Lastolite FotoEffects filters Review

FotoEffects Filters from Lastolite are designed as plug-ins for various digital imaging software products. They are NOT a stand-alone program, but Lastolite have thoughtfully included trial versions of Adobe PhotoShop and JASC Paintshop Pro so that if you don't yet have any digital imaging programs you can still make use of the filters.

Lastolite say 'These digital filters were primarily designed by a photographer for photographers. The idea was taken from conventional camera filters, and the effects that these filters produced were 'mimicked' electronically.'

Our biggest concern when seeing the specification of this product was whether or not these effects could simply be achieved in Photoshop and Paintshop Pro anyway, and Lastolite mention this in their product leaflet 'These filters enable you to easily make corrections which are possible in other stand-alone imaging packages, but much quicker and easier.'

Listed below are the main filters available:

The custom gradation filter puts infinitely controllable areas of colour or neutral 'shade' into their photographs. For example, most people like to use this to drop a blue sky into a photography taken in overcast weather.

The custom vignette filter allows a quick and easy controllable elliptical area of colour or neutral 'shade' into their photographs. For example, most people like to use this to create an old-fashioned look to a picture, or hide distracting backgrounds.

The custom pastel filter performs the same function as the vignette, but instead of having a controllable colour it creates a 'frosted glass' effect wherever you place it. Most people like to use this to enhance wedding or portrait photographs.

The custom soften-sharpen filter allows you to sharpen poor focus or, for example soften skin-tones.

For distortion effects the set of filters provides the following, useful for correcting photographs of tall buildings or those taken with very wide-angle lenses

Perspective filter: This allows you to 'stretch the picture' from any or all of the four corners. Each corner can be moved up, down, left or right.This can be used to straighten out 'leaning' buildings. This is known as 'converging verticals', for example, skyscrapers appear to lean together when the camera which took the picture is pointing upwards. The image can be stretched then 'cropped' (using your existing software package).

'Fisheye' filter: This allows you to create a distorted 'fisheye effect' from a normal photograph, or more importantly, correct 'fisheye' distortion caused by a super-wide angle lens.

Verdict
Overall we felt this software would only be useful for those with no confidence in acheiving the same results in programs like Photoshop or Paintshop Pro. Considering it costs 40 we don't feel it gives very good value for money, and with the wealth of information on the web on acheiving similar results with Photoshop and Paintshop Pro, the money could be spent towards these products.If you do fall into the group of people with no confidence in programs like Paintshop Pro you should download the trialand judge for yourself.

Lastolite provide a trial version of Fotoeffects from their website which is only 1.5Mb so shouldn't take long to download. You can find it here. We would recommend trying this software before you decide to purchase it.

If you want to buy it or check whether your digital imaging software is compatible, you can do so here.