FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro Review

Features
Ease Of Use
Performance
Verdict
System Requirements

FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro is the latest version of FXHOME's green screen software and comes equipped with several new tools, enhanced features and faster processing. You can purchase FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro as a standalone product or bundled with 5 template packs that include collections of backgrounds and project files designed specifically for this software. The templates can also be purchased separately should you wish to buy them at a later date, too. 

The software, which is available for Windows and Mac (64bit) as a standalone product or Photoshop plug-in, is said to be the 'industry-leading green screen editor for photographers' that can be used to replace image backgrounds with any image of your choosing . Here, we put it to the test to see how good the latest version really is at transporting people out of the studio without them actually having to take a step outside. 

FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro Features

New features of PhotoKey 7 Pro

• Spill simulation pro
• Client preview window
• Intelligent keying
• Retina compatibility
• Raw import
• Export to FTP
• Hotfolder enhancements
• Interface Design

Improved features of PhotoKey 7 Pro:

• Chroma key
• Hot folder
• Colour management 
• File and folder name handling
• Printer settings handling

PhotoKey 7 Pro has everything you need to seamlessly add new backgrounds to images, including a few new tools as well as improved functions we've seen in previous editions. 

For those new to the software, you can access the online help / support centre where video and text tutorials can be viewed. They're really in-depth and easy to follow so if you've never used this software before we recommend you take a look. There's also a really good introduction to green screen photography should you be looking for tips on set-up etc. Basically, PhotoKey have given a beginner a really good starting block to begin their green screen photography journey from which is nice to see. 

It's also worth noting that you don't actually need to take your photos on a green screen as a solid blue screen will also work just as well. In fact, so long as the colour you use is one solid colour and isn't similar in tone to your subject's skin and clothing, you'll be fine. However, this is why blue and green are popular choices as they are very different from the tone of human skin. 

FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro Ease Of Use

When you first open up PhotoKey 7 Pro you're welcomed by the very helpful learn section we've discussed above and there's also a 'latest news' tab where you'll find recently released products such as the template packs. From this home screen, you can access previous project files or create a new project. Once selected, the Edit screen appears where you do all of your Photokey work. 

The interface is really well designed and improvements have been made to ensure it's easier and quicker for the user to access the tools they need. Along the top there is a navigation bar featuring quick access buttons, to the left are a list of toolsets that when clicked on, opens them in the right-hand column and in the centre is the canvas you work on. The tools are rather self-explanatory and can be switched between quickly at any time. 

Importing images couldn't be simpler with drag and drop options available, as well as an Import button should you want to look in a particular folder for your shots. There are two tabs available: Foreground and Background where images can be added to. Foreground is for your portrait and Background is the scene you want your portrait to be placed on. You can now easily add multiple images into a list for batch processing and just as easily remove them, too. When adding images, load time is quick, almost instant in fact. 

For someone who's new to using this type of software, I was impressed to see that the software actually does most of the hard work itself. In fact, as soon as you add your foreground image it instantly removes the background, leaving a checkerboard background in its place. Then, when a background image is uploaded, it is instantly shown behind your subject. The speed and accuracy at which it does this is really impressive and makes the overall image editing process really easy actually. The ability to import RAW files directly is a time saver, too as you don't have to convert them beforehand. 

With some of the backgrounds, no further edits were needed, however this was not the case with all the backgrounds and further customisation was needed to make the image look more realistic.  This isn't a negative point, though as PhotoKey has various tools that can be used to improve results. 

Under the Key toolset is a list of various sliders that can be used to fine-tune the keyring (the name given to the automatic removal of a green screen from an image) settings. Chroma key, spill suppression and light wrap are the tools Photokey suggest you use together to achieve the best result. Another really useful option is the 'View' dropdown which shows in black, white and grey where imperfections in the keyring are. This feature makes it really easy for the user to identify where adjustments are needed. 

Edits are easy to make thanks to simple sliders and again, there's no delay in the changes been applied. We had too much of a shadow still appearing in the image so we used the 'Gain' slider to reduce it which it did a pretty good job of. Although, the image did turn pixelated when making any edits, not just in the Key tab, which did make it tricky to see the changes been applied in real-time and made the process slightly annoying. 

The Spill simulation pro option is new and used to remove the unwanted green spill light cast by bounced light from your green screen onto your subject. It actually automatically does this and again, presents impressive results, but you can move the sliders should you need to tweak the settings. 

Layers are useful for combining multiple images and there's a very long list of filters that can be applied separately to the foreground and/or background to balance the shots (colour balance, exposure etc.) so it looks like the person actually had their image taken where the background is rather than added at a later date. There are also effects available such as vignettes which can be applied to the whole image (foreground / background combined). Not all of them will work for every image, but it's worth playing around with them to see if they enhance your shot in any way. For example, the Bleach Bypass filter works quite well on edgy street scenes but not so much with shots of the countryside. The editing process, even though it's easy to do, isn't necessarily going to be a quick task but, it's worth persevering with to achieve better results.

The saving and exporting process is quick and you can use various file formats. You can also set your preference to JPEG and TIFF in the Export options. 

The template packs available for purchase are actually really useful as they include a large variety of stock backgrounds, should you need them, as well as models captured on greenscreen you can practise compiling shots without actually having to capture your own images. There are also projects included which you can open up to see what edits / effects were applied or indeed edit further if you so wish. 

Image results from PhotoKey 7 Pro 

Value For Money

PhotoKey 7 Pro is priced at £233.27 or £370.56 as a launch bundle with the template packs which, for the amateur or someone who dabbles in portrait photography is quite a large chunk of money to spend on software, however a professional who captures these sorts of images would perhaps see it as more of a worth-while investment. There are cheaper or even free alternatives, but they don't seem to offer such extensive features and controls as PhotoKey 7 Pro.

FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro Verdict

PhotoKey 7 Pro is really easy and quick to use. In fact, when it comes to removing the background from your portrait and inserting a new one, there's not that much you actually have to do as the software does it all for you. Plus, it's really good at its job which speeds up the work process and it also means someone who's new to this sort of thing will find it easy to use too.

Edits and effects can be applied quickly, but it's a shame the image became pixelated while edits were applied as this did obstruct the view and made tweaking the shot harder than it needed to be.  

Some of the results were spot on while others still looked a little unrealistic when combined, although I'm sure these could be improved on by spending a little more time playing around with the various editing tools available. Plus, the software does exactly what it says on the box, which is to successfully remove a background from a portrait and insert another one behind it, with ease and accuracy. 

Yes, the price will be a little high for some but a professional, such as someone with a studio, could see it as a worthwhile investment for a piece of software that's actually really good at its job. 

FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro Pros

Really good at removing backgrounds from portraits 
Easy to use 
Quick processing 
Plenty of editing tools / options 
Fun to use 
The green screen doesn't have to be green

FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro Cons

Image turns pixelated when applying edits, obscures the view 
Price will be high for some 

FEATURES
EASE OF USE
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

PhotoKey 7 Pro does exactly what it's designed to do in an easy to use interface and it produces pleasing results. 

FXHOME PhotoKey 7 Pro System Requirements 

• Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, OS X 10.9 Mavericks or OS X 10.10 Yosemite

• 64-bit operating system

• 400MB free hard disk space for installation

• Internet connection is required for activation and web services

• Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 or Intel Xeon (Nehalem) processor or AMD equivalent

• 2GB RAM

• Photoshop plug-in: Requires Adobe Photoshop CC or CC2014/5 (64-bit only)