NOROMIS PHOTOLAB 2.0

NOROMIS PHOTOLAB 2.0 is designed to appeal to those who just want to pull their images off their camera, perhaps make a few adjustments, and then print or e-mail them with minimal fuss. We liked the program and recommend it for the quickest, easiest camera-to-file output we’ve seen to date.

You must register online to receive the program’s keycode by e-mail, a cumbersome process. But installation is otherwise easy, and it loads a helpful camera detector that prompts you to get and fix photos (or just download them) when you plug in your camera. You can rotate your pictures, run them as a slide show, place them in a specific folder, and retain or erase shots from the camera’s memory card. You can’t, however, download individual photos. Once you’ve downloaded your images, PhotoLab automatically applies a variety of adjustments to correct color, lighting, and red eye, though you can also adjust photos manually. We were pleased with the fine-tuning interface, which allows you to preview and compare photos.

By default, PhotoLab’s fixes aren’t applied to the original images; a history list lets you undo changes at any time, with modifications applied permanently when you e-mail the image or save it as a new file. You can’t rename the folder holding a given file without breaking the link between the file and its history, though moving a photo to a different folder retains its history.

Most adjustments allowed us to produce clear, sharp, and noise free photos. The exception was Refine Skin Appearance, which removes wrinkles by blurring. If you’re over 60, you can forget about instant rejuvenation via PhotoLab.