Does Photoshop CS6 Lens Correction need to be done before other edits?

Question

If I have a photograph and forgot to do Lens Correction for the lens used to take the photograph, and have subsequently done these operations:

• Crop
• Perspective Crop
• Levels adjustment per 50% gray reference card

Do I need to start over again and do the Lens Correction first before the above operations? Does this rule apply to all three actions or only some of them?

The Lens Correction includes:

• Geometric Distortion
• Chromatic Aberration
• Vignette

Will Photoshop be able to apply the correction with understanding of the original unedited image in Photoshop or will I need to redo my crops and levels adjustment?

Answer 1

You can convert the layer to a smart object before applying the lens correction so that the information is not lost. Then, if you need to go back or adjust it, the original information is still there.

Answer 2

If you have been working with a raw or digital negative (dng) file, it really doesn't matter, as the information is still there. However, if you have only a JPEG or similar, most of that information is lost, for example, PS might not recognize the lens profile to use. Another point is that PS does quite well without that info, although it might not be as good.