Architecture · Data · Intelligence

Photoshop Lens Correction Profiles

13 September 2015

guldmann

What does Adobe lens correction do?

Lens correction tools in Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop can compensate for several optical characteristics of a lens. Depending on the lens profile and the information available, corrections can be applied at different focal lengths, apertures and focus distances.

Vignetting: The corners or edges of an image appear darker than the centre.
Barrel distortion: Straight lines appear to bow outwards.
Pincushion distortion: Straight lines appear to bend inwards.
Chromatic aberration: Different wavelengths of light do not converge at exactly the same point, creating coloured fringes around high-contrast edges.

Example by Claus Møller, taken with a Sony A99V and Tamron SP 24–70mm f/2.8 (A007) at 24mm, ISO 1600, f/2.8 and 30 seconds. No other corrections were applied to this photograph of the aurora.

Installing lens correction profiles

In the Adobe Camera Raw versions used when I wrote this article, downloaded lens correction profiles (.lcp files) could be placed in the following Windows folder:

%APPDATA%\Adobe\CameraRaw\LensProfiles\1.0

Using %APPDATA% in the File Explorer address bar takes you to the current Windows user’s roaming application-data folder. The exact folder structure may differ between Adobe releases. Current versions may manage profiles differently, so check Adobe’s documentation before copying files.

A more detailed explanation of how to find the relevant folders is available in my article on adding lens and camera profiles to Camera Raw.

Disabling individual profiles

Some older versions of Camera Raw allowed a profile to be disabled by adding a tilde (~) to the beginning of its filename, for example abc.lcp to ~abc.lcp. This behaviour is version-dependent and should not be assumed to work in current releases.

Choose the right camera and lens profile

Pay attention to the camera format and lens variant. A profile created for a full-frame camera may not be suitable for an APS-C camera, and the focal length or focus distance can also influence the correction.

If your exact lens is not listed, look for a profile for the same optical design or a closely related model. For example, I found that a profile associated with the Sony 70–200mm f/2.8 also worked well with my older Minolta 80–200mm APO HS f/2.8. Treat this as something to test, not as a guarantee that profiles are interchangeable.

Where to find profiles

Adobe provides lens-profile support within its software. Profiles have also been shared by photographers and specialist communities, and some tools allow you to create your own corrections. Availability and compatibility change over time, so check that any profile supports your camera and software version.

If you know of additional resources, feel free to get in touch.

Applying the corrections

I usually consider lens corrections when importing RAW files, then check the result rather than applying every correction automatically. Distortion and vignetting correction can be useful, but sometimes the uncorrected rendering is part of the look I want.

Photograph by Jørgen Guldmann, taken with the Minolta 17–35mm D at 17mm, f/4, 6 seconds and ISO 1600. The only correction applied was lens correction.

Remember to calibrate your camera profile where appropriate. Camera profiles and lens profiles solve different problems: one affects colour and tonal rendering, while the other addresses optical characteristics.

Historical note: This article refers to older Adobe Camera Raw workflows and profile downloads. Some external resources may no longer be maintained.

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