Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
There ’s something appealing about Adobe ’s tri - partiteCarouselphoto management inspection and repair . This easy - to - use look-alike editor combos as a photograph shooting , sharing , and syncing tool that lets you mechanically back up , store , and partake your pic collection via the cloud .
Adobe has been experiment with a number of software package in an seek to achieve the easiest , most visceral path for people to access , edit , and share pic : Photoshop Express ( ) for nomadic machine and the fresh Photoshop Elements 10 ( ) also emphasize photo sharing and social networking . Carouselis the company ’s newest and most evolved consumer - oriented effort so far . It propose a broader range of edit functionality than Photoshop Express . But , unlike Photoshop Express , which is complimentary , Carousel was introduced as a $ 60 per year subscription service whose price is due to rise to $ 100 per year at the end of January 2012 .
Carousel 1.0 , whose technological underpinnings are derived from Adobe ’s pro - unwavering Lightroom photo direction app , have three distinct but interconnected programme : one for the Mac ; one for the iPad ; and one for the iPhone / iPod touch .
Carousel on the desktop.
Do n’t let the Lightroom connection make you : Carousel is a consumer app through and through . While you get limitless storage and entree to as many photos as you want , this 1.0 version wield only JPEGs ( not altogether or even PNG data format ) , which carry off most potential for serious professional use for the meter being . Whenever you spell a unexampled photo into Carousel — whether you fritter it from your phone or iPad or import it from your photographic camera bill or photographic camera ringlet — it appears very quick — if not outright — on all of your equipment without further input from you . However , because the software is cloud - base , anything that you do in Carousel , from viewing to redaction , requires a connection connection .
Carousel keeps a local copy of all photo files on your Mac . master are also replicated to Adobe servers in the cloud . While the thumbnail and mental image are displayed in screen resolution , to edit a photo , Carousel will download the original eminent - result variation from its server . That might take some metre on a slow web , but I did not have pregnant hold in my testing .
Interface
The Carousel trio of apps presents exploiter with about correspondent port and a range of common editing capability . There ’s a slightly unlike interface for the desktop interpretation , in that program line icon are at the top of the window . The iPad version has a uncomplicated Develop button at the bottom of the concealment , while the iPhone app , which you must regrettably use in Portrait orientation , has major command icons line up at the bottom .
Carousel on the desktop .
The image redaction module has three main division — look , fitting , and Crop & Rotate — list in tab format at the lower third of the window . Each tab also has its own Cancel , Undo , Compare , and Apply buttons , along with additional controls . looking at are in reality stylized presets , much like Instagram or standardized iOS apps , designed to convey a exceptional atmosphere to your images . There are 17 unlike Looks ranging from Normal to Aquatic to Dappled . tap a facial expression , and it is like a shot applied to the image ; the Compare button lets you toggle back and forth from the master copy . If you do n’t like the effect , try another .
It’s trial and error to figure out which Look works with your image. I used the Misty look, which gave this high-key photo a muted, grungy quality.
Within the Adjustments tab , slipper permit you pull off white balance , photo , and contrast . Two little arrow at the upper right of each tab faculty expose extra control for temperature and tint , exposure , highlights , and shadows , and rotate , straighten , and flip edits . The image does not exchange unless you solicit the Apply clitoris . All edits are non - destructive , so you may always turn back to your original pic .
It ’s tryout and misplay to project out which Look function with your image . I used the Misty look , which gave this high - key photo a muted , grungy quality .
Editing in Carousel is rewarding . You get real - meter prevue of the slider controls with the computer mouse or your fingertip . On the Mac , you’re able to edit out within the Carousel software windowpane , but you’re able to also operate in full - screen mode . However , you ’ll need the Lion OS to use Carousel on your Mac .
You must use the settings pane to switch Carousel views.
Cloud syncing
The syncing use of Carousel worked attractively . Without fail , any photograph that I import into the program from any location turned up on all my gadget in short order . Similarly , when I removed photograph from the Carousel , almost immediately those look-alike were blend .
Unfortunately , you could see only one Carousel at a clock time . When I create a second carrousel from my phone , it did not automatically turn up on the screen as I expected . I had to tick the gear icon at the upper right corner of the screen to get the drop down carte du jour that micturate it usable , and then opt it from the preferences pane before it I could consider it . As the Carousel possessor , it would be nice to have an entire library view .
You must expend the configurations pane to shift Carousel perspective .
The editing interface on the iPad is nearly identical to the desktop version.
Sharing
For Mac and iOS twist users , the summons works like this : The recipient of the Carousel gets an email ask in them to view a shared luggage carrousel , and if the receiver is a member , they can log into their free account and observe , add , and edit exposure in that carousel . If they ’re not a fellow member , they must download the software and record with a countersign in parliamentary procedure to use its features . Despite the high degree of motive that would require , five seems like rather a paltry number for a divine service that allows an limitless telephone number of paradigm .
Nonetheless , you’re able to also deal item-by-item pic via the usual social networking channels such as Twitter , Facebook , Tumblr , or via e-mail .
The redaction interface on the iPad is near identical to the desktop version .
On the iPhone, Carousel only displays in portrait orientation.
Some issues
There are numerous features in Carousel that betray its 1.0 status . For example , photo thumbnail feed into the window in a long horizontal ancestry on all equipment . The reason is that photos in each carousel are target as events , so that when a photo taken on a unlike engagement is imported , it will come out on a separate line . However , if you have only one set of photos taken at the same clock time in your carousel , then it leave you with no choice but to scroll horizontally from start to conclusion . Conversely , one photo on a single day of the month occupy an full line by itself . It would be gracious if there were a preference to habituate a Web - oriented port that would run along up the photos in a more natural way . Scrolling horizontally , interminably , is not friendly .
On the iPhone , Carousel only displays in portrait orientation . On the iPhone , navigation is even more counterintuitive because not only do you have to scroll horizontally , but you also have to view all photos in portrait orientation — even if they were shot horizontally .
It ’s not easy to move exposure in and out of carousels or to batch transfer pic to different carousels . More problematically , uncouth forms of system such as keywords and ratings are non - existing . There ’s no way to batch edit pic or batch remove them .
Macworld’s buying advice
In its 1.0 incarnation , Adobe Carousel , though promising , has a fashion to go to attract to a broad foot of photograph - oriented consumers and professional person . While its current , introductory set of function work quite well , Carousel has more of an Adobe Labs see and feel to it than a dressed mathematical product . And , it ’s too expensive for what it presently offers . You do get a 30 - Clarence Day liberal visitation , so I boost you to test it and see whether it suit your pauperization before committing to a paid subscription .
Carousel offers a distinctive and compelling approach to photo editing and sharing that is destined to improve over time . Adobe say it is planning rising slope to the service in response to user feedback . I look forward to a friendlier port , more conciliatory photo look at and communion options , increased format support , and more organizational and batch functionality .
