Pics.io: cloud alternative for photographers

If you like to take pictures and use something more serious than a digital "soap box", then you probably know format digital photography, which contains the raw data obtained directly from the matrix, known as Raw. And I think certainly you there are situations when you urgently need to process the picture data, and handy It was not your desktop or laptop computer with specialized software, such as Adobe Lightroom. Avoid such unpleasant moments called to an online service Pics.io.

Until recently, work with photos in Raw format online was either impossible or extremely uncomfortable. The only interest the service was WebRaw, developed by Mozilla employee. Though he supports many formats of actual "raw" pictures, but not too comfortable, not at all intuitive interface, and support only Firefox browser, drove its advantages to naught.

Pics.io, unlike the aforementioned competitors, works as in Firefox, and the more popular the Chrome, allows not just view your photos, but also edit them, and reasonableness of its interface is virtually issues. But if he can fully replace your program more functional alternatives for photographs in the "field" conditions? Editorial Layfhaker will try to answer this and several other relevant issues.

How to get started with this service?

Since all of the functionality to work with Raw-file is still in the alpha stage of testing, in order to start using Pics.io, you will have to pass the standard registration process. We enter your name, e-mail, password - and forward. Immediately after the confirmation of account, you can log in and get started.

Do Pics.io replace Lightroom you can?

Not. Service improved, but at the moment has a very, very limited functionality. Adjust brightness, contrast, crop, rotate a photo, make a correction by means of tone curves you will, but something more serious to expect from Pics.io not worth it.

What formats does it support?

They are few, but the most popular here are present. You can upload your photos in one of three formats: proprietary Canon and Nikon - CR2 and NEF, or DNG - the native format for Adobe digital negative.

What's wrong with working speed?

If we talk about the "field" conditions, when the hand is not serious software, and you need to quickly process the picture - speed plays a primary role. With her Pics.io all is well.

Among the users there is an misconception that online services necessarily require the presence of a fast internet connection. In the case of Pics.io it is not. Using HTML5 and Javascript technology, we were able to move the process of calculating and processing from the server to the user's side. This significantly improved the performance and speed of operation, even in the absence of high-speed Internet access.

Until the service is far from ideal, but as a file decompression process, and its processing takes minimum time.

Where are all your photos?

Pics.io provide you with integration with Google Drive. Authorizing, and the folder is automatically created in your cloud storage, which will be stored all the images you upload. It is this element of the service makes it a double-edged sword. On the one hand - it is convenient, as you do not need all the images stored in his laptop, and on the other - one average Raw-file takes between 10 and 30 MB. Ship all the captured images to the cloud, of course, no one will. It is long, and the size of your storage is limited.

What stability? It's all the same alpha-version.

Not perfect, but relatively well. During the testing time service only once properly processed photos and several times asked to reload the page. Not too pleasant, but here it is necessary to make allowances for the fact that Pics.io works so far in a test mode, and all of the problems, in any case, will be temporary.

Eventually

Pics.io - a useful, forward-looking and unique in its kind service. It will help you in the minimum processing Raw-derived images, provided that it should be done quickly, and your desktop computer is far away from you. But, in turn, you will have to store the photos you want in the cloud, it is not too convenient. Although developers and declared support for Chrome browser on my iPad did not work to get started with Pics.io. And strive to develop strartapu there somewhere, and I think that the creators will not stand still. Is there a need for you in such a service? Do you like the idea Pics.io? Share your reasoning in the comments.

+ speed
+ Work with Pics.io requires a high-speed Internet
+ The service has simply no competition

- Start processing images, you can not without high-speed Internet
- Limited support for formats and browsers
- You can not use Pics.io on iPad