FEATURED
Image Quality
CMOS Inventor Eric Fossum Explains LOFIC Technology
Eric Fossum invented the modern CMOS image sensor in the early 1990s while working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory
FRAME 01
Convert. Edit. Understand.
LDR Photo Index is an independent editorial project reviewing the online image conversion, PDF, and AI photo-editing services people actually reach for — plus four tools of our own that process files locally, in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
10 Services reviewed
04 Browser tools, 0 uploads
The Index
Ten services, reviewed the same way
What each one is actually for, what it isn't, and where your files end up.
01
CC
A broad any-format-to-any-format converter for people who occasionally need an obscure format handled, including RAW camera files and vector formats.
02
CV
A no-signup cloud converter with a very long list of supported formats and simple batch handling for straightforward format swaps.
03
FC
A no-login image converter with an unusually wide RAW-format list, bundled with resize, crop, and compression tools on the same site.
04
ILP
A full PDF toolbox — merge, split, compress, convert, sign, and more — with image-to-PDF and PDF-to-JPG as two tools among dozens.
05
SPDF
A polished PDF suite with 30+ tools, including image-to-PDF and PDF-to-image, plus e-signing and an AI assistant layer.
06
PHP
A free, browser-based raster/vector editor with genuine PSD compatibility and layers — the closest thing on this list to a real Photoshop stand-in.
07
PXL
A browser/mobile photo editor built around AI features — background removal, face-swap, generative fill — layered on top of standard retouching tools.
08
FTR
An AI-first photo editor covering upscaling, restoration, background/object removal, and style transformation, positioned as a lighter alternative to full photo-editing software.
09
AE
Adobe's free-to-start design and quick-edit app; its image converter is a small feature inside a much bigger template-and-design tool, not a standalone converter's main focus.
10
CNV
A hugely popular design platform; its "image converter" page is a marketing entry point into a design tool, not a purpose-built conversion utility.
Local Workbench
Four tools that never leave your browser
Each one is a station in the same workbench — select a file, adjust settings, download the result. No account, no upload.
STATION 01
PDF to JPG
Render PDF pages to JPG locally — page ranges, quality control, single files or a ZIP.
Open tool → STATION 02
Images to PDF
Combine JPG, PNG, and WebP images into one PDF — reorder, page size, margins, orientation.
Open tool → STATION 03
Image Format Converter
Convert between JPG, PNG, and WebP with quality and transparency-fill control.
Open tool → STATION 04
Image Resize & Compress
Resize by pixels or percentage and compress to a target quality, with before/after file size.
Open tool → The Journal
Four ways we look at a photo
01
File Formats
JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, RAW, PDF — what each format is actually for, and when converting between them costs you something.
View pillar → 02
Conversion Workflows
Batch conversion, PDF assembly, automation, and the practical steps of moving files between formats and tools without losing quality.
View pillar → 03
Photo Editing
Browser-based editors, AI retouching, layers, masks, and what separates a quick fix from a proper edit.
View pillar → 04
Image Quality
Compression, resolution, DPI, color, and the visible (and invisible) tradeoffs behind every "export" button.
View pillar → 56 Published
Latest from the Journal
Photo Editing
Photoshop's Light Layer Looks Like Lightroom. It Doesn't Act Like It.
When Adobe brought Camera Raw's exposure and tone controls into Photoshop as the Light layer — announced as part of the push to make non-destructive editing native to Photoshop itself — the interface telegraphed a clear message: this is the panel you already know
Image Quality
There's More to Background Blur Than Aperture
Aperture gets almost all the credit for background blur. Open up to f/1.8, shoot a portrait, watch the background dissolve
Photo Editing
A NASA Image Manipulation Trick Now Reveals Ancient Rock Art
Decorrelation stretch sounds like something a yoga instructor invented after taking a signals processing course
Conversion Workflows
Why Dual Card Slots Exist and Why Losing One Costs Your Workflow
When a memory card fails mid-shoot, the conversation usually jumps immediately to data recovery software and frantic Googling
Image Quality
How Fisheye Lens Distortion Affects File Size and Export Quality
The assumption going into most fisheye shots is that a wider view means simpler data: fewer fine details, more sky, more blank wall, easier for a codec to handle
File Formats
Smartphone Camera Storage Hack: Format Choice Impacts File Size
Every photo you take on a modern smartphone is being encoded by a format the camera selected before you ever opened the app
Questions We Get Asked
FAQ
Is LDR Photo Index affiliated with any of the services you review?
No. LDR Photo Index is an independent editorial project. We're not affiliated with CloudConvert, Convertio, iLovePDF, Smallpdf, FreeConvert, Adobe Express, Canva, Photopea, Pixlr, Fotor, or any previous operator of this domain, and we don't accept payment for a favorable review or placement.
Do the four browser tools upload my files anywhere?
No. PDF to JPG, Images to PDF, Image Format Converter, and Image Resize & Compress all run locally in your browser using JavaScript. Nothing you select is sent to this site or any third party — closing the tab clears everything.
Why isn't there a numeric rating or score for each service?
Because a single number hides more than it shows. A converter that's excellent for RAW files and a PDF suite that's excellent for document workflows aren't really comparable on one scale — we describe what each service is actually good for instead, and let Compare handle side-by-side dimensions.
How do you decide the order services appear in on the Index and Compare?
It's an editorial shortlist grouped by what a service is primarily for — general converters, then PDF suites, then editors and AI editors — not a ranking of "best" to "worst." The right pick depends on your task, which is why each entry states what it's best suited for.
Will PDF to JPG handle a very large PDF?
It will try, but very large or very high page-count PDFs are limited by your browser's own memory, not a server — the tool renders pages using your device's resources and will tell you if a page fails rather than silently producing a bad image.
How often is new Journal content published?
On a rolling basis as genuinely useful, well-sourced material is ready. We'd rather publish less often than pad the site with generic or repetitive posts.
Who Writes This
About the Desk
LDR
LDR Photo Index is written by a small editorial desk, not a single named reviewer — this is an independent index and toolset, not a service provider itself, so we'd rather be accountable as a desk that checks its sourcing than invent a personal backstory.
More about this project →