Zoner Photo Studio X in the test – Lightroom alternative for professionals and beginners

Zoner Photo Studio X in the test – Lightroom alternative for professionals and beginners

Like most photographers, I have been using Adobe Lightroom for some time to post-process my images. However, when I heard about Zoner's offering, I thought I'd give it a try to see how it stacks up against Adobe's suite. In this Zoner Photo Studio

At a glance

Before we jump into the full Zoner Photo Studio X review, here are a few pros and cons to consider.

Update 2021: Zoner was just named Best Imaging Software Expert at the TIPA World Awards.

Zoner Photo Studio X in the test

Here's a breakdown of some of the top features I personally look for in an image processing suite. Throughout the review you will find some images that I processed using only Zoner Photo Studio X.
alt=“PAM BOK WATERFALL PAI”>

user interface

My first impression of Zoner Photo Studio's interface was that it was very similar to the industry standard. In my opinion this is a good thing as it makes switching from other programs much easier.

At first glance, you'll notice that there are three main columns. The left side is used to organize your gallery and files either from your computer or various cloud platforms. The middle column contains either a gallery thumbnail or a large live image view, depending on the active module. Finally, the right column is the primary work column where editors can make edits or change metadata.

As expected, there are a few primary working modules underneath

• Manager;
• Sich entwickeln;
• Editor;
• Schaffen

alt=““>Zoner Photo Studio X user interface
I usually only use photo editing software to retouch my photos and organize my gallery. So I spend most of my time in the Lightroom-like Manager and Develop modules.

The Editor module has layer editing capabilities similar to Adobe Photoshop, which is nice because you don't have to switch between programs to make quick layer edits. Finally, the Create module is used to create custom designs like calendars and collages etc. To be honest, I can't imagine using this module. However, I understand that it might be attractive to some readers.

Personally, I like the clear and user-friendly layout and design. I particularly like the ability to add metadata like titles, descriptions, and even tags to images directly from the Manage section. Batch operations like EXIF ​​editing and bulk renaming have also been a surprisingly useful addition to my workflow.
alt=”“>Easy cataloging – Google Drive and OneDrive support
alt=“MONK STATUES IN WHAT PA LAT TEMPLE”>

Editing tools

Let's face it, you will buy a photo editing suite for one main reason; Editing. That's why I've covered this section most comprehensively in this Zoner Photo Studio X review.

Develop

The primary module for photographers is the development module. This is where you make the majority of your changes to your photos. Zoner Photo Studio For beginners who just want their photos to look better, this is probably all you need to get started.

Advanced features include a wide range of tone and color curves, noise treatment, brushes, radial filters, graduated filters and most other features you would expect from a professional image processing suite.

Overall, I found developing images on Zoner Photo Studio X to be very easy if you're coming from Lightroom. Adjusting exposure, adding filters, and touching up colors was a breeze. The only thing I felt was the lack of split toning. It was possible to adjust colors in highlights and shadows. However, it was a little more complicated than I thought it needed to be. Along the way, I heard that Zoner may be working on adding color curves, which would be a warm welcome for those used to video processing suites!

Big plus: Zoner lets you edit photos directly from Google Drive without lengthy import windows. This is great for quick touch-ups!

Layer editing

Digital content creators will enjoy the ability to make layer adjustments without having to switch between programs. The Editor module is something that I think has been missing from Lightroom for a long time.

Surprisingly, Zoner supports some pretty advanced layer editing features for white balance, exposure, levels, curves, and color. You can also work with layer masks and effects and merge, paste, duplicate and even rename layers. In fact, as you delve further into Zoner's layering features, you'll find that you can apply several dozen filters to any layer.
alt=“WALLAMAN FALLS WATERFALL Girringun National Park”>
Overall, I was impressed with Zoner's layer editing features. Since this is an all-in-one package, I expected layer editing to be limited. However, I found the system to be well rounded and had everything I needed as a photographer.
alt=“ZONER PHOTO STUDEO X UI EDITOR MODULE”>Support for native layer editing

Device support and system requirements

In short, Zoner Photo Studio X is relatively lightweight and well optimized. This means it works on most modern PCs. Below are the minimum system requirements:

Operating system: Microsoft Windows 7* / 8 / 8.1 / 10 (64 bit)Processor: Intel or AMD with SSE2 supportMemory: 2 GB RAMHDD: 300 MB free spaceResolution: 1280 × 800 or higher

Taken from https://www.zoner.com/en/system-requirements

As you can see, these requirements are very basic. However, for optimal performance, Zoner recommends at least 4GB of RAM, a quad-core processor, and at least 2GB of GPU memory.

So far, it's probably safe to say that I've been pleasantly surprised with Zoner Photo Studio X. However, the biggest disappointment for me was the lack of support for Mac OS. With many professional photographers using Macbooks and Macs for their creative work, it's a disappointment to see the lack of native support.

However, I was able to get Zoner running relatively easily using Apple Boot Camp. All in all, if you're a Mac user with a dedicated Windows 10 boot, this isn't a huge inconvenience, but an inconvenience nonetheless. Of course, this is irrelevant for Windows users.

Should I buy Zoners Photo Studio?

After being married to Lightroom for so many years, I was inevitably a little hesitant to make the switch. However, after installing Zoner Photo Studio X and processing photos for my recent blogs in Thailand, I was pleasantly surprised.

After testing the program extensively myself and writing this Zoner Photo Studio X review, I have come to the conclusion that it is an excellent suite for beginners and professionals alike.

In my opinion, the main reason for choosing this program over competitors is its price, online gallery, layer editing support and very intuitive cataloging system. Of course, the lack of native Mac OS support will deter many Mac users, which is probably my only gripe.

So should you buy it? Well, you can try it for free for a month if you download it from their website. And if you have a Windows computer and want to save money while still getting professional photo editing features, then I would definitely recommend it. If you'd rather try it out before buying, you can also download the free version, which has fewer feature limitations than typical free alternatives.

Have you had a chance to try this photo editing software? Did you like this review of Zoner Photo Studio X? Let me know in the comments below.

Advertising/Endorsement Disclosure: We Seek Travel was paid to write and publish this review. Regardless, I intend to provide only honest and truthful information about my personal experience with this product.

.