What DaVinci Resolve 21 Changes for Editors and Colorists
DaVinci Resolve 21 is an update to Blackmagic Design’s all-in-one color grading software that adds a dedicated Photo page, expanded RAW camera support, and major Fusion upgrades so colorists, editors, and VFX artists can handle more of their image and video pipeline in a single application. The Photo page brings Resolve’s node-based grading engine, ResolveFX, Looks, LUTs, and OpenFX to still images, and it ties into Blackmagic Cloud collaboration so stills live alongside timeline-based projects. At the same time, the Cut and Edit pages gain reworked keyframing with bezier controls, subframe accuracy, and broader text and graphics features. Underneath those changes is a clear push: Blackmagic is turning Resolve from a grading-centric NLE into a production hub where RAW ingest, finishing, VFX, and motion graphics all happen without round-tripping between tools.
Krokodove Fusion Tool: Procedural VFX Without Leaving Resolve
The standout for motion designers is the integration of Krokodove on the Fusion page, which adds over 100 new motion graphics tools oriented around procedural animation and advanced effects. Previously, many of these tasks demanded specialist plugins or separate compositing applications; now they sit inside Fusion’s existing node graph. That means editors can add more complex transitions, generative motion, and data-driven design on top of timelines, while VFX artists gain a richer toolkit for abstract looks and simulations. Because the new keyframing system extends to Fusion effects, generators, and text, you can animate Krokodove-driven setups with the same curves used on edits and transforms. For teams, this reduces the friction of sending shots out to dedicated VFX software and then relinking, since more of that work can stay native inside the .drp project structure.
Wide RAW Camera Support and a Unified Image Pipeline
Resolve 21 also deepens RAW camera support so that both the new Photo page and the traditional Color page can decode more formats from cinema and stills cameras. The Photo page supports RAW from manufacturers such as Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, and Sony, and the main application adds wide RAW decode support, including Canon CR3 and Sony Burano V3. According to CineD, the release includes “broad new RAW decode support, including Canon CR3 and Sony Burano V3, and a long list of editorial, color, and Fairlight refinements.” For working colorists and editors, this means fewer side trips through separate RAW developers: you can import camera-native files, grade with panels and node trees you already know, and export in batches at source resolution. The result is a cleaner path from camera to master, whether the job starts as a stills shoot or a multicam production.
Free vs Studio: Where the New Features Land
DaVinci Resolve continues to ship in two tiers: a free edition and DaVinci Resolve Studio, its paid counterpart. The core DaVinci Resolve 21 features—new Photo page, expanded RAW camera support, and the overhauled keyframing and editorial tools—land in the base application, making them accessible to editors and colorists without extra cost. Studio adds the expanded AI toolset aimed at both video and stills, including AI CineFocus for click-to-set focus, motion deblur and sharpening options, and beauty-focused tools such as AI Blemish Removal and AI Face Age Transformer. As CG Channel notes, Blackmagic positions Studio as the commercial edition of the software, while the standard Resolve remains a capable free color grading, editing, and post suite. This split keeps the main workflow upgrades widely available, with Studio reserved for teams that need AI-enhanced finishing or photo retouching at scale.
An All‑in‑One Workflow: From Stills to Final Grade
Taken together, the DaVinci Resolve 21 features move the software closer to a genuine all-in-one solution for modern post pipelines. Editors can cut with better motion control and multicam support, colorists can grade both stills and video with the same panels and LUTs, and VFX artists gain a stronger procedural toolkit inside Fusion through the Krokodove Fusion tool. Wide RAW camera support closes a common gap between photo and video workflows, while collaboration via Blackmagic Cloud keeps shared projects, albums, and galleries in sync. For small teams, this reduces license sprawl and round-trip overhead; for larger facilities, it offers a consistent node-based language from ingest to delivery. The trade-off is that projects opened in Resolve 21 cannot be reopened in 20.3.2, so careful library backups are essential before migrating a running show to the new version.
