adjustment tools can give you some workflow headaches and it lacks the madness/genius of Nik Analog Efex.
There are many different ways to create compelling black and white images in regular photo editors, but there are also software plug-ins dedicated to black and white effects and analog film simulations. So do you actually need them?
Following on from the launch of ON1 Photo RAW 2023, ON1 has released updated 2023 versions of its professional plug-ins: ON1 Effects 2023 , ON1 NoNoise AI 2023, ON1 Portrait AI 2023, ON1 HDR 2023 and ON1 Resize AI 2023.
Plug ins and external editors are part of most photographers’ workflows. But how do they work and what’s the difference?
The best Nik Collection plug ins are so deep you might never completely get to the bottom of what they do. Here’s a series of tips and ideas for Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Analog Efex Pro and Viveza.
I love film. It’s what I grew up with, and it’s what I made most of my photographic discoveries – and mistakes – with. I love its richness, depth, unpredictability and character. So I’m especially interested in any film simulation software which promises to replicate the look and feel of traditional silver-based films. But I’m…