Cyberlink PhotoDirector Ultra Review

What makes Cyberlink PhotoDirector Ultra the best photo editing software?

When speaking to most editors, even at AlwaysReview, many swear by Lightroom, Aperture or Photoshop for the even more advanced creatures. Interestingly, this changes nearly always when we introduce them to Cyberlink PhotoDirector Ultra. It is by far the quickest and most powerful photo editing software in its price range. It’s even so impressive, that most wonder why they have ever paid double or more than double for the established order. Yes, this is a big claim. But once you yourself will be introduced to the pure splendor of the 64-bit operation, the multi-shot HDR, the lens profile-based image correction and the nothing short of marvelous noise reduction, you too, will be a believer.

So what’s new in the latest version of Cyberlink’s PhotoDirector? The biggest change by far is the 64-bit operation. This will allow you to finally start making use of those 4GB of RAM most computers have stashed away these days. And considering the amount of truly hi resolution photo’s being taken today, even on smart phones, this is a luxury that you will enjoy. In non-technical terms: Importing, exporting and adjusting your photo’s using Cyberlink will be faster than with anything else on the market today.

We mentioned it earlier. And what a glorious addition it is to the goody bag of this already extremely popular photo editing software: The new noise reduction is amazing. For those unfamiliar with the term: Noice reduction is the reduction of the white snow-like pixels you often see in pictures taken without a flash (often with high 'ESO', to fall back into jargon). Using high quality noise reduction can significantly improve the quality of your photo’s and is definitely something you should explore.

The new and improved bracket HDR is another one of those features on this photo editing software we could speak about for days to come. Accessible from Edit Mode, bracket HDR allows you to move up to 5 shots taken from the same object to the editing area. By clicking the merge button, the photo editor will combine the images (taking a few seconds on most systems) into one. To explain how this can help you, imagine the following: You’re on a beautiful beach watching the sunset. You take out your camera and take the most breathtaking photo of a beautiful night sky only to find out that the beach is pitch black in your photo. You of course take a second shot in which the beach looks glorious, but now the sun is way to bright to enjoy that beautiful sunset. That’s exacrtly where HDR comes in. It allows you to combine these two glorious photos into one, giving you both that beautiful beach and that fantastic sunset. Are you excited? We are!  

The interface of the latest version of the PhotoDirector hasn’t undergone hefty changes. But then, there was only little to improve on, in comparison to its predecessor. The new version of the photo editor is amongst the least intimidating and cluttered in the industry, allowing even the most novice users to experiment and improve their photo editing skills. Even compared to the more basic consumer orientated programs such as Corel Paintshop, Cyberlink wins on user-friendliness and intuitiveness. The sharing buttons add to this joy. Facebook and Flickr are easily used and you can directly upload to Youtube.

All in all, we hope that you have noticed our enthusiasm for, what we consider, the best photo editing software available today. Cyberlink’s PhotoDirector is truly impressive and wins the hearts of even the most diehard fans of the competition. A great choice for any photographer! 

Why choose Cyberlink PhotoDirector Ultra as your photo editing software?

• Easy to use and intuitive interface for professionals and new users alike
• All-in-one photo-editing suite
• Great photo organization
• Sorting by face detection
• Quick enhancements of picture quality
• Easy edit of the appearance of the individuals in the picture
• Constant customer support
• Access to a large community of budding and professional photographers

Minimum System Requirements

For Windows     

• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8/8.1, 7, Vista and XP 32bit (Windows XP Service Pack 3 is required)
• Processor (CPU): Intel Pentium D 3.0 GHz CPU with hyper-threading or equivalent AMD CPU
• Graphics Processor (GPU): Graphics card with 128MB VRAM
• Memory: Minimum 2 GB is required
• Hard Disk Space: 1 GB of disk space for application and documentation
• Screen Resolution: 1024 x 768, 16-bit color or higher

For Mac                

• Operating System: Mac OS X v10.6.8 or higher
• Processor: Multicore Intel processor with 64-bit support
• Memory: Minimum 2 GB is required
• Hard Disk Space: 1GB of available hard-disk space
• Screen Resolution: 1024 x 768 display

Supported file formats

CR2, CRW, JPEG, PNG, TIF, RAW, BAY, IA, ERF, RAF, 3FR, FFF, KDC, DCR, MOS and PEF are some of the supported file types. It is easy to import pictures from the following major manufacturers. Canon, Minolta/Konica Minolta, Casio, Nikon, Olympus, Contax, Epson, Panasonic, Fujifilm, Pentax, Hasselblad, Phase One, Imacon, Ricoh, Kodak, Samsung, Leaf, Sigma, Adobe DN,  Mamiya, Leica and Sony.  It is possible to find other camera models supported by Cyberlink PhotoDirector Ultra not listed here. Enjoy the free trial option to decide if your camera model is supported by the software.